Thank you, Kelly, for taking the time to join us and share your insights. Your work in land art is truly inspiring, and we’re excited to learn more about your creative journey.

Let’s start, could you tell us about your artistic background? Was there a pivotal moment or experience that led you to pursue land art as your primary form of creative expression?

Absolutely. I am grateful for the opportunity to share more about my artistic background. As a child and young adult, I experimented with drawing, wood painting, fabric, yarn art and landscape photography. The birth of my first, co-created, land art piece came while walking at a local land preserve in north Texas in 2020. Early pieces were mostly mandalas. Upon moving to Southern Oregon, my co-created Land art has continued to evolve to more of a story-telling experience. 

Nature has been my friend, companion, teacher, therapist, and sanctuary for most of my life. It is where I find safety, acceptance, strength, unconditional love, and inspiration to live life more fully.

Nature has been my friend, companion, teacher, therapist and sanctuary for most of my life. It is where I find safety, acceptance, strength, unconditional love and inspiration to live life more fully. As my relationship with Nature deepened through various life challenges, I began to see the beauty, brilliance and wealth of stories with the invitation from Nature to create and share them with others.  

Artistic Beginnings: As someone who started as a child artist and has explored various mediums, what led you to focus on land art as your primary creative outlet? How does it differ from your experiences in other artistic mediums?

My focus on Land art came through an organic evolution from Nature’s beckoning to participate in a co-creative process and share stories of the land. The visions would continue to come during meditation, hikes, walking, yoga, reading, writing and working until I would allow the time and surrender to supporting its creation. It’s as if Nature planted a seed that incubates within me until Nature is ready for it to manifest through organic ingredients. Then the pull to create interrupts like a gentle reminder to engage in the manifesting process until the piece is complete. 

The experience with Land art for me has been more deeply therapeutic due to handling and working with organic materials that are seasonally transitioning providing the opportunity to honor each leaf, branch, lichen or other participating in the story. As I assemble the artwork, each participant shares their beauty and purpose not only in the story but in Nature itself. It’s like meeting a new friend that talks about their job and joys in life. This establishes a relatable connection of inter-being and communication for the artwork as well as for those viewing or experiencing it. In addition, I continue to enjoy other mediums such as landscape photography, wood, acrylics and pastels especially during the winter months. However, Land art brings an inter-being experience I have yet to find in other mediums.

With each leaf, branch, or lichen, a story unfolds—Nature invites me to co-create and share its beauty, brilliance, and transformation with the world.

Nature’s Palette: Your work emphasizes collaboration with nature, using materials you find on the forest floor. How do you decide which elements to include in your pieces, and do you feel the seasons themselves guide your creative process?

As a co-creative process, Nature draws me in with its various shapes, brilliant colors and textures nudging me on what to use to enhance or refine the image. For example, the breaking of a wave using bone lichen to represent sea foam was a revelation of Nature’s nudge. Now, I utilize this same lichen for other defining accents in other pieces. 

The seasons certainly encourage the creative process. The colors of Fall leaves, variety of mushrooms, plethora of wildflowers, moist moss, soft lichen, green ferns and ground cones are available for short times of the year. Thus, the seasons determine what participants are available guiding what and when stories will be brought to life.

Impact of Storms and Change: You also mentioned using natural elements left behind by storms or seasonal shedding. How do these moments of change in nature inspire your work, and what do they symbolize for you in terms of renewal and creativity?

My work is inspired in the moments of seasonal shedding and storms in a couple of ways. First, both acknowledge Nature’s cycles. Each season has its own, authentic beauty, state and transition. Winter brings slower pace, cold, darkness, hibernation and stillness. Spring promotes birth, fertility, vibrance, growth, love and creation. Summer brings heat, fun, freedom and radiance. Fall brings vulnerability, impermanence, release and transformation. Secondly, the shedding of each season and storms are unique and change from year to year. For example, the timing of the changes in temperature and frequency of rain contribute to the types of wildflowers that will grow in the Spring, the brilliance of color of leaves in the Fall and the trees or plants that may die over the Summer. Next, the storms reveal Nature’s power and provide the opportunity to honor the contribution and presence of those beings who have been damaged or taken down by incorporating them into an art piece capturing and sharing their essence with others. We are all important parts contributing our energy to the world and deserve to be acknowledged. 

These moments of change in Nature symbolize inter-being, impermanence, and the transformational magic of life. Nothing is ever wasted or lost; it only transforms.

These moments of change in Nature symbolize inter-being, impermanence and the transformational magic of life. In terms of renewal, they demonstrate to me how Nature always recycles and utilizes everything. Nothing is ever wasted or lost. It only transforms into the next state whatever and however long it takes. The motion is always moving forward. In reference to creativity, Nature perseveres through every obstacle. It continues to transition, adapt and change. This encourages me to evolve and utilize every state in creating my art and experiences in life.

From Creation to Connection: What emotions do you hope viewers experience when engaging with your land art, whether in person or through photographs? Do you feel your art creates a deeper connection between people and nature?

With engagement of my co-created land art, I hope viewers feel what speaks to their spirit. For example, it may be wonder in ‘Beyond this World’ or sadness in ‘Weeping within Nature’ or love in ‘Mother Tree and Child.’

Yes, I feel this art creates a deeper connection because it is the collaboration and communication of organic living material telling the story. 

Storytelling Through Land Art: Your statement mentions that your art tells a magical story, inviting viewers to look beyond what the eyes can see. Could you share an example of one of these stories and what inspired it?

‘Walk into the Magic of Fall’ is the story of a person walking through the forest feeling the undulating earth under their feet and the crunch of fallen branches announcing their steps. As they become more immersed in the forest where the path becomes more narrow and the surroundings more dense, they continue to be drawn deeper in by the brilliant colors and textures of the leaves unfolding more richly with each breath. Then a twinkle of light above catches their eye, so they part the brush to uncover the mystery. There, just beyond the next ridge, is a beautiful feminine spirit with a wand in hand gently conducting, enhancing the colors of the forest, the shapes of the clouds and brightness of the stars in the sky. This is the magic that is available when we are open to exploration beyond limitations.

This artwork was inspired by my childhood play as well as adult magical experiences deep in the forest.

Art’s Ephemeral Nature: Once your land art is completed and photographed, do you preserve the installations in any way, or do you allow them to return to nature? How does the transient nature of your art influence your creative vision?

Once photographed, the art work is released to return to the cycle of transition with Nature. The transient nature of the artwork does not really influence the vision, but it does need to be completed the same day due to the transitioning of the organic materials.

Commissions and Collaborations: Do you accept commissions for land art projects? If so, how do you balance a client’s vision with the organic and collaborative process you have with nature?

I have not had the opportunity nor an invitation to commission land art yet. I would imagine it would depend on the invitation and space of the project.

Digital Exposure: How has showcasing your work through online exhibitions by Biafarin, Exhibizone, and Gallerium Art influenced your art career? Has the digital medium changed the way you approach or share your land art?

Showcasing my co-created artwork through these online exhibitions has provided support and encouragement to more widely share this work as well as to continue to create it. This land art is a vulnerable and intimate expression from a very deep and often spiritual place, so it can be challenging for me to openly share it with others. Thus, I greatly appreciate the ease provided through this online process.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us—about your work, your inspirations, or your message to art enthusiasts and fellow artists?

The artwork itself is much larger in scale than many realize when they see a photograph of it. Thanks again for this opportunity.

To explore more of Kelly’s enchanting land art, visit http://www.biafarin.com/artist?name=kelly-moyle and follow her creative journey on @forest_wind_creations