{"id":1601,"date":"2019-01-30T19:47:54","date_gmt":"2019-01-31T03:47:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ejmillerfineart.com\/news\/?p=1601"},"modified":"2019-01-31T15:55:40","modified_gmt":"2019-01-31T23:55:40","slug":"introducing-lush-landscapes-eelgrass-meadow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ejmillerfineart.com\/news\/2019\/01\/30\/introducing-lush-landscapes-eelgrass-meadow\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing Lush landscapes: Eelgrass Meadow"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Eelgrass<\/a>
Eelgrass Meadow<\/em>, 14×30″ watercolor and metallic acrylic on paper. \u00a92019<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Soon after I completed the Lincoln Pier<\/a> mural in January 2017, I started having ideas for a new mural project. I imagined a long wall painted with densely blooming blue jade vines, a visual narrative of Hawaiian native and introduced species hidden in the flowers and leaves. Time passed and I didn’t paint the Blue Jade mural, but I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Often, images for new artwork arrive complete to my mind, and I don’t always understand my own motivations. The persistence of the Blue Jade concept kept me thinking about why this specific image was so important to me. I realized that my inspiration came from the overwhelmingly lush experience of being embedded in a vast, living environment. The idea expanded from a single public mural, to selecting and exploring ecosystems that place the human perspective within the context of this rich, intricate natural world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eelgrass Meadow<\/em> is the first environment I chose to paint. I began the project with three days of research on seagrass environments, and this quote from a diver and researcher stayed in my mind as I painted: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEelgrass meadows can grow so thick that when you\u2019re swimming through them, you can\u2019t see anything else.<\/em>\u201d   (source<\/a>)<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Humans typically see eelgrass lying flat on the sand at low tide, or washed up after storms. I imagined this incredible environment becoming slowly weightless with the rising tide, floating up from the ocean floor. The daily shift of changing tides creates a temporary kingdom that research shows is one of the richest and most productive coastal habitats on Earth. The beauty and mystery of these natural cycles of change is an endless source of primal joy and inspiration for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eelgrass Meadow –<\/em> detail of Pacific herring spawning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As I began to paint this first image, it became clear that an encompassing network of plant life should provide the main theme for each artwork, rather than a traditional central focal point with a single starring character. These paintings are a visual representation of the shift from an ego-centric to eco-centric viewpoint \u2013 a shift that I believe improves our relationships with ourselves, each other, and the world. The decentralized composition also continues to support a mural format, where viewers experience the artwork progressively while walking past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Mural view” video of Eelgrass Meadow<\/em>:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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A post shared by Emily Miller (@ejmillerfineart)<\/a> on