My process is a personal connection to the natural world. I am aware of the sun’s 

position and strength. I know how water behaves; how quickly it saturates, how gravity pulls it 

on a slick surface. We take these elements for granted; rarely thinking about the importance of 

sunlight, shadows, and water. My process is a reminder; a built-in alarm clock saying “Nature is 

around you – you need this to exist.” 

[…] I use memories to create spaces which reflect experiences of being in the natural 

world. While these spaces are inspired by actual places, they are interpretations. By working 

through memory, exploring the times I have experienced the natural world, I am also reflecting 

on how the vast majority of my life is disconnected from these experiences. Most of my life is 

spent in one of the largest cities in the world. I am at once reminding myself of my connection 

to nature (through my process) while at the same time I am lamenting my typical disconnection 

from nature. 

There is a sense of loss, but there are always touchpoints of hope. My touchpoints are 

built on these memories and the little moments of connection to the natural world I experience 

in my day-to-day living and my artistic process… the sliver of sky that lets the sunlight through 

my window to develop my image, the birds chirping on the fire escape, the breeze that dries 

the pigments on my plastic support (it carries the smell of the ocean water).

Resume – Johanna Ryan