Arizona 2015

Bernadette Resha’s watercolor, Arizona, captures a landscape bathed in the soft glow of a setting sun. The image is divided horizontally, with the earth below and the sky above meeting at the horizon line where mountain silhouettes can be made out. The artist uses trees to represent the boundary between settled life and the wilderness beyond, but also creates a kind of portal to another world. Historically, trees have been used as a symbol of nature, growth, and connection to the earth. In Romanticism, the forest became the symbol of the untamed and unknown. Similarly, the rugged mountains evoke a sense of awe, the sublime, and the indomitable power of nature. In the collective memory, landscapes often serve as metaphors for psychological states. The vast, open land can represent freedom, the promise of the future, while mountains can signify challenges and obstacles. The subdued colours create a contemplative mood, inviting viewers to consider their relationship with nature. This landscape acts as a visual echo, resonating with primal feelings of reverence and vulnerability in the face of the natural world.