At the intersection of art and conservation, Kentucky Natural Lands Trust celebrates the ways art can animate our wonder, inform our perspective, and deepen our commitment to the natural world. Every year, KNLT commissions a visual artist to create an original piece for our spring fundraising campaign.
We were so grateful to work with Kentucky-based artist Deborah Slone, who created an incredible watercolor depicting the pollination of a white fringeless orchid by a white-lined sphinx moth. This interspecies relationship had never been observed until very recently, when Kentucky state botanist and KNLT advisor Tara Littlefield and her colleagues documented the phenomenon.
Deborah’s rendering of this incredible moment is a perfect installment in KNLT’s Art+Conservation efforts, and we were so glad to read her thoughts.
Wildlands guest blog by Deborah Slone
The woods of Southeastern Kentucky are where I first glimpsed my calling as a visual artist. The hillsides and hollers of my childhood home are where I first felt inspired by natural beauty and knew that I wanted to respond to that inspiration through art. That beauty continues to draw me back and has been the avenue through which I have learned about both the wonder and ecological significance of one of the most ancient mountain ranges on our planet.
Painting is a meditative practice for me, much like the time I spend in nature gathering reference images for my work. As I begin sketching an underpainting, I like to sit quietly with an image until the lines, shapes, and colors I want to emphasize become clear.
As I map out areas of light and shadow before applying the first watercolor washes, I develop a deeper familiarity with the plants I am painting. By the time a piece is complete, those plants have become ones I can recognize and identify when I come across them in the future. For me, it is also a way of reclaiming some of the knowledge of the natural world that I have always admired in the older generations of my family, and it deepens my connection to those places.
Celebrating the discovery of the relationship between the white fringeless orchid and white sphinx moth was a joy and a realization that ongoing scientific discoveries like these are part of the important work that KNLT supports. I hope this painting invites others to experience that same sense of wonder and connection and will help foster support for this essential work.
DEBORAH SLONE is a member of the Pine Mountain Collective, a group of artists engaged in KNLT’s conservation efforts. She grew up in the Appalachian Mountains, where she spent her time collecting small treasures and noticing the intricate details of the natural beauty around her.
She received undergraduate and graduate degrees in Art from Morehead State University, as well as an undergraduate degree in Art Education from the University of Kentucky, and has spent the past decade offering painting and drawing instruction for all ages.
Deborah recently illustrated her first book, Mr. Tux and the Little Garden Hotel, written by author Rebecca Suter Lindsey (Shadelandhouse Modern Press).
You can find more of her work at https://linktr.ee/DeborahSloneArt.
About Kentucky Natural Lands Trust
KNLT is a nationally accredited nonprofit working to protect biodiverse and climate-resilient landscapes in ways that benefit communities. Through partnerships with individuals, nonprofits, government agencies, and businesses, KNLT has safeguarded more than 64,000 acres of wildlands throughout Kentucky and Central Appalachia.
Projects like these would not be possible without the support of our donors! Join our movement!
For more information on how you can help KNLT protect wildlands, sign up now to receive our monthly newsletter.
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All images courtesy of Deborah Slone