Inspiration: New Hampshire's Natural Beauty

I graduated from Colby-Sawyer College in May of 2014, therefore this upcoming September will be the first time I haven't had to buy school supplies and get ready for a year of thinking. Sounds nice for some, but truthfully I feel lost and sad knowing that some of the most inspiring doctors (shout out to Pat Anderson) and professors will not be teaching me, that my mind will not be packed full of newly learned information, that I will not be surrounded by like-minded students, and that I will not be leaving a classroom in awe and haste, running back to friends to boast about what my mind has began to reflect upon about things such as Native American poetry. Also, another huge downfall is that art studios will no longer available to me, and I will no longer (until one day when I make one or find a used one for cheap money) be able to use a printing press or kiln at any hour of any day (yes, Colby-Sawyer art students are allowed to enter the studios at any time--which is awesome when you can't stop thinking about the next piece you want to create!). How beautiful learning is...

Being up in New Hampshire, surrounded by nature--mountains, lakes, trees, even the dreadful months of monogamous snow--lead me to so many thoughts that otherwise would not have been revealed to me, along with the ways in which my surroundings pushed me to interpret the world around me, which I then brought to life through art. 

Above is a print I created using these weird cabbage-like flowers from Spring Ledge Farm in New London, NH, located just up the road from Colby-Sawyer College. This print is part of a series I called Flower Series in which I created images using flowers and ink. This series won "Best in Show for Creativity" at my very first art show--I was stoked! The prints included in that series are my favorite pieces of art that I created. Fortunately they all sold at the art show, though also unfortunately because I love them so so much; selling art is like selling part of your creative spirit, and it can be really tough.

Above are wall hanging ceramic slabs that feature images of carved flowers. While using clay, these types of pieces were my favorite to create--they are original, and also time consuming, which gave me time to sit in peace and create without thinking, and being an english major--when reading, thinking, analyzing, and writing were constant--art gave me piece of mind. The little flowers at the bottom of the photo are necklace pendants, very similar to the larger slabs; each displays a unique carving of a flower. The necklace pendants will be available in my Etsy Shop, also called Sunlit Air Moonlit Fire, in about a month (as I am due to have my baby any time now, and I am also in the process of moving and do not have time to list them--check back!).

The earth presented so much beauty to me throughout my time living in New Hampshire, and I will forever be grateful for its presence. To the left is a monotype print I made using brown paper, a ripped page from a book and ink, as well as a print I had previously made using ink and baby's breathe; it is titled "Gaze the World". To the right is a poem titled "Earth" that I wrote; it was published in the Solidus Literary Magazine Spring 2014 issue, along with five other poems I wrote and six pieces of my artwork (you can check those out here). It is my favorite poem that I have written. It reads:

Earth

The Earth recycles her self

and is recycled through me.

I am but a chain of genes;

an inception of Nature.

-Taylor McCarthy

Overall, New Hampshire's natural beauty holds a special spot inside my soul, as it guided and transformed me for the better; it mentally and spiritually stimulated me; it is the thing thus far in my life that has brought me closest to my self and soul; it is original beauty that will live forever.

* To view my art and writing portfolios go to my website at taylor-mccarthy.com or click here.