Of Roots and Wildness ~ Artist Statement

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I’ve been collecting bark, and leaves, and bottles. Old pop cans, and crumbling paper bags. Did you know Pabst beer is a favorite of the woods? Cardboard coffee cozies a close second? And that the most trash can be found along deer trails that diverge off of those concrete paths that cities insist on putting into wooded parks and preserves? Our forests are full of trash. And a few hikes spent picking up with my family are not going to fix that.

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 In preparation for these paintings, I visited over five Des Moines area parks and forests. From the Bill Riley trail near Walnut Creek to Yellow Banks River park.  The idea was to re-immerse in nature. The seeds, leaves, bark, and discarded trash I gathered, were then used to create the paintings, grounding the project in Iowa forest and prairie. A tangible connection to our local land. At its heart, this art is about connection.

My hope is for you to find a moment in one of these paintings that calls to you. Maybe it’s the ground squirrel nesting under the oak roots. Maybe it’s the hint of a bumblebee or a certain smudge of paint. I want to inspire you to trust nature. To reconnect with nature. And I want you to grow. 

 

 

 “Having grown up surrounded by trees, fields, and prairie, I have a great love of the natural wild places. I believe that humans and nature should be beautifully entwined. Harmony, respect, and understanding are necessary for this bond.”

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Autumn Rozario Hall currently lives in Des Moines, Iowa. She is a recipient of a community art grant from the BeWild ReWild fund through Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. She is currently working on a series of art and workshops to help home gardeners start their own pollinator gardens. 

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Her art has been shown in galleries across the country, as well as closer to home in Iowa. Autumn enjoys being part of her local art community, and is a member of the Urbandale Art Gallery Committee.

 

 

Let a little corner of your world grow wild. Together we can grow  native grass, and flowers that feed our birds and butterflies, and spirits.

Start with one pot or a small corner of your yard.

Things like native grass, and flowers that feed our birds and butterflies, and spirits.