Just as the city of Portland, Oregon, began to shut down because of the new coronavirus, Mary Alayne Thomas had started painting for her September solo show at Lotton Gallery in Chicago. As an artist who focuses on nature, Thomas found positivity amid the uncertainty in news reports of “the natural world rebounding and flourishing with the absence of humanity.” 

She elaborates, “Polluted rivers became clean, skies became clear, wildlife returned into the spaces abandoned by people. I began to imagine trees and vines growing tall and taking over, animals roaming our streets and yards, reclaiming the planet. When I went on walks, the ravens seemed to be cawing in victory!The Hawk Shares its Secret, encaustic watercolor on panel, 20 x 16"

I wanted to capture my vision of this world in which we coexisted with nature, and held its care as a priority in our hearts. Although the changes I saw were fleeting,I remain inspired by the flexibility of the natural world. It appears that by changing our behavior, we could change the world in which we live—something that often seems impossible—and that gives me such hope.”

Her paintings are often derived from daydreams or experiences in nature. While on hikes or from having lived in wild, remote areas, Thomas sees glimpses of wildlife and then builds a human connection to that wildlife on her canvas. “Going back to my inspiration for the show, a renewal for the planet, I try to imagine where I would like to fit into this new beginning,” she says. “I liked the idea of a green and wild awakening leading human beings to an awakening of our own.”    A Message from the Sun, encaustic watercolor on panel, 18 x 14"

In paintings such as The Wild Wood and The Hawk Shares its Secret, Thomas was inspired by the abundance of life she has experienced on trips to Forest Park in Oregon.  

Describing the former work, Thomas says, “There was a spot on this trail where a family of barred owls lived, and I returned to them several days in a row. On one particular day, I glanced at the ground while catching my breath, and I was astonished by the density, richness and variety of life just in a patch of earth near my feet! It was completely grown over with vines, ferns, trillium and mushrooms, the very mud seemed alive, and I knew that I wanted to try and capture it in a painting.”

The Hawk Shares its Secrets came about from a springtime visit to the park’s arboretum, which has acres of magnolia groves, and walking “through the mass of magenta and white blossoms,” she says. “A few days later, I was dragging a kayak to the Columbia Slough, when a hawk flew over my head, so low that I locked eyes with it. A single feather came drifting down, and I dropped my kayak and caught it in my hands. So, of course, I had to include a hawk in my painting.”The Wild Wood, encaustic watercolor on panel, 20 x 16"

Another work in the show is A Message from the Sun, which depicts one of her favorite animals to paint,  the sandhill crane. Being from New Mexico, Thomas saw them when they migrated yearly along the Rio Grande. “I once read a quote where it was stated, ‘When you see the cranes here in New Mexico, you know everything is going to be alright,’” Thomas shares. “In these uncertain times, I feel there is a message being given to us. As we heal nature, we ourselves are healed.”  —

Lotton Gallery  
900 N. Michigan Avenue, Level 6 • Chicago, IL 60611 •
(312) 664-6203 • www.lottongallery.com 

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