Animal Icons (Elizabeth Escalona O'Brien)

Sep 20

Sep 20 Animal Icons (Elizabeth Escalona O'Brien)

An original art series by Elizabeth O’Brien.

Artist statement:

I have always felt drawn to nature, and especially connected to animals. I feel intense joy and curiosity in interacting with creatures large and small, in the wonder of the natural world, in sunlight on my face and leaves in the wind, in the cacophony of colors that bloom in the wild. It is in this joy and curiosity that I feel most connected to the Divine Mother. My work is about exploring this connection between ourselves and the limitless beauty of nature, between the divine and our hands in the earth, fur in our fingers, flowers and feathers in our hair.
I work with a multitude of media—from paint to crayons, markers, ink, colored pencils, powdered pigments, and vintage ephemera. Collage, with my extensive collection of vintage paper, is an integral part of my process. The past lives of these materials lend a soul to the piece that speaks to me. I also find inspiration in folk art, abstract expressionism, illustration, illuminated manuscripts, mysticism, children’s books, fashion, and global textiles.
When looking for other artists to feature in this issue I looked for a similar appreciation or exploration of the connection between the divine and nature. Not an expressly religious connection per se, but an acknowledgment of the spirituality inherent in the wild places, a connection between our higher selves and the earth that nurtures us.
-Elizabeth Escalona O’Brien