I feel like I've been running a marathon, uphill.

I'm slowly settling in to our new place here in North Carolina. There's been a mountain of things to get done with the transition. Moving a home, renting our house out, insurance claim, moving my business to another state, transferring medical care, car repairs, plus add a toddler to the mix and it's been quite a whirlwind.

I'm almost done with everything, the only thing motivating me is that I want to get back to painting wildfires! I've got a lot of new work I completed before we left Florida that I've been wanting to share and can't wait to list it in the shop.

One of the pieces--"Drought"-- was featured on PIXEL & BRACKET's Youtube channel as a time lapse. It is a short video, as I didn't record every painting session. I started this piece when I was in Utah last fall as part of my Art & Adventure trip. I was hoping to get it done in time to submit to a juried show but I just didn't have enough time. That's okay!

This piece is about the drought in California and how that has increased the fire activity and intensity of wildfires in the last few years. "Drought" pays tribute to the desert nature of the west and the beauty and danger that dwells there.

I wanted to portray this part of the west; the dry, brown, bleak, and wildfire ravaged vegetation. Yet finding the beauty in the landscape anyway, before, during, and after a wildfire. I find the shape of the land, and colors, humble. And the shape and colors of wildfire smoke fascinating. And through it all, I love to remember to look heavenward in our challenges, and to remember to have perspective.

I believe we are eternal beings, without end, and that this life on earth is just part of our eternal journey. I believe when we have finished our time on earth, we will look down from heaven and see what a small moment our lives were in the expanses of eternity, and that through our life on earth we learned and grew in ways we couldn’t have done before. And that it was through our challenges, struggles, and tragedies that we learned faith, hope, love, forgiveness and so much more.

Opposition is the story of our lives. And one I aim to portray through my wildfire paintings.

We are like the earth, we experience seasons of growth, shedding, change, stillness, and liveliness. Some things seem so repetitive and cyclical, others are total disasters, suprises, or tragedies. Yet, we start over, grow, and change because we are hopeful, courageous, and strong.

Thanks for checking my blog out today!

Make sure to check out PIXEL & BRACKET he gives great tutorial videos!

ANNASTASHA

Annastasha Larsen is an amazing painter, especially of impressionist landscapes!

As a wildfire painter, I've been wanting to get real close to a fire in nature. I finally didn't have to chase one down but was invited to witness a prescribed burn here in northwest Florida.

I had the wonderful opportunity to go out with the Florida Forest Service and learn more about what they do and how they do it. I learned a lot of things from witnessing this burn and I'm just sharing 7 thing I learned from a prescribed burn.

1. Fire in Florida is used as a tool, to help manage the land and benefits plants and animals.

2. The same piece of land needs to be burned at least every 5-7 years.

3. Every plant has a different smell when it is burned. Some smell very sweet.

4. Small green plants and mosses survive these prescribed burns.

5. Plants and animals benefit from the burn almost immediately.

6. Even gentle burns, like the one I went to, that don't kick up a lot of smoke are beautiful to witness and learn from.

7. Humans relationship to the land is important. Without humans managing the land--especially where we live--nature will take care of things and sometimes that means communities and structures can be destroyed by the forces of nature.

Drought-- A Timelapse Video

7 Things I Learned From A Prescribed Burn