Capturing moments of exceptional beauty
About Forest Bathing
Forest bathing is a Japanese practice of relaxation and mindfulness that restores the soul. It is not a water bath but rather an immersion of the senses as one wanders through trees, listening, seeing, smelling, and feeling.
I experience peace while hiking through the woods and enjoying the interplay of light, shadow, shape, and sound. I have profound memories of hiking in the warm months, when there is much to see, and snowshoeing in the freezing winter, where my breath and movement through the snow are the only sounds I hear. Pure peace.
Through a multi-year project, I am translating these feelings into paintings to share with you. I hope you will join me on this journey and share your ideas and experiences with me.
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See additional forest images on the Archive page.
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See below for read research on forest bathing.
Silent Sentinel
40" x 38". Oil on Canvas
In winter, the Colorado woods are woven with opportunities to be among the trees. My goal with this painting is to share the majesty of snow-laced evergreens and offer encouragement for viewers to go outside in winter and explore their local beauty. I have found great peace among these stately trees while snowshoeing. Last winter, this tree was a quiet landmark for me. I’ve tried to capture the essence of its character in this painting, hoping that other people might be motivated to find their own peace among trees. The style carries details and abstractions intended to be invitational and thought-provoking.
My Back Yard
12" x 12" Oil and Cold Wax on Cradled Wood Panel
It's a joy to look out my studio window in winter. The mountainous hills curve up and down. Stately evergreen trees and bare-branched aspens gather to create quiet drama. I imagine colors that aren't really there, but they would be if I were in charge!
Forest Bathing
Forest bathing is a Japanese practice of relaxation and mindfulness that restores the soul. The bath is not a water bath but an infilling of the senses as one wanders through trees, listening, seeing, smelling, and feeling.
I experience peace as I hike through the woods and enjoy the interplay of light, shadow, shape, and sound. I have profound memories of hiking in the warm months, when there is much to see, and snowshoeing in the freezing winter, where my breath and movement through the snow are the only sounds I hear. Pure peace.
Through a multi-year project, I am translating these feelings into paintings to share with you. I hope you will join me on this journey and share your ideas and experiences with me.
Summer Hike
30" x 24". Oil on Canvas
​Forest paths invite hikers in summer. Here, the viewer is treated to visual delight and mystery. The hiker might weave in and out of tree-covered sections, with wildflowers abutting the path. This is not a precise representation of aspens but rather feelings of wonder and curiosity that are provoked by groves along paths.
Into the Light
60" x 48". Oil on Canvas
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Colorado’s autumn colors always spellbind me. I’ve named my two favorite colors, “buttered popcorn” and “creamy apricot.” I see buttered popcorn trees in classic quaking aspens. Swedish aspens produce the yummy, creamy apricot color in fall. This painting expresses my feelings of awe about these particular autumn colors. It also shows a small stream with a fallen log over it, often one of the necessary crossing points to get to my desired destination.
Red Forest I
20" x 20". Oil on Canvas
Red Forest II
20" x 20". Oil on Canvas
Red Forest III
20" x 20". Oil on Canvas
Forest Bathing I
60" x 20". Oil on Canvas
At Zandee Gallery
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While walking in forests, I have experienced a silent exchange between myself and the woods around me. I didn’t know what this was until I read about forest bathing. This Japanese concept explores such interchanges between people and nature, especially in forests. This abstract painting shows sun and shadow, evergreen branches, and the forest floor. While walking, I see near and far, angles and round edges. The part I cannot fully depict is the peaceful expansion of my being as I share time and space with the forest's living (and not) elements.
Forest Bathing II
60" x 20". Oil on Canvas
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There is warmth in the forest, no matter what the season. Vertical and angular lines penetrate my visual field as I enjoy the diverse forest elements. There are things that I see, things that I will see, and others that I either won’t notice or see. This painting reflects my visual field and experience of something warm and welcoming, just out of reach but always expressed.
Mystical Aspens
36" x 36" Oil & Gold Leaf on Canvas
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A woodsy area atop Buffalo Pass in the Routt National Forest is intriguing, but not classically beautiful. I imagine these woods as they might be, dressed in splendor and inviting. Some people see a reflection at the bottom. I didn’t paint it as such, but I can see why others see it that way.
Ethereal Aspens
30" x 30" Oil on Canvas
Sometimes, we must look at things differently. Once, after an early morning hike on Buffalo Pass in the Routt National Forest, I thought about the view through trees and how this vista affected me. No doubt, lines in this sparse gathering of trees pulled my eyes out to the beautiful view beyond. Yet there was also a magnificent rhythm in the trees. On my canvas, this sequence translated itself into colors. I struggled to find the beat. Persisting, I eventually found the truth in the scene and gave birth to the abstract interpretation seen here.
The Path
14" x 11" Oil and Cold Wax on Canvas
Maine in the Fall presents dramatic scenes, slopes, and colors that are hard to believe. This rocky path through the woods invites us to think about our present and future steps.
Selected Research on Forest Bathing
1. NIH: We previously found that a forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) program significantly reduced the scores for depression, anxiety, anger, fatigue, and confusion and increased the score for vigor in the profile of mood states (POMS) test and showed a potential preventive effect on the depressive status in both males and females.
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2. Medical Univ. of SC: Forest bathing encourages a deeper connection with the natural world, nurturing feelings of awe, gratitude, and interconnectedness.
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3. Stanford Lifestyle Medicine: While hiking focuses on the improvement of physical fitness, forest bathing fosters improved mental and emotional health. Some people who experience anxiety find that forest bathing calms their nervous system because their attention shifts from their worries to noticing the natural elements all around them—and these results are scientifically measurable.
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4. Oliver Sacks, M.D., Neurologist and Author: I cannot say exactly how nature exerts its calming and organizing effects on our brains, but I have seen it in my patients the restorative and healing powers of nature and garden even for those who are deeply disabled neurologically. In many cases, gardens and nature are more powerful than any medications.
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The Marginalia by Mariai Popova
https://mailchi.mp/themarginalian/oliver-gardens?e=f057ae667e
5. Kuo, Ming, University of Chicago "Nature stimuli are likely to boost immune function by way of their demonstrated effect on parasympathetic activity, and subsequent effects of parasympathetic activity on immune function."
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Your Guide to Forest Bathing, Experience the Healing Power of Nature., Clifford, M. Amos