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My Story

Homage to Inspiration and the indefinable force which moves Worlds.

Born in Indiana,.

Began drawing and painting seriously beginning in 1999. Although I had always made art since childhood, there was never much of a completed piece beyond a sketch. I thank my father for raising me in the country and my mother for raising me in the city; these have both been formative influences on my art. I began my life earnestly as an artist with a question: What can I do for the environmental movement? All my work, no matter how disparate it seems, comes from that. As the current ecological crisis we’re within is essentially a definite psychological disorder arisen from within a certain social context which allowed its flowering – we, in order to heal it need to start from within ourselves. The culmination and recent high point of that question is presented in by book Evergreen. Everything on this website here is from the times onward when I decided to take art seriously – what it might be and has been doing for us.  I thank my friend Chris Brunning for creating this website. That said, 10% of sales from all originals and 5% from any print sold will be donated to social-environmental organizations.

Nathan Hutchinson profile photo

Moved to Boulder, Colorado in 2001 mainly to study briefly with Robert Venosa and Martina Hoffman; after that I stayed. I found the wilderness I’d always sought, and it saved my life. The amazing colorful people too saved my life. Homage to all the wonderful individuals I’ve had the opportunity to meet; too many to name; environmentalists, artists, craftspeople, writers, musicians, famous doctors, nutritionists, mathematicians, geometricians, meditators, healers, philosophers, students of nature, indigenous peoples; they have awakened me, inspired me and kept me alive. They have given of themselves and taught me to do the same. I do believe there is a subtle form of mental magnetism that draws people to make decisions – where they go and what we do. Situated almost in the geographic center of the United States, the front range mountains, the crazy wild winds, amazing clouds, are part of this environment that has much creative energy flowing through for the artist, of any kind, to draw upon. I imagine it often with a waterfront.

My initial years in Boulder was spent mainly alone, either in the studio or exploring wilderness, studying and practicing, forming a discipline. Someone has to play the Hermit card. The reclusive way of life is still attractive but less necessary than before.  Much time was devoted to the study of wild edible and medicinal plants, and the animals in the locale. Inspiration was rarely lacking and as a rule I worked through all times depressed or uplifted, looking toward the middle ground, all the while learning what it’s like to oscillate through extremes – all-the-while hopefully to record them in artistic form. I learned the power of the image; to sit for long contemplation, with a well-done work of art, or one in the making, and what it can do for our psyche – as an image of the psyche.  Being isolated, for most of us, is difficult, so, I hold the value of prayer and meditation as the highest science.

After some time of working a variety of jobs, to pay the bills, I started doing yard work and gardening which brought me back to Robert and Martina’s nearby home where I, or anyone who visited, was privileged and truly humbled to spend time around their many awe-inspiring and sometimes shockingly beautiful masterpieces, and more so – them. Sharing time with such great people is an honor I hold dearly.

Eventually Alandi Ashram was discovered, and teachers were found there, a treasure I have now forever.

Art, in its primal essence, of whatever species in the spectrum of experience, is mental-spiritual medicine – for freedom. The more true to the moment, the better the medicament. The best of artists are, in a way, scientists of the invisible. We, having come from the depths a long evolution carry all  those changes and alterations in our imagination. And the imaginal realm goes on and on, to the very source of our initial beginnings – long as their carrier, thoughts do; we feel through them, by a will which moves beyond personal memory, into a collective. And we have this vast storehouse to draw upon for whatever purpose we could muster. Artists – poets by nature, are that societal function which brings from the depths, our future, into the present. By lack of imaginations’ positive potential, we’ve forgotten and somewhat foregone our original purpose. Imagine the wonderful world that might be if we were to collectively engage ourselves with the potential  inherent within our intrinsic creativity.  All life is art.

My personal interests in art are, to use it as a tool of sorts to discover how, just how to enter into silence, and what may be found there. Whether to express the magic of what occurs when thoughts draw back and subside, subsist, even a little, or to show the simple beauty of a moment to take notice of say, a leaf, a hill, a twig of a tree, a sparkle of light on the ripples of water, a cloud, anything which promotes peace of mind. Or, the opposite: To illustrate perhaps when thoughts take over and dominate an individual or group; when strict and isolated rationality and logic takes the upper hand over being balanced with imagination and intuition, and what consequences result from that imbalance. All these mainly depict the pathways when sojourning into ones inner worlds – even, if need be, into ones own darkness (ignorance) and find, learn, discover, reveal, that there is no true darkness; we are free to shine up the recesses, as the ancient axiom is true that – we are already enlightened beings; we’ve just forgotten. There may be a borderline upon entering into these inner worlds — art and symbol can be vessels of safety one travels by within these intermediate spiritual realms; so is music and dance. A good painting or song, I feel, might be a journey, a token and window into an inner mind-scape where one may travel time and time again, to a place beyond time; there, here, we find our native and natural  faith.

Inspiration, by obligation, is to be passed on. Inspiration for what though? … : …  All beings seek enlightenment, whatever that means to whatever species in this apparent maze of life, perhaps to approach enlightenment is when one does less and less harm to others, and can perceive by whatever degree, the labyrinthine quality of day to day existence, that there is real meaning and necessity to what we go through here within the earthen body. And so, those that do harm to others are not in a space of clarity, and therefore, inspiration, overall, when it comes down to the central point, is for ecological awareness. The environment being all which surrounds us and equally so, is Us. As our beautiful once pristine planet is more and more enveloped with war and pollution of every sort, we need clarity of vision, with a quickness. The true visionaries of the world need be placed in a more responsible, respectable position, as in days of old, when things were in a somewhat better state of balance,, ecologically speaking. The active artist of any field of art can be looked to in this essential work, to create a more equitable world, one that works for all, all species included, not the few. This is my vision, it’s a life’s work, I hope it works.

Consider the enormous number of artists in the world these days and the truly titanic amount of art being created. Are there enough walls to hang all these pictures? Is there enough space to place our sculptures? What are we really trying to do as artists? Think, really go into it; what if these artisans and craftspeople were truly employed to truly beautify our cities,  homes, our landscapes, our architecture, everything we use? What if artists could  make a simple living without going through the process of reproductions; if the original piece of art is what mattered, if we traveled to see these originals? What if the Artist were replaced back into their original position as highly respected in society? Think of how different society would be. Imagine how wonderful things could become if we gave to imagination its rightful seat. Imagine if we were all educated from birth to think Ecologically – compassionately, as a unified whole? Imagine then what we’d have now, a whole different kind of world! It’s not too late; we have access to all we need to make it better, and no one is really stopping you – us – me, from doing this; we just think there is. The main reason I posted here such a large amount of my work is show that the Renaissance ideal is not lost, every human has many sides, aspects,facets to our being. Yet we’ve become over-specialized and have forgotten our whole humane self. Every human is every other human, in their own unique way. Art, of course, is not necessarily to decorate the walls we’ve built for ourselves, that is but a side effect. Our modern world is a prison in some ways;  art is, in its primal essence meant to free us from this, to remind us of some liberty which is obtainable, yet seemingly hidden for some reason, or another – if not for reason itself. We have a culture lacking in imagination, and too much rational, and thus it cuts off short its own present potential. Stuck in a world-view not up to date, never has been; therefore, we don’t see the world as it really is. So, we’ve created belief systems to uphold ignorant worldviews. Disagreements, and eventually wars result, and so the world suffers. Art can alleviate this global mental crisis. The ecological crises we’ve caused and we’re in – is this. We are capable of so much better than we have.

Concerns in life are with the ending of pollution, of any kind, mental and biological, the transformation of society into one that enables sustainable choices, endurance of community health, and the worldwide effort to preserve and restore the wild lands – all this so we may preserve and restore ourselves. what other purpose nowadays is there? what else should our talents be used for? I have great concern for the safety and longevity of the aboriginal peoples of any lands. I would love to see our electrical-techno-dependent society looking more to a more fair and just life-way, a non-dominant lifestyle, with “ecology”, perhaps, as the only law we follow – the primordial mentality, and eventual potentiality: To find and keep our common root in nature and unite us as a species; but this time in peace and sharing – not in theft and conquering. By attempting this, we may overcome our past. By doing this, aiming for this at the least, we begin to deconstruct the suffering we’ve caused others, and much there is, so much work needs be done; yet it just might be easy. Original vision needs be regained – which is: All is one. From one came all things, so we must head back to that. I think this is the only way we’ll survive and thrive, simultaneously, experience the present days as they are, and see through the changes taking place to make more correct decisions on what the next step will be, as a whole and together and in peace.

I hold prayers that the work we do, whatever art one undertakes, will aim towards and even forever better reflect the ancient and timeless perennial wisdom, reinvigorate our spirits to be in accord with one Great Spirit, and heal this damaged planet – with all its life that loves to live. Then we must put away the tools we’re using to do this work and relearn to uphold a way of life that serves all creatures, not only humans. No thing lasts forever. All life-ways of every life-type must learn to cope with changes. I thank the visionaries of the past and present for continual reminders of this. As Martina Hoffman has pointed out, the origins of visionary art, all art, goes back on through ancient history, and further. Its source lies beyond the memory which has been recorded on the stones of old, all the way through contemporary times. All art is visionary, and has, way deep in its essence, a certain something which is simply a reminder, a signpost. Art is a record of history, a revealer of the present and a prophecy of the future. It is an unbroken tradition which carries a message within it of who/what we really are as humans; are illustrations of the many aspects of  an infinite spirit  on this relative physical plane. One seen on many levels. I personally do not think we have through time improved as artists; we have but changed the materials of expression as the needs became fit. Art has developed from but never surpassed the ancient. Our story is Old and is told and retold in innumerable ways, in many small songs, land-forms, gardens, pictures, poems, sculptures, architecture and its furniture. Will we ever step back and attempt to see the big picture? A few of us have: will we ever all walk that way together? The gates of paradise are decorated with the arts of the ages. Let us go through together.

As said, this personal journey of mine through the arts was initiated by ecological reasons. i believe that human civilization, all of it together is crumbling, falling in on itself, into ruin; while we hurriedly are trying to keep it all tied together- distracted from the one central issue, the single most important thing – we are facing ecological collapse due to our industrial capitalist culture. he greed which drives it is derived from the ignorance of our unity, same story through history. We simply must come together peaceably, reform communities and regreen and to the extent that we can, rewild our world. This is the inlying meaning of Art.

Thank you for reading, enjoy the website.

 

 

The mediums used are oils, pencils, inks, watercolors, colored pencils, very rarely acrylics, pastels, and ceramic clay of different kinds.