As a child on the tiny island in Fiji where I grew up I stood in the lagoon and watched the rising tide swirl around my feet. I was mesmerized by the movement of the water and the play of light on its surface. The ocean bottom was very shallow at low tide. It was 300 yards from shore to reef. I walked out through the turquoise water. When I reached the reef I turned around and peered back at the island in the distance. The ocean was perfectly flat and lit up in the afternoon sun. The play of light on the water, multicolored branch corals, reef fish, cowries, sharks, giant clams, and sea turtles; it was a daily wonderland. Living so simply and so close to nature gave me great joy and still does.

I grew up in a culture that supported and expected experimentation and discipline in the arts. I was encouraged to try my hand at anything that interested me, but a casual approach to the arts was discouraged. You were expected to invest yourself in the practice of art. It was a place in life where you were left to challenge yourself. It was an integral part of my upbringing.

It's not just to make a beautiful image for the sake of a beautiful image. It is about going beyond oneself. Ultimately, it is about becoming transparent. When true art is created the artist is nowhere to be seen. True art moves the artist and the observer beyond themselves. It is a process both participate in. And it is both challenging and happy. It is my aspiration to participate in that process as fully as possible.

I paint with watercolors and sumi ink on silk. I use silk because of its luminous quality. I do not mount the paintings, but suspend them in their frames to allow light to pass through the silk. The fluid character of the fabric is preserved with this method.

I love the mixing of the colors, the feel of the brush on the silk, the moment of discovery, the push-and-pull of bringing an image to life. I create worlds of imagination from paint and silk and brush. We all enjoy places of dreams and extraordinary beauty. I want to share mine.

© 2007 Nara Wood. All rights reserved.