Sarah Aslakson:

The most important element to me, as a watercolor artist, is the use of color. I am particularly interested in how color itself, rather than shading or composition, affect mood and the viewer's response to my work. I have used the same or variations on a compositional theme repeatedly, using different colors and color combinations to achieve different moods and responses to my work.

I am also interested in nature as it appears in a "natural" environment, rather than one where plants and land formations are manipulated or designed by people. To this end, I have concentrated on wild areas, which man has overlooked, such as country roadsides - spaces where the plants are not planted or managed. I believe natural variety and selection is infinitely more interesting and dynamic than anything organized by a person.

I see my work as changing from one which was more fantastical (although still using realistic images) to a palette which is more realistically based, as I have realized that all the color I could imagine already exists in nature. I also think I have integrated more light into my work over time. When I look over my paintings I can see that the overall themes of nature and color have remained, and I have learned to incorporate what I have learned along my journey into my current work. I also paint in a more abstract manner, alongside the more realistic work.

Trout Lillies and Breeches 30"x30"	New Bloodroot 28"x26"
Hillside Stream	Sunflowers and Day Lillies 26x28
March Woods 22"x37"
New Fern 22"x30"
Boat Rest 19"x41"
Spring Forest Flowers 30"x41"
Daylillies with Coneflowers 30"x40"
Dutchmen's Breeches in Fall Leaves 30"x30"