Allison Larsen

Hiking is a time to slow down and notice nature around me. The sound of a dirt path under my footsteps makes my heart sing. I feel deeply connected to my environment when I hear the crunch of fine pebbles underfoot. Harmonious colors flood my sight to draw in the season. Stones portray the history of place. It’s the little things I notice when I quiet my mind. My senses come alive. I am more aware of faint scents. I hear more clearly. I am at peace. I create my artwork by going deep into my memories where my senses have imprinted not just the experience, but also the emotional connection to a place and moment in time. I don’t work in plein air, nor do I take many photographs while hiking because I want to be fully present in the experience. Instead, I focus on my senses and the emotions they evoke. I breathe in the experience in my lungs, my body, my soul. I let my mind rest instead of overthinking. This connection to the experience is enough to ignite my art practice later. A color, a sound, a scent, an emotion may surface as the first spark to a piece. As I create, the story unfolds because the memory flows forth. More abstract than realistic, I love to paint stones. I get dreamily lost in painting each stone. I mix watercolors in the center of my palette, thus creating colors that innately feel like an experience in nature. I continue to mix, layer and “run” a myriad of paint together within each stone on the paper. Have you ever looked closely at a stone? I am entranced by the variations of minerals and deposits compounding diverse colors into a stone. I especially love to see veining through a stone. I am not a geologist, but I am an observer, especially of nature. It feels so meditative to create each stone – to watch the pooling and blending of paints. Then I pause and see how the stone transforms as the paint dries. I often find myself holding my breath as I swish in a contrasting color to bring a stone alive. As the wet colors mingle, they become friends yet retain their individuality. They settle in together forming a unique bond. Stacked stones, often referred to as a cairn, are symbolic for trail markers. When spotted on a trail, one is reassured you are heading along the intended trail. You are where you need to be on your journey. Circles in my artwork symbolize blessings. When I position a circle atop a cairn, I consider this a trail marker on a blessed trail. I am also enamored with spirals. Painting each curve of a spiral relaxes me. The symbolism of spirals in my art is emblematic of life’s journey. Trail markers along life’s journey provide guidance, encouragement, inspiration and help us discern our direction. From afar, the image of stacked stones beckons direction. Up close, my art whispers quiet conversations through the brilliant textures of the stones themselves. Whisper-thin, delicate circles reveal the quiet moments when we recognize blessings that come into our lives without fanfare. Flat rocks stack the easiest. There is a feeling of steadfastness and peace in the sturdiness of flat stones nestled together in a typical cairn. I also let my imagination wander with precariously balanced, odd-shaped stones. I feel like the artwork captures a moment in time. I feel the same way about balancing a circle or spiral atop of a cairn. I love the paradox of balancing a round object on an already precariously balanced stack of stones. It feels so fragile and dynamic at the same time. It’s that brief moment when it stays in place. These images bring to mind the fleeting moments in life to be treasured. Peaceful and calming are adjectives I often hear about my art. That is affirming to me because I strive to embody these feelings as I create. I hope for my peace in creating to flow to those who appreciate my art.