Traveling has had a profound impact on my life as well as my artwork. There is something about a mysterious landscape that speaks to me unlike anything else. I am captivated by nature's ability to evoke sentiments and emotions just by simply existing. In my paintings, I strive to convey the power of the landscapes I have witnessed throughout my travels. I am fascinated by atmospheric conditions, and the way in which these factors can change the mood of a particular setting. I love observing the sky and its thousands of colors, hoping to find this in my work. I intend to continue to travel and find inspiration in landscapes, and then translate this inspiration into works of art, capturing those certain moments and feelings forever.

Emily Reid

During the summer of 2004, I took an oil painting class at UC Santa Cruz. While I did not like painting with oils, I liked landscape painting. I was interested in the emotions that the landscape evoked in me. I felt different when I painted surf pounding against rough-beaten cliffs than when I painted the serene lake. So when I came back to Saint Mary's, I decided to experiment with landscapes using acrylic paint. While painting certain landscapes, particular images come to my mind. I realize that while I am painting a landscape, I am also experiencing my own inner landscape. I incorporate these surreal images into my paintings to add new dimensions to the work. It makes for a combination of an interior and exterior landscape. As I began to study the work of artists like Salvador Dali, my paintings became increasingly more surreal. I found it interesting to explore my mind along with the landscape and am only now beginning to explore this idea of the mindscape, which I hope to continue.