I have an innate love and deep connection to nature, reaching to the light, the Chiaroscuro (light and dark) of life, art and nature. Where art teaches us to embrace the full spectrum of colours, the light and the shadows, nature teaches us to be present in the now to just be in the now, the present moment and to look to grow, always reaching to the light.

I feel the pixels of colour most sensitively and brightly to my eye when out walking in nature, it is when I feel most creative and alive. I feel my energy change, a deep grounding begin my hands fix and buzz with charge. I am alive and present. 

Ascending - The sycamore tree gap, 2024  

The felling of the sycamore tree, was felt the world over, such an iconic tree. It was such a beloved part of our countryside, it was like a stake to the collective heart. I felt that wound deeply, the world had really changed at that point, when someone would do such a thing, it symbolised more than the single act. The painting above, I reflected on my spirit guiding it's soul to heaven, the energy of that tree trickling it's tears and rebirth as the sunlight is up over the horizon. Hope, holding it's branches to the light. I love working with abstracts for capturing story telling and energy.

As an artist, it is my job to notice and study things down to the nitty-gritty detail, really take in the leaf of a tree or the aura of the leaves, I notice everything out walking in nature, the colour and pattern on the bark (one of my favourite things), the tangled knots of trees, the tiny buds of colour in the flowers and the way the light changes in all the elements around me. Walking with full senses open is a beautiful meditation, so next time your heading out on your own try taking your headphones out, you could even... leave your phone at home! I have done this a few times recently, nothing happens, the world still moves around, maybe I didn't capture the light with my phone that day or photograph a beautiful twilight hour, but it felt very freeing and I connect deeper to the air, the elements that surround us all. These all come into play when I am in my studio space, quiet and still, it's a place to be free and explore the world of colour on canvas. To experiment transposing emotions and energy into marks. 

Think back to one of the oldest known art masterpieces in modern-day France, Lascaux Cave. The early humans drew prehistoric animals in repeated shapes similar to contemporary animation frames, think of how these paintings actually would have looked with the haunting flicker of campfire. I think of the aboriginal markings in Australia, some 10,000 years before human were even in Europe and their deep connection to nature, sketching fish and other animals, as I grew up with Australian art, books and love of the energetic markings of the past. Their connection to nature must have been out of this world, which brings my trail of thought to enlightenment and how nature is a true teacher of consciousness.

Aboriginal art and rock painting dates from about 26,000 BCE 

Living in today's world is far from hunter-gatherer vibes, making it tricky to connect with nature deeply as they did. Yet, our survival depends on nature, from the food on our plates to the clothes we wear (well mostly). Nature not only keeps us alive but also boosts our mood and chills us out, it is a guide, a healer, a friend and companion through life. It is to nature we must look at to bring us into the future, to inspire our innovations and the imperfect - perfect patterns and marking left behind.

Children, who are natural explorers, dig into logs for bugs, splash in puddles and mud, stomp around on dried leaves with their little boots. Exploring with the wonder what is life. Rediscovering these habits inspired me to see textures, shapes, and colors in new ways for a happier life and I paint as a necessity, it is innate within me, from ancestors and my emotional release and sense of play comes from that. It's probably the only time apart from walking in nature that I switch off from the world around, tune inwards, the self I feel quite separated from at times and feel another level of being with consciousness. I move out of my thinking brain and into my creative I don't know what i'm doing but playing and exploring brain. Walking in nature teaches me that to let go of the analytical mind, to wave hello to the sheep that pass me, to greet a tree with a loving smile, to look upwards into the canopy above with majestic wonderment and utter speechless awe as the light sparkles through the leaves and branches so high they can reach the heavens. 

Adults can pick up some nature skills from kids, starting with changing how we look at the world, take in our surroundings and connect deeper to our energy work. Be more playful. Connect to children through play, being inquisitive and let yourself be inspired... 

I read recently the lines, 'How much longer will you be too busy to fully enter into your own life?' and that one sentence jolted my core... how much time is taken up with computer admin, working away, looking after task after task, tick lists of jobs and trying to make space for more work... ironically writing this on my computer! Are you too busy to live? Feel and enjoy your life? Just sit and be with your answer. If it needs to shift, what is the one thing that you can do to change it? 

For me, it's making more time for experimenting and 'simply being', for it is in 'being' I feel more creative and in flow. When I am constantly in 'doing' mode, when my task list is impossible, when I stop painting as i'm too busy, when I stop dreaming except for work, I begin to feel myself shut down, to turn away from the light, from others, from my yoga practice and my walking, which means my energy gets stuck. So it is in the constant act of walking with my dear nature surround me that I live in the present, that I can feel inspired and energised by the changing colours and landscapes that surround and take all that into my soul. 

'Stick out your tongue. 

Allow the infinite nectar of joy to drip there. 

Nothing is void. 

And so is everything. 

The cosmic market is always open. 

Will you keep circling the door? 

How much longer will you be too busy to fully enter into your own life?

Will you keep passing your blessings by? 

I know of a place.

We can go there and pause. 

Let go. 

Soften down. 

Empty of conditioning. 

We fill up with our truth.

In that place, our needs are already covered. 

There, the only question is, 

Beloved, what do you want?' 

-Octavia Raheem 

I enjoy strolling under trees and admiring the sun filtering through the leaves. It is my observations of light under trees that inspire me the most through the last few years. 

In Japanese, this peaceful phenomenon is called “komorebi.” Closing my eyes for at least 20 seconds, I start to drown out the sounds all around me and hear unique bird calls from the foliage, I observe woodpeckers flying from tree to tree, ferns creak as they open up to light... have you seen the ferns wave as they open up? They dance and wiggle with glee, that always makes me smile.

I enjoy drawing and sketching the elements of trees, plants and flowers in person, these are somewhat of a diary for me, so when I open my tiny sketchbook out walking I can take note or sketch something so tiny, then when I look back in my art space, I am instantly transported to that moment sketching the leaves and I can explore that energy and life in abstract on canvas in techocolour! The sunlight through the trees. 

My local park is heaven on my doorstep, how lucky to take my daily trott around in such beautiful spaces at the base of the surrey hills. Where is your spot of heaven? 

Dearest Nature, 

My love, the great teacher. You spark life from a seed and that I find simply amazing, in the darkest of spaces you find the light.

You grow through the cracks of the pavement in cities and crawl up wonky brick walls with ease. I am always with you and you are with me. You nourish my body and nurture my mind, freeing so I can fly to the stars with my feet rooted in your loving shade. You honour and hold my soul in your hands, all emotions flow with you and you share the cycles of life and death so perfectly one could weep.

Oh sweet little one, as small as a microbe and as large as the greatest storm in the sky, shower your rays of light that the world can shine, so we humans can be so distracted by your beauty we no longer have the need to fight. Thank you for loving my soul, for guiding it, for holding it all these years. 

I will always try to help you as you have helped me, you saved me, now let me help save you. 

Kati x 

Have you ever thought about nature deeply? Do you feel connected? Go for a walk and really take in the world around you, sit for moment and write your letter to nature too. 

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