Artist Statement.

I've been working on this artist statement for what feels like forever.  I've spent time thinking about it, dwelling on it, obsessing over it...just not actually writing the damn thing.  Yesterday was spent drinking pots of coffee while multitasking.  This is what I've put together so far.  Most of you readers are familiar with my work and if you are not, check out www.janeryder.com 

Any input is appreciated.  Feel free to email me at fluxbiota @ gmail.com

My paintings are a right-brained approach to observing, dissecting, and recording the objective subject matter found in the lakes, rivers, prairies, and forests of south central Iowa.  As my intimacy with the land surrounding me evolves, so does my approaches for depicting the complexities of varying terrains and the plants and animals that occupy them. 

Each of my gouache painting is a fictitious ecosystem that has been broken down into a series of vignettes.  Each vignette describes the decay, growth, and interaction between the flora and fauna of that imagined place.  Although bold colors, repeating patterns, and flattened space make the paintings appear fantastic in nature, each scene is based off an observation. 

I am constantly inspired by the complexities of the natural world.  My work is an ever evolving narrative about the interconnectedness of all things and the functions of an organism in a community of plants and animals.