march FEATURED artist |
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Walking My Way to Joy Nature is my passion, my muse and my inspiration. I am an Evolutionist, Artist, Photographer and Designer. In the Spring of 2014 I was a full-time Artist and curating exhibits here in Maine. This was interesting but was not moving my own art forward. With my deep love for nature I specialized in birds, bugs and nests. In my art I use many mediums, encaustic, acrylic, watercolor, illustration, assemblage and photography. Any medium to tell the story! One spring morning in 2014 I was reading an article about our rise in sea temperature. Our Gulf of Maine was heating up faster than any other body of water in the world! I thought about that fact, a light went on and I decided to do a project about our rising sea level. I call this The Wilderland Maine Project, my goal was to create a one year visual narrative of the Kennebec River Watershed for scientists to study 30 years from now. I imagined that these images would document storms, eel grass and other shoreline plants necessary for our fisheries, marshes and estuaries. I put my things in storage and moved down to my basecamp, in the heart of my project. It was an amazing year, I walked 3-5 miles a day, falling in love with nature and understanding the natural world and how everything is connected. I had a studio at my Basecamp and this very big year culminated in an exhibit featuring all mediums interpreting the Wilderland. This Project was also featured in Downeast Magazine, November 2018. After that amazing year I moved into town, a perfect house, I hung my Art and Photographs, and it is now my Intown Studio/Gallery. This Project changed me. Since 2014 I have spent my energy on nature and on sharing ideas about the warming of our planet and our seas, through art and photography. In the years since, I have kept my schedule of walking and my observations have become more keen with each passing year. I have learned so much from nature, the birds and all of our winged wonders, the landscape, sweet little critters and the nuance of the seasons. I have explored the Wilderland by foot, boat, kayak, sailboat and even a few times up in a small plane for aerial shots. I take so many images in all weather that I have to replace my camera every year!! Walking with a purpose but not to a set agenda makes the difference. I find it keeps me open to everything that presents itself. Breathing cold crisp air, listening to a lone wood thrush call in the deep woods or watching the shorebirds, all amazing moments. Why? Because they are true gifts from nature. A profound respect for all living things and their habitat, is my focus. Walking quietly, listening intentionally and observing with a keen eye are key and make all the difference. I took to the Wilderland, and that has made all the difference. Be fierce and true to you, only goodness will come your way. Joy attracts joy! kdb Dominguez
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