Artist Statement:

     This painting subtly addresses the issue of climate change, specifically addressing effects on duck migration patterns depicted visually through the shift in temperature in a Texas wetland setting. Through doing research within Ducks Unlimited, an American nonprofit organization 501 dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people, I learned that the Texas wetlands are an area that is physically affected by climate change, and as a result, duck migrations have shifted as the wetlands are their habitat. I chose to represent the shifting climate compositionally as the cooler colors on the left represent cooler weather, and the warmer colors represent the typical warm weather of the fall months in the wetlands. The ducks are flying towards the warm weather as they are being pushed to a new area than before from this transition in climate. In addition, the yellow lab in the foreground creates a narrative as he is watching the ducks and witnessing their changing location. The inclusion of the dog is representative of the duck hunting, wetland aesthetic, and is also a personal portrayal of the story of how I got my yellow lab considering we got him through a live auction with Ducks Unlimited organization in the early 2000s, and he is bred by world champion duck hunting dogs. Overall, this painting is a visually aesthetic and calm painting that also addresses just one of the many ways that climate change affects our environment. 

Enquire: summer_lewis1@baylor.edu