Art Series: Hope Blueberry Hills, Pollinator Meadow, The Hands Behind Where Our Food Comes From, Growing Sovereignty
By Jordan Ramos
Artist Statement
This collection of artwork expresses my appreciation for the natural world and raises awareness of our relationship with the land. Studying environmental science has inspired me to use my art to communicate, to spread awareness on environmental topics I am passionate about, and to portray stories from the personal connections I have with these subjects. This collection reflects perspectives of biodiversity, food systems, sustainability, and environmental justice. My work explores human coexistence with nature as a community, honoring and respecting the planet. In a world built on the extraction of resources from land and people, I seek to show the interconnectedness of landscapes and invite conversations on restoring peaceful relationships between land and people through art. These scenes of ecological interactions reflect our connection to the world. Through my work, I hope to convey a greater appreciation for the environment to my audience and ask what we can learn from our interactions with the natural world to better conserve it.
Hope Blueberry Hills
Hope Blueberry Hills, 2023, is a watercolor painting of wild blueberries in the rolling fields of Hope, Maine. This painting captures my past summer when I was all over Maine’s wild blueberry fields learning about how they grow and studying their habitat. Wild blueberry fields of Maine represent land and cultural history, spanning 10,000 years from when the glaciers receded and the wild blueberry took up home in the soil. Different from cultivated blueberries, wild blueberries are low bush shrubs with natural rocky habitats in woodlands or alpine mountains. In portraying this beautiful landscape, I express my gratitude for this special place woven with memories of the fields.
Pollinator Meadow
Pollinator Meadow, 2022, is a watercolor and micron pen piece of an organic field of wildflowers inhabited with pollinators, in the summer of Maine. I aimed to spread awareness about the importance of pollinators in the ecosystem and help advocate for organic agriculture that is safe from deadly pesticides.
The Hands Behind Where Our Food Comes From
The Hands Behind Where Our Food Comes From, 2022, is a gouache painting of migrant farm workers in a field and their hands that deliver the produce. This piece was created to show appreciation for migrant farm workers and raise awareness of where our food comes from, beyond the shelves of supermarkets.
Growing Sovereignty
Growing Sovereignty, 2022, is a block print that illustrates a landscape of a small agricultural farm coexisting with natural habitats. I wanted to advocate for sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty. I represented this by portraying a community of people and nature in the ecosystem with ecological, sustainable, and indigenous growing practices that are kinder to the environment.