Artist Abigail Andre explores the relationship between man and nature, and in particular, the effect humans have on nature. Her detailed, magical images are filled with line, color and movement. Visit her website to see more.
“Daring Atlantis” Acrylic, Pencil and Pen, 3’ x 2’
Art has been a constant in my life. From the time I discovered that mud, sticks and rocks could be used to make fanciful creatures and personify invisible friends, I was hooked. As a child, every time I was outside I was creating something. It is fitting that nature is what inspires me now.
“Terrarium 1” Acrylic and Pencil, 8” x 8”
I’m also inspired by my work as an environmental litigator. I have studied the sometimes devastating results of mankind’s relationship with the natural world. I have spent years defending the environment against our impact, and I am in awe of the earth’s resilience.
“Terrarium 5” Acrylic and Pencil, 8” x 10”
I use art to help me process all I’ve seen and try to understand why we destroy our natural resources.
“Terrarium 9” Acrylic and Pencil, 8” x 10”
My paintings explore the relationship I have with my surroundings as well as the increasingly tenuous bond between the environment and society at large.
“Bullseyes” Acrylic, Charcoal, Pencil and Pen, 2’ x 3’
How do we move into the mountains, the sea and the sky without invading it?
“London Falling” Acrylic and Pencil, 3’ x 3’
My process starts with these relationships and questions in mind. Most of my pieces are abstract cityscapes and landscapes that start as detailed pencil drawings.
“Ashes” Acrylic, Pencil and Pen, 2’ x 1’
From there, I thin my acrylic paints so I can add many translucent layers and introduce even more detail with pen and pencil.
“Taking Paris” Acrylic and Pencil, 4’ x 3’
It’s a meditative process—the minute detail I infuse in my pieces is what gives viewers new nooks and crannies to discover with repeated viewings.
“Moving In” Acrylic and Pencil, 3’ x 3’
In each piece, there is a “winner” of sorts between man and nature—trees overtake Paris, skyscrapers invade a lush forest, fire engulfs the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
“East Side Flooding” Acrylic and Pencil, 3’ x 1’
My detailed drawings and a bright color palette lend a certain amount of whimsy to these scenes. These whimsical disasters make my subjects more palatable, but also reflect the sense of unreality that many of us are living with today.
Artist Abigail Andre invites you to follow her on Instagram.
These are fantastic pieces!! I love the explosion of color and the conflict within each one.
Thank you for your comment, Dom! I try to use color to mitigate some of the harsher subjects I gravitate towards and I am just totally in love with color too. I appreciate your taking the time to look and comment.
These are such though-provoking pieces. I love the idea that there is always a winner. Sometimes it’s man and sometimes it’s nature. Your pieces are raw, vibrant, and absolutely stunning. Thank you for sharing your art and your thought process.
Thank you, Erin! Sometimes even I’m surprised by who wins in these pieces. I wish we were living in a time when peaceful coexistence could really be the goal. Until then, more painting!
Wow. Amazing pieces. Full of sadness and serenity. I love your pallette!
Thank you for taking the time to visit and share your thoughts. I’m glad you can see some peace in these paintings, in spite of all the movement! There are moments of stillness in chaos and I do try to represent them here, if you take the time to look for them.
Gorgeous – I love the detail, the color, the conflict. I keep scrolling back through, seeing new things. These pieces are prophetic, at a time when we are feeling more and more the environmental price of human innovation. Thank you for raising awareness about this, Abby, and for doing it with such beauty and whimsy and awe!
Thank you, Kate! You’re right, I am in awe of the world right now. Not only our own capacity for destruction, but nature’s resilience too. It means a lot to me that you took enough time here to look at things more than once and find new meaning. Thank you again for visiting and sharing your thoughts!
I love how I can look at your paintings again and again and see something new each time. They are so intricate and expressive. It is wonderful that you have been able to bring together your work, your love for nature, your questions about the interaction of humanity and our natural world. Paint on!
Thank you, Susan!! Painting is such an essential outlet for me to unload what I see around me and my experiences professionally, and I am touched that others can enjoy the finished pieces. Thank you for your support and taking time to comment, I will paint on!
What beautiful work! I love the detail contrasted with the abstract- and it’s so interesting to hear how you double down on the pencil detail before and after the first layer of paint. Very cool & adds a sense of secret meditation for the viewer too. Thanks for sharing & excited to see what’s next for you!
Thank you for your comment, Corinne! I so appreciate what you said about the detail providing an opportunity for secret meditation, because that’s what detail provide me while I paint– it helps me exit my head and enter the world I’m depicting. Even I am surprised by what makes its way into finished pieces! Thanks so much for visiting.
I could look at these for hours – there’s something new to see in them every time I look. I feel like they move with my mood! Finding the details hidden in such bold and brave colours is really engaging, like friends sharing secrets. Very thought provoking. Every time I think I’ve picked a favourite I see something new. I can’t wait to see more from you!
Thank you, Sarah. What a huge compliment to say the pieces move with your mood! I think an artist always brings her own ideas to a piece, but in my mind the real secret power of visual art is that each viewer brings her own totally different ideas and feelings also. As a result, art can mean different things to different people on different days. I’m touched that you had this experience with these pieces, thank you.
Wow, such original art. These paintings are just amazing in expressing the conflict between despair and hopefulness. The juxtaposition of the tragedy of the subject against the brilliance of color draws you in and keeps you there — studying and thinking and thinking . . . . Well done!
Thank you for your comment, Pat. I appreciate your observation that these pieces hold both hope and despair and I’m glad the color keeps you looking in spite of the sadness!
I love the balance of the serious thought and subject matter combined with the absolute beauty of the color and line.
Thank you for your kind comment, Kate! I think I use cheerful colors so that I can spend time with these difficult subjects. I’d like to think I also use bright palettes because I do still have hope that we will start prioritizing the natural world. Thanks again for your comment and taking the time to visit the site.
These are fascinating and beautiful paintings. I was particularly drawn to the two examples from what seems like a series – Terrarium 1, 5, and 9. I would love to see the other paintings in this series. Your work protecting the environment is clearly fertile ground for deep artistic exploration and beautiful renderings of the complex and fraught relationship between humanity and the earth. Thank you for this work and looking forward to seeing more!
Thank you, Anna! You can find the rest of the terrarium series on instagram (https://www.instagram.com/stitchoflightning/?hl=en). Those pieces are my most recent, and I’m starting to work on smaller scales so that I can think more about how we play with our environment. There will always be more landscapes and natural disasters to paint, but this winter I’ve been getting smaller to contemplate the magical every day interactions we have with our surroundings. I really appreciate that you noticed these pieces in particular!
Such wonderful and unusual paintings. I love the intricate detail and the combination of pencil, acrylic and pen which bring out the thought-provoking images so vividly. Can’t wait to see more and get them on my walls!
Thank you for your comment, Suzanne. I’m so glad you enjoy the detail. I think the minutia is what I enjoy most about the painting process because I build relationships with particular little buildings or trees as I go. Through the uniqueness of each little piece I hope that the paintings as a whole take on more life.
What wonderful work! The colors are so imaginative and the prices evoke such deep responses. I’m very impressed
Thank you for visiting and commenting, Gana. I’m so grateful that these pieces touch you and that you appreciate my intense colors!