In Balance	Martha Brouwer
2010	Seattle, WA USA
Mixed media, 30 x 24"	marthabrouwer.com
I have an appreciation for the continuity of life and am committed to exploring its splendor. In my paintings I celebrate the interconnectedness of all life. These connections imply a responsibility to care for each other and share the planet. I include people, birds and fish to show our connections. My design skills and my interest in patterns and textures are reflected in my approach. I enjoy layering different media to accomplish depth of tone and meaning. My art doesn't strive to depict identifiable people and animals. I'm not trying to do scientific illustration but rather art with a content whose interpretation is purposely left somewhat up to the viewer. I find that the viewer brings his own "story" to the painting and enjoys exploring it for what it means to him. Different people see/get different experiences from viewing the work. The work is meant to convey a feeling, mood or idea but not a specific something like you can peg down in science. Still I think the mood/tone of my work is one of environmental concern --looking after each other and taking care of the planet. I try to show how we are all made up of the same basic building blocks --are connected to each other and the earth. In regards to the conference,I think my art relates well to environmental studies as well as humanities and science convergence. There are a lot of tie-ins here. Science Art-Nature: When it comes to ecology, most of us think of other organisms, but Homo sapiens is, of course, every bit as much a player in Earth's ecology as any species. The only common reminders of this fact seem to be unfortunate ones, like the collapse of a fishery after years of over-harvesting, or the ecological consequences of the current BP oil spill that are just beginning to manifest.