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  While growing up in a rural mid-western town, I preferred to spend my time in the fields and woods. Captured by the tones and textures of what I saw there, I would draw the trees and cornfields of my home. After graduating with a degree in Fine Art in 2004 from the Cleveland Institute of Art, I moved to Montana in search of true wilderness. Since then, I have been making drawings and paintings of my experiences exploring the wilderness of Northwest Montana.

 

I'm fascinated by the way a place can stay within you; the memory of it. My process begins with connecting spiritually to the landscape. I think about the mood and why I'm drawn to the scene. I want my work to hold the emotion and feeling of nature. Often, I incorporate into my painting’s natural materials from the earth to connect further to the landscape.

 

My work focuses on the forces and cycles of nature, from the forest’s renewal after fire to the ever-changing wetlands. Through my art, I hope to bring an awareness to the importance of conserving our wild lands.

 

-Dana Berardinis