Artist Statement 

*note - The below statement refers to my older figurative work but I hate to just delete without more thought. A new statement is needed as I am in a new phase of my life and my art.

Please visit my instagram accounts for more recent work and life - love, hilary

@cactusbonestudio

@hilaryscoutwootton

The traditional values and beliefs of Native Americans and other indigenous cultures have long resonated with me for their emphasis on respect, appreciation and preservation of earth’s diverse eco-systems. Rooted in the concept of interconnectedness, I seek to convey this shared ethos in my artwork, while striving to awaken others to feel the healing power and spiritual guidance of nature.

My process is deeply spiritual and my work is an expression of prayer and meditation, depicting organic images as sacred artifacts and communicating earth’s cyclical and ever-evolving patterns. Dream-like imagery explores ecological and anthropological themes, creating a new age pastoral narrative and an elegy for a lost way of life. The work serves as an homage to our ancestors, as well as a tribute to wild nature.

When I begin working on a piece, I don’t always know where it is going, but the origin of inspiration feels the same. The evolution of my paintings occur over time as I make decisions based on my mood, the message or emotion I am trying to convey or the way materials interact with one another. With every work, I explore symbolism and the juxtaposition of images, illustrating my own personal folklore, Americana and the ethereal beauty of natural phenomenon.

Nature communicates to us in our daily lives, but we must be aware of our natural surroundings and perceptive to the messages and signs they hold. Human civilization, as a global community has a moral obligation to take an active role in the environmental crisis our planet is facing, in order to preserve the complex web of living beings and resources it has to offer. My hope is to sensitize people to these challenges and emphasize the crucial need for each of us to re-consider our every day actions, which leave a permanent footprint behind and disturb the earth’s natural rhythms.

-Hilary Wootton