"In this great land that we call America, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the gift of nature’s beauty. As we stand on the shore, the sea tugs at our soul, creating in us an innate sense of longing and wonder. The vastness of the ever-changing sky stirs in us a vulnerability, yet inspires us to live a life without limits. The touch of man’s hand upon our diverse landscape urges us forward, while reminding us of just how very fragile the land is and we are.

Growing up near the water on the Long Island coast, I have always been drawn to the sea. I spent most of my childhood summer days either swimming or fishing or playing on the water. Now as an adult, I have a renewed sense of wonder and it has become my muse.

As an east-coaster, the “Big Sky” of the Great Plains has long held a mysterious fascination for me. My first trip out to the western prairie left me at a complete loss for words. How do you wrap your head around, let alone create a work that captures the feeling of that vastness, that seemingly endless landscape? We are very small.

In all the diversity that our county’s terrain has to offer, I continue to be pulled to the built rural landscape, with it’s aging structures that tell the story of us. We are fragile and transient and these vanishing buildings serve as a reminder that we must appreciate all that we fleetingly hold and all that we get to experience, by grace, for this brief moment in time.

Yes, there is beauty in each element on its own, but it is their inseparable bond, one touching the next in endless rhythm, that makes the remarkable whole. Making us whole. And as I process this extraordinary connection, one that is so easily taken for granted, it is impossible for me to separate the hand of the creator from this gift. We are indeed blessed."

Jim Westphalen - 2021