Artists Statement

Wilderness invigorates, comforts and humbles me. As a painter, I am drawn to wild land in all its raw beauty. Contrast is central to my work. I am endlessly absorbed by the effects of climate, geology and topography on land and the contrasts these factors produce. The American Southwest is a favorite subject because of the softening quality of vegetation on the rough and rocky land. Sun angle gives definition to a landscape which can change from moment to moment, emphasizing mountain and valley, cloud and dust, masses of shadow and light so that one stretch of land can produce a myriad of scenes and emotions. Topography creates its own contrasts, with the vegetation altering significantly from valley floor to mountain peak.

In my work, I often seek a vantage point that combines distance in various ways; distance down below the edge of a precipice, up to endless skies and outward across miles of open land. More than anything, I enjoy the feeling of being on the edge and translating that expansive feeling to the viewer.

Bio

Lona Griffin Flocke received her BFA in drawing from Florida State University in 1977 after studying art at Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL.

Geography is a major influence in Lona’s life and work. Born in St. Augustine, FL, her childhood years also included time in Richmond, VA, Chicago, IL, Macon, GA and Tallahassee and Gainesville, FL. The archeological career of her father and social work career of her mother necessitated several moves which were influential and enlightening. These moves laid the groundwork for her awareness of contrast in the physical and cultural landscape. From her earliest years in the pine/palmetto woodlands of North Florida to her eight years of seasonal employment in Yellowstone National Park, the importance of place has remained a constant. Lona makes her home in the rocky woodlands of Central Texas, where she has lived since 1979