Forces of Nature showcases different artworks where the subject is related to earth, sustainability/climate/reforestation concerns, wildlife and other natural wonders (anything that is found naturally rather than man-made). The interpretation may be literal or conceptual.

This exhibit is linked with our Forces of Nature Market on May 19 at SAAC from 2-6 pm. Please join us for a reception of this exhibit at this time as well.

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​Works on display in-person until June 1, 2023.

Hover or click on images below to view title, medium, and pricing. Click image to view fullscreen.
Please CALL OR EMAIL SAAC (info at bottom of this page) if interested in purchasing available works.

Linda Chandler

Linda Kay Chandler is a self-taught Visual and Literary artist. I discovered the love for art at age eight at my elementary school as my teacher saw me doodling. My passion for art blossomed in to my adult life. Chandler creates one-of-a-kind art that is different than the world we live and is surprised in her work. My medium for most of my art is ink; however I do not limit myself to one medium, style, or concept because my visions change on the canvas or poster board. My special technique I use to create my art is from the visions and dream that I see that determine my art. After graduating with a bachelor degree shortly followed by a master’s degree coursework in Public Policy & Administration from Mississippi State University I decided to pursue my dream of becoming a full time well known artist. 

https://www.lindakaychandler.com

Flowering of Hope
Linda Chandler
Mixed Media
11” x 14”
$585

Flowering of Hope relates to nature by being a flower of hope that shows a sign of happiness.

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Water Diehl

Walter J. Diehl is an avid world traveler and amateur photographer.  He hopes that his photography provides viewers a glimpse into those places that he has been privileged to visit and inspires them to travel and experience the cultures and beauty of new places on their own.  Diehl does not try to be the typical travel photographer, and he probably breaks most of the ‘rules’ of travel photography.  Rather, he is a traveler first who tries to take the most inspiring photographs that he can under the conditions that exist at the time.  His travel habits rarely allow him to sit in one place very long or take advantage of the best light for chosen scenes or subjects.  Depending on the trip, he may focus on photographing nature, architecture, culture, or people.  In his world, scenes are rarely perfect, and so he is constantly challenged to make the most of this reality.  Diehl enjoys the reactions of people viewing his photographs.  In an admittedly selfish sense, their reactions allow him to enjoy his travels all over again.  But only for a while, because now he is already thinking about how to photograph his next trip(s).

Tracking a Vulnerable Species
Walter Diehl
Photography
19" x 25"
$150

Polar regions contain our planet’s most vulnerable habitats.  The tracks of a Polar Bear disappearing into the snow-free distance is a metaphor for what is happening to both the arctic environment as well as to many of the unique species that reside there.

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Thomas Grosskopf

Thomas Grosskopf is an artist and teacher focusing on figurative and illustrative works including, portraits, landscapes, and imaginative realism. 

In Loving Memory to Humanity
Thomas Grosskopf
Oil
24" x 30"
$1,000

If humanity were to vanish from this world, nature would reclaim, regrow, and prosper. There would be many monuments left to the creatures we were and, like a cemetery, things would be quiet again.

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Carolyn Holmes

Carolyn Holmes is a quilter and a gardener (as well as a professor) living in Starkville. She learned to sew from her mom and dad in middle school, and has been making quilts ever since.

This piece is made of cyanotype prints, a kind of photogram invented in the 1840s in which a picture is made by exposing photosensitive dye to sunlight. For this piece, she took fabric, originally plain white, and dyed and dried it in the dark. Then, she used plants from her yard and exposed the fabric and leaves to sunlight. After exposure, the fabric was washed, toned, and oxidized using an acidic bath to fix the image. To complete the work, she pieced together the prints by machine, then quilted each panel by hand.

Mississippi Volunteers explores the shape and beauty of often-undervalued native species in our landscape. It includes (top, from left) Bushy bluestem, red mulberry, Carolina geranium; (middle) clover, Virginia creeper, bear oak; (bottom) peppervine, black walnut, sedge.

This piece should not be hung in direct sunlight, as it can cause fading; but it can be restored by keeping it in a dark place temporarily, as cyanotype chemistry is regenerative.

https://www.instagram.com/carolyneholmes/

Mississippi Volunteers
Carolyn Holmes
Quilt
30.5" x 30.5"
$250

Although some call them weeds, Mississippi’s native plants are vital to the health of our ecosystem. Bluestem and sedge help prevent erosion. Clover enriches the soil. Bear oaks are incredible at air filtration. Carolina germanium has medicinal value. Black walnut trees are vital habitats for moths and butterflies. Red mulberries, Virginia creepers and peppervine support birds and other pollinators. This piece invites you to re-think the beauty and importance of these Mississippi volunteers.

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Malaina Joullian

Malaina Joullian resides in Madison, Mississippi with her husband, Seth, and her two children, Miles and Lily. She attended Mississippi State University and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in 2010. At an early age, Malaina discovered her love for creating art while experimenting with various mediums. She continues to create art, typically painting, in her home studio. Malaina's main focus is painting wildlife with a whimsical flair that can sometimes evoke a nostalgic feeling.

https://www.instagram.com/see_mj_art/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

Out Foxed
Malaina Joullian
Oil
25” x 25”
$500

This piece represents how various species must feel as time and modern progressions go on. The state of loss and confusion that their inherent senses go through is a narrative that only they can tell.  Almost as if they are expressing ancestral grief through their eyes. Eyes that are forlorn yet hopeful.

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Keith Krist

My personal mission and vision centers on finding and sharing joyful things.  Natural beauty, specifically, found geometry and intersectionality of elements draw my attention.

instagram.com/keithkrist

Möbius Forest
Keith Krist
Photography
24" x 24"
$250

This new growth pine grove in the Tombigbee National Forest was formerly abandoned farmland prone soil erosion due to over-harvesting.  The establishment of pine and hardwood forest as managed by the USDA Forest Service is not only home to a rich panoply of wildlife, but also an exemplar of responsible timber management.  The radial appearance of the forest canopy in this photograph brings to mind the Universal Recycling Symbol.

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Samuel Lawson Jr.

Samuel Lawson received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from Mississippi State University. This work reflects his love of nature. It's awe inspiring and shapes his perspective of life.

BluLawsonFineArt.org

Nature 1
Samuel Lawson Jr.
Drawing
30" x 40"
$210

This piece shows a mountain and lake with land in between. Each different but within close proximity and harmonize the picture plan.

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Wes Neal

Wes Neal is a fish biologist, avid angler, and artist. Original paintings are completely handmade, from the initial canvas to the frame.  Wes specializes in fish and other aquatic organisms and primarily paints scientifically accurate representations. He has painted over 100 species and has originals, prints, stickers, magnets, and more available for fish lovers.

Flier
Wes Neal
Acrylic
17" x 13.5"
$300

Fliers are a beautiful species of sunfish, often mistaken for their cousins the Crappie. Nature is diverse and beautiful, and with their subtle metallic colors and nearly isometric fins, Fliers are no exception.

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Anne Louise Phillips

Anne Louise Phillips is a student and artist residing in Mississippi. Her work explores different perspectives and unexpected ways of seeing the world. She aims to explore the small, unexplored wonders.

https://www.justcaughtdaydreaming.wordpress.com

small world
Anne Louise Phillips
Photography
8” x 10”
$50

"small world" is a look at a realm residing within our own. Taken at Bellingrath Gardens, "small world" shows the beauty of nature and the fantastical possibilities of the natural world.

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Andre Ray

I’ve always imagined myself being mesmerized by the sun and surrounded by nature.  Art chose me from an early age.  From the art of my great Aunt to the C.M. Russell catalog I was given by my parents, art was my focus. In college I was looking for a direction. As a struggling student the above quote by Cézanne was written on one of my works.  It helped narrow my focus. Growing up in the south and in Boy Scouts I always had a love for nature. Other themes immerged such as music, farm life, cowboys, and Native Americans. These are things that interested me since childhood and painting always gave me a way to connect.

andres-art.com

Carl the Bear
Andre Ray
Oil
24" x 30" x 1"
$2,000

Laws pertaining to Bears are always in the news. They are trophy hunted and protected in certain areas. Some laws in Question lately have allowed them to take trophies while they are sleeping in their dens. While most animals have to deal with encroachment and loss of wild spaces, the freedom and strength of these majestic creatures reflect the freedom and strength in ourselves. Our charge to protect the land and wildlife we share.

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Peyton Rushton

When you start looking for the beauty in the mundane, you'll find it. Suddenly your daily life becomes art work - a statement in itself. What beautiful artist's we can all be.

Weeping Willow
Peyton Rushton
Acrylic
16" x 20"
$200

The Willow Project will release 9.2 million metric tons of carbon pollution into the atmosphere each year—equivalent to two million gas-powered cars. Willow’s development will also require building hundreds of miles of roads, pipelines, etc that would bring harm to the NPR-A’s ecosystem. Conservationists estimate this could result in the loss of 532 acres of wetlands, 619 acres of habitat disturbances for polar bears, and more than 17,000 acres of such disturbances for birds.

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Marion Sansing

“I traveled to New York in the late nineties and saw life-size paintings of standing ladies by James McNeill Whistler. That has never left my mind and since then, I have always aspired to portray people or other subjects life-size or larger than life. When I was gifted a stack of beautiful, old, rough-sawn, planks by a friend, I had finally found a medium fitting for my vision. The wood has imperfections, it shows its history and it speaks to me more than a blank canvas. The pastels become part of the wood as the fibers and grain absorb the pigments and you can still see and feel the wood. Depicting my subjects larger than life, or close to it, lets the viewer be at eye level or beneath it, giving the subject the opportunity to make a statement, to be seen, to be heard, to get the viewer's attention.

https://instagram.com/marionsansing

Okra
Marion Sansing
Soft Pastel
46" x 13"
$320

The beautiful okra, with hibiscus-like flowers and slender seed pods, originated in ancient Ethiopia and made its way to the Americas through the slave trade. It became a staple food in the South due to its disease-resistant nature, thriving in our climate, and producing until the first frost. Only one plant can yield several pounds in a season. Its unique taste and texture can turn ordinary dishes into extraordinary ones, in many cuisines worldwide.

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Sarah Thornton

Sarah Thorn is a high school multimedia painter with a passion for capturing the beauty of the world around her in her art. Her work is characterized by its vivid colors, use of texture, and ability to evoke emotion in the viewer. Sarah is driven to pursue a career in art following graduation, and is excited to continue honing her craft while exploring new techniques and mediums. Through her paintings, she seeks to inspire others to see the world in a new light and find beauty in unexpected places.

https://instagram.com/thorns_studio

Graceful Landing
Sarah Thornton
Oil
18.5" x 11"
$150

With this piece, I encourage viewers to take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the world around us and to recognize the importance of preserving it for future generations. Ultimately, my goal is to inspire a sense of wonder and awe in the viewer, and to encourage them to take action to protect the natural world that we all share.

Adam's Grasp
Sarah Thornton
Acrylic
8" x 9"
$50

 As humanity continues to exploit and destroy the natural world, they are also destroying the fundamental resources that sustain them. My piece aims to raise awareness about this pressing issue and motivate viewers to take action in preserving the environment.

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Von Ulsa

Having lived in Honolulu, Hawaii most his life, Von draws much of his creative inspirations from bright colors and exquisite patterns. His works explore the depth of colors through intricate patterns while highlighting dramatic contrasts in values and tone to portray works that are vibrant, eye-catching, and memorable.

ofvon.com

Birds of Paradise
Von Ulsa
Acrylic
20"x 16"x 0.4"
$500

This work depicts the force of nature through its bioengineering and design. The birds of paradise flowers not only showcase a myriad of colors but they also emulate a bird kissing a flower. Such image encourages pollinators such as insects and birds so that the flowers themselves can reproduce and survive. This kind of mimicry shows the power of nature and the wonders of evolution.

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James Wagner

Having lived in Honolulu, Hawaii most his life, Von draws much of his creative inspirations from bright colors and exquisite patterns. His works explore the depth of colors through intricate patterns while highlighting dramatic contrasts in values and tone to portray works that are vibrant, eye-catching, and memorable.

Drifting Mothership and the Spanish Peaks
James Wagner
Oil
36" x 48"
$2,500

Sometimes nature can make us feel rather small, but in a good way. Out in the Southwest the skies are king and the sunsets are often times, epic. The immensity of passing clouds, the colors and a cool evening breeze can make you stop to reflect on a lot of things. Nature grounds us all and the skies, the air, hugs us close.

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About AiPP

As part of SAAC's AiPP series, works may be listed for sale, including framed and unframed pieces. SAAC collects and pays sales taxes on behalf of the artist for any work sold, and the artist keeps 80% of the proceeds. ​

Please CALL or EMAIL SAAC if you are interested in purchasing any of these works.