Riemea

In 2012 I painted the top image: Rise

grey wagtail

Red Crowned Flight Switching it up from the more complicated paintings with something simple and relaxing. It's nice to let my mind go blank and let the thoughts flow like water~

Night Gown🌟 Paint allll the translucent dresses

Cloud Blanket~ Based on a photo I took in Switzerland. It was raining that day, and at first I was disappointed by the weather because we couldn't go hiking in the rain, but the low hanging rain clouds were so beautiful that I became glad for the rain.

Bioluminescence: Question, Hypothesis, Experiment Oil, 30 x 20 inches, 2020

The light of life and the scientific method. These points of light and inspiration stand in contrast to the lanterns and lights that are historically thought to be sources of illumination but are now dimmed; mythologies and superstitions humans have created as we struggled in the dark of ignorance to understand our world. But the process of science has revealed a luminous planet, glowing with the magic of biological reality, more intricate and amazing than we could have ever imagined.

Some tips from the inside, in case they help:

- life has always been pointless. Or rather, we have always been unable to control the relative point-fulness of life. The factors involved in opening the possibilities of who can have a large scale impact where are so insanely complex that they can at best only be pieced together imperfectly in retrospect

- the only thing that has changed is your awareness of this fact. No, seriously. The sun will eventually swallow the planet; at any moment without our knowledge or control the sun could flare in weird ways that will kill us all; etc. There was geopolitical and socioeconomic fuckery as bad or worse going on before: you just didn’t see it. Promise.

- you do what you can with what you have. You do what’s in front of you. Humanity has survived all of this before; it may survive it again. It may not. You can only do what you can: take what lessons exist from the past and apply them.

- sometimes it is just that bad and they are totally out to get you. The question is, what do you do about it?

- almost without exception in human history the answer has been “build community; support the one you have; reach out to connect MORE and to make the world more kind and less hateful than before.”

- recognize you’re trying to tackle god-level problems with a brain originally meant for keeping small proto-fish from being eaten. Treat that part of your brain like a very anxious toddler or rescue pitbull. Give it small measurable victories and successes even if you have to make them up. Make sure it’s fed and watered and has enough rest. Medicate it if you have to - there’s nothing wrong with that. The opposite, in fact.

This one truly took so long to paint 😭The video recording of the process took 10 sessions instead of the usual 3.

But I'm really happy with how it turned out! I've always loved the impressionist art style above all other oil painting styles, so it's been a blast studying the works of Monet and modern impressionists, and adding my own touch to the skies as well.