Pigment Explorations
In my present art practice, I consider the lifecycle of the work I create. It's important to me that my art pieces have the ability to one day go back to the Earth, while simultaneously maintaining a gallery appeal and abiding to some sort of traditional aesthetic. I use natural materials wherever possible and source my supplies from businesses that have ethical practices. This process has taken place over several years, as I have made the slow transition into this practice using what I have first even if it's not "green", then once it's used up I find an eco-friendly replacement for it. I believe this practice in itself is the most eco-friendly thing we can do once one is aware of the impact of the products they use on the environment. Rather than adding to the landfill perfectly good art supplies we can simply use them up and do better for the Earth going forward. Even though eco-friendliness in art-making is a priority for me, I believe there must be a balance between expression and creating art while considering the environmental impact of the materials I am using. Through my practice I strive to find this balance while challenging outdated ideas around what is archival. I aim to share ways of creating that are both eco-friendly and plays on traditional painting and drawing techniques while simultaneously bringing mindfulness and compassion for oneself in this process. My hope is that this practice inspires others to play, ask questions, and connect with nature in their art practice in expanded and eco-friendlier ways.
 "Ebbs & Flows" tempera paint, limestone based gesso, pastel, and ocean water on canvas. 30 x 40", 2020. Sold. |  Dreamscape, 2021: Watercolour paint, pastel, limestone based gesso on wood panel. 48 x 18" Prints available. For inquiries, please contact me or to purchase, visit my Etsy store by clicking the photo. |  "Pacific Ocean" Watercolour paint, pastel, limestone based gesso on wood panel. 48 x 18" Prints available. For inquiries, please contact me. |
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 "Palm Leaves" Watercolour paint, pastel, limestone based gesso on wood panel. 48 x 18" Prints available. For inquiries, please contact me or to purchase, visit my Etsy store by clicking the photo. |  Pieces of the Peace Series. 8 x 8" drawing made with clay from the Peace River in Northern BC, spirulina, turmeric, and handmade pastels by Kaitlyn Beugh. During my visit to the Peace River Valley, I met people who have been working tirelessly to save this land that they currently call home. Land that is threatened by the Site C Dam's construction, as it is being built on unstable ground. |  "Watson Slough Flood Reserve Painting", Pieces of the Peace Series. 8 x 8" drawing made with clay from the Peace River in Northern BC, spirulina, turmeric, and handmade pastels by Kaitlyn Beugh. In the summer of 2019, I visited the Peace River Valley and witnessed the industrialization and endangerment of natural resources due to the construction of the Site C Dam, the 3rd Dam in the area. This trip connected me to the land in this beautiful area. |
 "Bull Trout" Pieces of the Peace Series. 8 x 8" drawing made with clay from the Peace River in Northern BC, spirulina, turmeric, and handmade pastels by Kaitlyn Beugh. I learned that the river is being poisoned by all the industrialization occurring in this area, from fracking to building a mega dam. In some places, the mercury levels in the river are so high that you need a permit to safely dispose of fish that you catch from these waters. |  "Bird on a Tree at Watson's Slough" Pieces of the Peace Series. 8 x 8" drawing made with clay from the Peace River in Northern BC, spirulina, turmeric, and handmade pastels by Kaitlyn Beugh. I learned that pieces of land are being quietly scooped up by companies like BC Hydro, who can do this by creating a plan to replicate precious Wetlands in other areas. By physically occupying these spaces it helps to show them that we do remember these sites, and these sites cannot simply be replicated. |  "Tufa Seep" Pieces of the Peace Series. 8 x 8" drawing made with clay from the Peace River in Northern BC, spirulina, turmeric, and handmade pastels by Kaitlyn Beugh. A Tufa Seep is a natural spring water reservoir that over thousands of years, the path up to the reservoir are eroded into steps. I am grateful to have visited this reservoir, and am grieving that it has since been destroyed by BC Hydro, who has plans to "re-create" it at another site. |
 "Alder Tree Painting" Pieces of the Peace Series. 8 x 8" drawing made with clay from the Peace River in Northern BC, spirulina, turmeric, and handmade pastels by Kaitlyn Beugh. On this trip to the Peace River Valley, I met Chaga- one of the first fungi I learned how to identify. We found it growing on the birch trees here. |  "Black Bear" Pieces of the Peace Series by Kaitlyn Beugh 8 x 8" drawing made with clay from the Peace River in Northern BC, spirulina, turmeric, and handmade pastels by Kaitlyn Beugh. I did not see a black bear this close up, but I sure saw many black bears through my travels here. On the last day of the trip, before we drove back to Prince George, I collected clay from the edge of the Peace River to create these artworks with, infusing them with the energy on the land I fell in love with. |