This last week we’ve been taking a break from art marketing & city life – camping at beautiful Sequoia National Park in central California. Sequoia is home of a vast forest of gorgeous sequoia trees including “General Sherman” – the largest tree by volume of wood in the world. We were camped by a mountain stream at Lodgepole in a space which was so large, beautiful and secluded that we might have been billionaires – and all this for $20 per night.

Deep in the forest away from the grid, amongst giant trees, fast flowing water, mountain air, and sleeping close to the earth my whole physical, emotional, and mental being-ness starts to normalize and re-train with the natural rhythms of nature. I feel a natural sense of well-being and happiness for no particular reason and I wonder why I bother with many of the things that concern me in the city. Aches and stress in my body have left within a couple of days and I’m waking up with happy, visionary, creative thoughts and feelings and an overwhelming desire to live my life fully.

All this in just a few short days in the forest….

Many great artists chose to spend large amounts of their time in nature – whether in the crispness and beauty of the mountains, the serene ocean landscapes, or the harsh but beautiful red deserts. The works that came from those places are almost invariably stunning – because the artist was able to connect with the powerful primal forces of nature. There are so many examples but check out any of Georgia Okeeffe’s desert paintings or the works of the Hudson River School if you need some inspiration.

Today’s art marketing tip is a simple piece of advice:

If you want to create more stunning and truly original art which will wow art collectors – spend regular amounts of time in the wilds of nature. It could be as simple as lying on a beach when you have a spare hour – or walking in state or national parks. Maybe sitting on a rock in the desert with a cup of tea and a good book for a few hours. Ideally, try to take a few days away if you can so that you can really wind down and allow the powerful forces that created you to speak. Bring this into your work and see where it takes you…..

Albert Bierstadt: Among the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California 1868