Samantha Bellavance

Studio Exhibition Seminar

“I hope that while so many people are out smelling the flowers, someone is taking the time to plant some.” –Herbert Rappaport

Plants have incredible strength and diversity with the ability to provide food, clothing, shelter, and even medicine to humans and our culture. Flowers are predominantly thought of for their beauty rather than their function. They are often cut from their roots and used for table decorations instead of left in their ecosystems to provide for the rest of the flora and fauna.

My artwork aims its focus at this simple beauty of nature that is far less appreciated than it should be. My intentions are to create art that speaks to me and comes from a point of improvisation, a far different approach to art than I have made in the past where I have meticulously planned out each step. In these new pieces I am striving to test different forms and materials to push myself outside of my comfort zone and grow my skills in new areas. I am drawn to simple forms, and how one can convey beauty without the sole use of photo-realistic technique. You can tell an entire story with a few lines or simple shapes and a little bit of color; sometimes that can say more than detailed rendering. With both dry and digital medias, I use humble line and color to depict minimal detail, which nevertheless produce the end result of magnificence that the plants embody. 

My goal is to show that there is beauty in simplicity, but our habits of consumption and convenience can destroy that beauty. We take much more than we give, and what we give is oftentimes harsher than what we obtain. Unless we change our selfish behaviors, the strength and beauty we value will suffer.