Jama Hansonbrook

Artist Statement

For the last few years I have predominately focused on plein air painting, first in watercolor and gouache, and now in oil. When in the field I enjoy painting subject matter I encounter daily, as well as hiking to remote locations, and I find myself gravitating towards scenes which show the interaction between the built environment and the natural world, particularly scenes in which human activity is dwarfed or subsumed by nature. Those are the places I seek out and want to paint, because they most reflect why I love plein air painting. To be out in the world, subject to changes in weather and lighting and constantly present to your surroundings is to lose yourself to something larger than yourself. It is a religious experience.

My recent larger studio works are largely informed by my smaller paintings in the field, and they reflect similar subject matter. In both I rely on my vibrant use of color, as well as an interest in pattern and texture, to convey a sort of everyday sublime: the transporting experiences humans can encounter in the natural world. Recently I have also been exploring old family photographs and approaching those paintings in a similar manner. In addition to largely showing people in the natural environment, my paintings act as a fragile bridge with the past, trying to conjure connections with events and people changed or gone. I am interested in spotlighting our interdependence with our natural world, our community, and our history, all or which enriches the human experience.