NYC Natural 2018 - present
New York City Natural is an on-going project exploring and celebrating NYC parks and green spaces by creating Park Portraits and leading corresponding Mindful Nature Journaling Hikes. The project showcases the city’s natural beauty and ecology by depicting its rich and biodiverse, and potentially biodiverse, landscape and by encouraging communities to engage with it.
The process begins by visiting parks in all 5 boroughs where I hike, sketch, photograph, and collect specimens. I enjoy exploring areas of wilderness, trails through woodlands and marshes, as well as areas with urban elements overlapping nature. I also consult with ecologists and horticulturists, when possible, about each green space’s history and wildlife.
At the studio I collage all of the collected data and inspiration into Park Portraits. Their vertical format, inspired by Asian hanging scrolls, allows for multiple perspectives, this represents how I, personally, experience a park; simultaneously zooming in for close observation, pulling back to take in the whole, all while hiking up, down, and all around. My oil painting technique balances photo realism and expressive strokes as a way to both accurately document flora and fauna and to express my passion for nature in the city. In the mix media studies I paint on top of the photographs to unify the different perspectives.
This project aims to promote the value of NYC’s natural resources by bringing people to these green spaces, both literally and pictorially. In raising awareness of these natural areas, especially those that are underutilized and difficult to reach by public transportation, I hope to advocate for their accessibility, preservation, expansion, and restoration. I believe connecting people more deeply to nature within the city can improve the overall health and well being of New Yorkers of all ages and socio economic backgrounds as well as incentivize greater care for our environment.
In sum, New York City Natural invites viewers and participants to consider New York City as a rich and beautiful landscape, one with 1,700 green spaces, 29,000 acres of parkland, with stunning sky and water views. By appreciating and nurturing these environments, we can help mitigate climate change and create a better future for ourselves, our city, and our planet.
