"The Weight of Air" Reviewed in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

News · October 2026

"The Weight of Air" Reviewed in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Philip Martin reviewed my painting "The Weight of Air" in his Long Look column in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, under the headline "The weight of air catches mood of the atmosphere."

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October 20, 2026

Philip Martin reviewed my painting "The Weight of Air" in his Long Look column in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, under the headline "The weight of air catches mood of the atmosphere."

"The Weight of Air" (2026) was part of my solo exhibition "In Another Weather" at the Argenta Library Gallery in North Little Rock, on view through Oct. 9.

From the review:

"Melissa Cowper-Smith's 'The Weight of Air' catches the atmosphere in one of those heavy moods."

"Then she asks us to feel how heavy it has become."

The review ran in the Long Look/Opinion section of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

Philip Martin reviewed my painting "The Weight of Air" in his Long Look column in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, under the headline "The weight of air catches mood of the atmosphere."

"The Weight of Air" (2026) was part of my solo exhibition "In Another Weather" at the Argenta Library Gallery in North Little Rock, on view through Oct. 9.

From the review:

"Melissa Cowper-Smith's 'The Weight of Air' catches the atmosphere in one of those heavy moods."

"Then she asks us to feel how heavy it has become."

The review ran in the Long Look/Opinion section of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Art, Gardens, Horses, and Home: Finding the Connections Between Them

News · October 2026

Art, Gardens, Horses, and Home: Finding the Connections Between Them

Art, gardens, horses, and real estate might seem like an unusual combination, but to me they’re all connected!

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October 17, 2026

Art, gardens, horses, and real estate might seem like an unusual combination, but to me they’re all connected! I’m excited to be joining the Center for Process Studies this Tuesday, October 20, at 12:00 PM Central Time for a conversation about creativity, the places we love, and how the different parts of our lives come together. It’s a free online event, and I’d love for you to join us!

https://ctr4process.org/event/art-gardens-horses-and-home-the-many-become-one-with-melissa-cowper-smith/

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

Art, gardens, horses, and real estate might seem like an unusual combination, but to me they’re all connected! I’m excited to be joining the Center for Process Studies this Tuesday, October 20, at 12:00 PM Central Time for a conversation about creativity, the places we love, and how the different parts of our lives come together. It’s a free online event, and I’d love for you to join us!

https://ctr4process.org/event/art-gardens-horses-and-home-the-many-become-one-with-melissa-cowper-smith/

In Another Weather

News · September 2026

In Another Weather

I'm thrilled to announce my solo exhibition, In Another Weather, opening September 18th at the Argenta Public Library Gallery in North Little Rock.

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September 4, 2026

Opening: Friday, September 18, 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Closing: October 9


I'm thrilled to announce my solo exhibition, In Another Weather, opening September 18th at the Argenta Public Library Gallery in North Little Rock. This body of work continues my ongoing exploration of nature's cycles, light, seasons, and the quiet shifts of weather that shape the land around us, brought to life through encaustic, handmade paper, and mixed media.

Location: Argenta Public Library 420 Main St. North Little Rock, Arkansas 72114

Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

I hope you'll stop by the gallery to see the work in person. I'd love to share it with you.


The Nearness, 2026
The Nearness, 2026

Argenta Art Walk features walkable galleries on the 3rd Friday downtown North Little Rock in the Argenta Arts District. This event is FREE and open to the public.

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

Opening: Friday, September 18, 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Closing: October 9


I'm thrilled to announce my solo exhibition, In Another Weather, opening September 18th at the Argenta Public Library Gallery in North Little Rock. This body of work continues my ongoing exploration of nature's cycles, light, seasons, and the quiet shifts of weather that shape the land around us, brought to life through encaustic, handmade paper, and mixed media.

Location: Argenta Public Library 420 Main St. North Little Rock, Arkansas 72114

Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

I hope you'll stop by the gallery to see the work in person. I'd love to share it with you.


The Nearness, 2026

Argenta Art Walk features walkable galleries on the 3rd Friday downtown North Little Rock in the Argenta Arts District. This event is FREE and open to the public.

Workshop at Crystal Bridges

News · May 2024

Workshop at Crystal Bridges

Encaustic is an ancient material made from blending natural beeswax and damar tree resin.

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May 31, 2024

Workshop at Crystal Bridges
Workshop at Crystal Bridges
Workshop at Crystal Bridges
Workshop at Crystal Bridges
Workshop at Crystal Bridges
Workshop at Crystal Bridges

JUNE 22 & 23, 2024, 1 PM - 4 PM

Enclosed Nature with Melissa Cowper-Smith

Encaustic is an ancient material made from blending natural beeswax and damar tree resin. In this two-day workshop, all parts of the process will be covered, including mixing encaustic, set-up/clean-up, fusing, layering, scraping, burnishing (polishing), and using encaustic colors. We will focus on low-relief embedment. Adding natural materials such as dried flowers, leaves, seeds, twigs, shells, feathers, hair, and stones.

Tickets are $102 ($85 for members), reserve your spot online or with Guest Services at (479) 657-2335 today.

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

JUNE 22 & 23, 2024, 1 PM - 4 PM

Enclosed Nature with Melissa Cowper-Smith

Encaustic is an ancient material made from blending natural beeswax and damar tree resin. In this two-day workshop, all parts of the process will be covered, including mixing encaustic, set-up/clean-up, fusing, layering, scraping, burnishing (polishing), and using encaustic colors. We will focus on low-relief embedment. Adding natural materials such as dried flowers, leaves, seeds, twigs, shells, feathers, hair, and stones.

Tickets are $102 ($85 for members), reserve your spot online or with Guest Services at (479) 657-2335 today.

Cyclical Nature, with Jessica Mongeon

News · June 2023

Cyclical Nature, with Jessica Mongeon

Jessica Mongeon and I shared our work at the Spiva Gallery at Missouri Southern State University.

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June 22, 2023

Jessica Mongeon and I shared our work at the Spiva Gallery at Missouri Southern State University. The show titled Cyclical Nature was up for the month of June. We gave a talk about our work that was recorded.

Cyclical Nature, with Jessica Mongeon
Cyclical Nature, with Jessica Mongeon
Cyclical Nature, with Jessica Mongeon
Cyclical Nature, with Jessica Mongeon
Cyclical Nature, with Jessica Mongeon
Cyclical Nature, with Jessica Mongeon

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

Jessica Mongeon and I shared our work at the Spiva Gallery at Missouri Southern State University. The show titled Cyclical Nature was up for the month of June. We gave a talk about our work that was recorded.

From The Ground at 211 South

News · May 2023

From The Ground at 211 South

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May 24, 2023

▶  Watch on YouTube
From The Ground at 211 South
From The Ground at 211 South
From The Ground at 211 South
From The Ground at 211 South
From The Ground at 211 South
From The Ground at 211 South
From The Ground at 211 South
From The Ground at 211 South
From The Ground at 211 South
From The Ground at 211 South
From The Ground at 211 South

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

Fire Remedy Solo Show at the University of the Ozarks

News · February 2023

Fire Remedy Solo Show at the University of the Ozarks

My work was exhibited at the University of the Ozarks, Stephens Gallery, in Clarksville Arkansas from January 17th through February 17th.

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February 1, 2023

My work was exhibited at the University of the Ozarks, Stephens Gallery, in Clarksville Arkansas from January 17th through February 17th. I also led an encaustic workshop for their art majors. Thank you to Tammy Harrington for arranging and hanging the show and workshop!

Fire Remedy Solo Show at the University of the Ozarks
Fire Remedy Solo Show at the University of the Ozarks
Fire Remedy Solo Show at the University of the Ozarks
Fire Remedy Solo Show at the University of the Ozarks
Fire Remedy Solo Show at the University of the Ozarks
Fire Remedy Solo Show at the University of the Ozarks
Fire Remedy Solo Show at the University of the Ozarks
Fire Remedy Solo Show at the University of the Ozarks

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

My work was exhibited at the University of the Ozarks, Stephens Gallery, in Clarksville Arkansas from January 17th through February 17th. I also led an encaustic workshop for their art majors. Thank you to Tammy Harrington for arranging and hanging the show and workshop!

Thank You!

News · December 2022

Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who attended the Winter Encaustic Workshop at Wildland Gardens this December.

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December 12, 2022

Thank you to everyone who attended the Winter Encaustic Workshop at Wildland Gardens this December. What a wonderful time we had!

Thank You!
Thank You!
Thank You!
Thank You!
Thank You!
Thank You!

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

Thank you to everyone who attended the Winter Encaustic Workshop at Wildland Gardens this December. What a wonderful time we had!

Encaustic Workshop!

News · October 2022

Encaustic Workshop!

Join me for an encaustic workshop on my farm, Wildland Gardens, this December!

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October 18, 2022

Join me for an encaustic workshop on my farm, Wildland Gardens, this December!

Encaustic Workshop!
Encaustic Workshop!
Encaustic Workshop!
Encaustic Workshop!
Encaustic Workshop!
Encaustic Workshop!

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

Join me for an encaustic workshop on my farm, Wildland Gardens, this December!

New Work Coming Soon

News · August 2022

New Work Coming Soon

I continue to be incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to work as a full time artist.

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August 17, 2022

I continue to be incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to work as a full time artist. This fall I have a new palette of colors and some amazing imagery to use as inspiration. In addition to working in the studio, I will be leading workshops both at my home and at local museums. Be sure to follow me on social media for updates!

New Work Coming Soon
New Work Coming Soon
New Work Coming Soon

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

I continue to be incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to work as a full time artist. This fall I have a new palette of colors and some amazing imagery to use as inspiration. In addition to working in the studio, I will be leading workshops both at my home and at local museums. Be sure to follow me on social media for updates!

Melissa Cowper-Smith & Jeff Horton at Boswell Mourot Fine Art

News · May 2022

Melissa Cowper-Smith & Jeff Horton at Boswell Mourot Fine Art

The opening was wonderful with artists and art enthusiasts in attendance.

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May 12, 2022

The opening was wonderful with artists and art enthusiasts in attendance. The show will be up through May 28th. There will be a conversation with the artists on Thursday, May 19th from 6-8pm

Melissa Cowper-Smith & Jeff Horton at Boswell Mourot Fine Art
Melissa Cowper-Smith & Jeff Horton at Boswell Mourot Fine Art
Melissa Cowper-Smith & Jeff Horton at Boswell Mourot Fine Art
Melissa Cowper-Smith & Jeff Horton at Boswell Mourot Fine Art
Melissa Cowper-Smith & Jeff Horton at Boswell Mourot Fine Art
Melissa Cowper-Smith & Jeff Horton at Boswell Mourot Fine Art
Melissa Cowper-Smith & Jeff Horton at Boswell Mourot Fine Art
Melissa Cowper-Smith & Jeff Horton at Boswell Mourot Fine Art
Melissa Cowper-Smith & Jeff Horton at Boswell Mourot Fine Art
Melissa Cowper-Smith & Jeff Horton at Boswell Mourot Fine Art
Melissa Cowper-Smith & Jeff Horton at Boswell Mourot Fine Art
Melissa Cowper-Smith & Jeff Horton at Boswell Mourot Fine Art

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

The opening was wonderful with artists and art enthusiasts in attendance. The show will be up through May 28th. There will be a conversation with the artists on Thursday, May 19th from 6-8pm

Fire-Flowers Series

News · May 2022

Fire-Flowers Series

Excited to share this new series of work with you!

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May 5, 2022

Excited to share this new series of work with you!

▶  Watch on YouTube

Finished piece. Gouache paint, pigment print, on handmade paper with dried flowers, and encaustic on wood panel.

▶  Watch on YouTube

In process, painting with gouache paint on handmade paper.

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

Excited to share this new series of work with you!

Finished piece. Gouache paint, pigment print, on handmade paper with dried flowers, and encaustic on wood panel.

In process, painting with gouache paint on handmade paper.

Opening at Boswell Mourot Fine Art

News · April 2022

Opening at Boswell Mourot Fine Art

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April 29, 2022

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

New Year, New Work

News · January 2022

New Year, New Work

It’s been almost a year since I stopped teaching college kids and turned to work in the studio and gardens.

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January 20, 2022

It’s been almost a year since I stopped teaching college kids and turned to work in the studio and gardens. This spring I have two major projects. I will once again grow thousands of plants for the Spring Plant Sale in Conway, Arkansas. Plants will be sold for pick-up and shipping on our website www.wildlandgardens.org

I’m also preparing a large series of works for an upcoming show at Boswell Mourot Fine Art Gallery. Some of these works have already been sent over to the gallery. If you’re in Little Rock, go check them out. The gallery has moved to the hip SoMa neighborhood.

Hopefully this pandemic lets up soon and I will see more of your beautiful faces in 2022!

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

It’s been almost a year since I stopped teaching college kids and turned to work in the studio and gardens. This spring I have two major projects. I will once again grow thousands of plants for the Spring Plant Sale in Conway, Arkansas. Plants will be sold for pick-up and shipping on our website www.wildlandgardens.org

I’m also preparing a large series of works for an upcoming show at Boswell Mourot Fine Art Gallery. Some of these works have already been sent over to the gallery. If you’re in Little Rock, go check them out. The gallery has moved to the hip SoMa neighborhood.

Hopefully this pandemic lets up soon and I will see more of your beautiful faces in 2022!

Encaustic Workshop at Crystal Bridges

News · July 2021

Encaustic Workshop at Crystal Bridges

This was my second workshop for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville AR.

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July 18, 2021

This was my second workshop for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville AR. What a great reason to travel up to this amazing museum! The participants were enthusiastic and wonderful to work with. It was a diverse group with people from many different places. I covered flower pressing and drying, encaustic medium preparation, and compositional options. We were lucky to have amazing leaf and flower specimens pre-prepared by the museums horticulralist Marina McCoy. The event was organized by Danielle Hatch and Moira Anderson.

Encaustic Workshop at Crystal Bridges
Encaustic Workshop at Crystal Bridges
Encaustic Workshop at Crystal Bridges
Encaustic Workshop at Crystal Bridges
Encaustic Workshop at Crystal Bridges
Encaustic Workshop at Crystal Bridges
Encaustic Workshop at Crystal Bridges

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

This was my second workshop for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville AR. What a great reason to travel up to this amazing museum! The participants were enthusiastic and wonderful to work with. It was a diverse group with people from many different places. I covered flower pressing and drying, encaustic medium preparation, and compositional options. We were lucky to have amazing leaf and flower specimens pre-prepared by the museums horticulralist Marina McCoy. The event was organized by Danielle Hatch and Moira Anderson.

Windgate Art Launch Workshop

News · June 2021

Windgate Art Launch Workshop

Spent a wonderful two days (June 17th and 18th 2021) leading a papermaking workshop for Arkansas K-12 teachers at ATU.

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June 25, 2021

Spent a wonderful two days (June 17th and 18th 2021) leading a papermaking workshop for Arkansas K-12 teachers at ATU. It was so exciting watching creative people explore this adaptable media. We talked about many ways to make paper making workable for kids.

Windgate Art Launch Workshop
Windgate Art Launch Workshop
Windgate Art Launch Workshop

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

Spent a wonderful two days (June 17th and 18th 2021) leading a papermaking workshop for Arkansas K-12 teachers at ATU. It was so exciting watching creative people explore this adaptable media. We talked about many ways to make paper making workable for kids.

Interview by Betty the Beaver, Mascot for the Consulate General of Canada

News · April 2021

Interview by Betty the Beaver, Mascot for the Consulate General of Canada

What an honour to be interviewed by a giant stuffed beaver mascot!

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April 22, 2021

What an honour to be interviewed by a giant stuffed beaver mascot! But really it was and this video is so dear and precious.

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

What an honour to be interviewed by a giant stuffed beaver mascot! But really it was and this video is so dear and precious.

The Year We Stayed Home

News · April 2021

The Year We Stayed Home

Like many people, this year we stayed home.

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April 22, 2021

Like many people, this year we stayed home. As a mother of a young kid, this meant hours conducting homeschool, cleaning a messier than usual house, and having little or no time for my own pursuits. (I do have friends that juggled this all and were still productive. How?!) Over the past few months things have started to return to normal. I have studio days again and have begun a new series. It’s hard to explain the new work while it’s in process- but generally I’m working with shaped panels, handmade paper, and encaustic. I’ve been looking at images of light- fire, sunsets, reflections after the rain.

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

Like many people, this year we stayed home. As a mother of a young kid, this meant hours conducting homeschool, cleaning a messier than usual house, and having little or no time for my own pursuits. (I do have friends that juggled this all and were still productive. How?!) Over the past few months things have started to return to normal. I have studio days again and have begun a new series. It’s hard to explain the new work while it’s in process- but generally I’m working with shaped panels, handmade paper, and encaustic. I’ve been looking at images of light- fire, sunsets, reflections after the rain.

IMG_6559.jpeg

Interview on Arkansas Art Scene Blog

News · November 2020

Interview on Arkansas Art Scene Blog

Learn more about my work and see some images in this Q and A on the Arkansas Art Scene Blog.

Read the post All news

November 23, 2020

Read the interview
Read the interview

Learn more about my work and see some images in this Q and A on the Arkansas Art Scene Blog. I talk about moving to Arkansas, art, nature, papermaking and teaching.

Here is an excerpt:

AAS: You seem to have a strong connection to the land and the natural environment – and this really comes through in your art.

 MCS: Since childhood I have felt a deep connection to nature. It feels like a biological or ancestral necessity for me. It’s been a challenge to develop an art practice that represents some of my experience with nature. To depict nature never seemed like enough. I remember obsessively drawing and painting the sky. But these representations never actually expressed my feeling of seeing and experiencing a dramatic sky. (I love Turner and other historic landscape paintings like the Hudson River School paintings.) There’s something about the ceaseless movement and change in nature that awes me. I love the cyclical patterns of the seasons. It was a massive moment in my development as an artist when I realized that by making paper by hand from plants I could literally and immediately include nature in my work. I didn’t know any papermakers back when I started. Now that I know many all over the country, my adoption of this medium seems like an obvious step. Now I specifically grow and collect many plants for paper including both bast fiber plants such as mulberry and hibiscus (using the stringy fibers between the bark and the inner core), and seed fibers like cotton, and leaf fibers like hosta, iris, daylily, and many others. As I mentioned, I add other items to my paper too. Large pieces of plants, old summer dresses, antique lace and hair from my horse’s tails. I love how these materials convey a sense of narrative, place, and time.

AAS: Your techniques capture beautifully the real and surreal at the same time – highly recognizable yet disorienting in a way.

 MCS: The visual language of my work includes a mix of abstraction and representation. There are a lot of shifts in point of view. Sometimes my work moves more towards a chaotic abstraction and sometimes it’s easier to read. I’ve found aspects of each of the mediums I use that help create this language. I try to balance the movement of gestural paint and paper with the specificity and stillness of photography. Ultimately, I want to make work that resonates with people in emotional ways they feel are both true and hard to explain. This is also the work that I want to see. I remember tears streaming down my face while in a Munch exhibition or in front of a Rothko painting. I could never figure out why everyone wasn’t crying at these shows. I guess viewers aren't always ready to be open to artwork. In my own work, I seek a feeling that’s really hard to describe in ways that don’t sound cliche´. They are like the feeling of missing your Grandpa, or your old dog. Where you know things change and you are grateful for the present moment, but there’s some loss.

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

Learn more about my work and see some images in this Q and A on the Arkansas Art Scene Blog. I talk about moving to Arkansas, art, nature, papermaking and teaching.

Here is an excerpt:

AAS: You seem to have a strong connection to the land and the natural environment – and this really comes through in your art.

 MCS: Since childhood I have felt a deep connection to nature. It feels like a biological or ancestral necessity for me. It’s been a challenge to develop an art practice that represents some of my experience with nature. To depict nature never seemed like enough. I remember obsessively drawing and painting the sky. But these representations never actually expressed my feeling of seeing and experiencing a dramatic sky. (I love Turner and other historic landscape paintings like the Hudson River School paintings.) There’s something about the ceaseless movement and change in nature that awes me. I love the cyclical patterns of the seasons. It was a massive moment in my development as an artist when I realized that by making paper by hand from plants I could literally and immediately include nature in my work. I didn’t know any papermakers back when I started. Now that I know many all over the country, my adoption of this medium seems like an obvious step. Now I specifically grow and collect many plants for paper including both bast fiber plants such as mulberry and hibiscus (using the stringy fibers between the bark and the inner core), and seed fibers like cotton, and leaf fibers like hosta, iris, daylily, and many others. As I mentioned, I add other items to my paper too. Large pieces of plants, old summer dresses, antique lace and hair from my horse’s tails. I love how these materials convey a sense of narrative, place, and time.

AAS: Your techniques capture beautifully the real and surreal at the same time – highly recognizable yet disorienting in a way.

 MCS: The visual language of my work includes a mix of abstraction and representation. There are a lot of shifts in point of view. Sometimes my work moves more towards a chaotic abstraction and sometimes it’s easier to read. I’ve found aspects of each of the mediums I use that help create this language. I try to balance the movement of gestural paint and paper with the specificity and stillness of photography. Ultimately, I want to make work that resonates with people in emotional ways they feel are both true and hard to explain. This is also the work that I want to see. I remember tears streaming down my face while in a Munch exhibition or in front of a Rothko painting. I could never figure out why everyone wasn’t crying at these shows. I guess viewers aren't always ready to be open to artwork. In my own work, I seek a feeling that’s really hard to describe in ways that don’t sound cliche´. They are like the feeling of missing your Grandpa, or your old dog. Where you know things change and you are grateful for the present moment, but there’s some loss.

Virtual Workshop hosted by Crystal Bridges

News · August 2020

Virtual Workshop hosted by Crystal Bridges

Read the post All news

August 19, 2020

Get in touch

Real estate

Cell 501-722-7763

Office 501-907-5959
mcowpersmith@kw.com

Keller Williams Realty Central, Conway

Art

Wildland Gardens

wildlandgardens.org

crystalbridges.jpg