Art and nature come together at Baltimore Woods Nature Center’s newest exhibit, which opened over the weekend. The nature center in Marcellus is hosting “Natural Passions” until April 25.

“Fox Trio” and “Wood Duck” are just a couple of the different pieces that visitors will have the chance to admire. This exhibit has work from two artists. Diana Whiting is a well-known photographer who tries to capture the soul of animals and landscape in her works. Gail Norwood combines her joy for nature and art through her soft renderings in pastel, graphite and colored pencil, according to a Baltimore Woods press release.

“We wanted to focus on those artists who, through their work, focused on the central New York scene and the Eastern Woodlands,” said Karen Smith, gallery coordinator of the Baltimore Woods Nature Center.
Smith explained that while the center tells the artists which topics or scenes to focus on, it’s up to the artists to pick the work they find most appropriate for the mission of the gallery. This exhibit is also a chance for the artists to sell their masterpieces to the public, Smith said.

“We want to connect people to nature,” she added.

Whiting lives in Skaneateles and won awards such as second place from the National Audubon Society for a photo contest. She’s had her work featured in numerous publications, including the National Wildlife Federation magazine.

“I think art is a universal way of communication. In my case, I want people to connect to a natural world that has increasing negative pressures on it,” Whiting said.

She hopes that by sharing her work, people will be inspired to support conservation efforts. She references her personal experience, explaining that some of her friends have become more attuned to certain kind of animals after seeing them as art.

When Whiting photographs wildlife, she said she looks for the animals’ stories, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible while capturing their behavior and essence. If she finds that things like feedings and tending to young are in any way disturbed by her presence, Whiting leaves the scene so these activities can continue.

“A lot of wildlife and birds are accessible to most of us, but can go unnoticed,” she said. “It is hard for anyone to want to protect something they don’t know or care about, so art can be the facilitator for that connection.”

Whiting’s favorite picture is “Fox Trio,” taken during six weeks of quiet observation. It represents three foxes whose eyes have been lit by the day’s last rays of sun. She said foxes are among her favorite animals.

Norwood lives in Cayuta, north of Ithaca, and is vice president of the Chemung Valley Audubon Society. She also volunteers at the Lab of Ornithology at Sapsucker Woods.

Having spent part of her childhood in the countryside outside of Skaneateles with all sorts of wildlife, she now dedicates her time to volunteering with raptors at the Tanglewood Nature Center and the Cayuga Nature Center.

“I love wildlife and birds in particular,” she said. “I photograph them first and then start drawing them. Art is important, as it is a creative outlet for my feelings and thoughts.”

Norwood explained that the most important feelings to express through art are the “personalities” of the animals that she has drawn because each are special in their own way.

Smith said visitors will not only have the chance to enjoy the art, which will all be available for purchase, but can also explore Baltimore Woods. “Natural Passions” will be available for viewing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Published on March 5, 2018 at 9:16 pm

Contact Pietro: pbaragio@syr.edu