Meam Hartshorn
- Anna Lilli Garai
- Mar 14
- 7 min read
Meam Hartshorn’s paintings merge the human form with natural elements, using bone imagery to reflect on transformation and renewal. In works like "Collarbone Release" and "Bone Rose," she combines abstraction with realism, shaping landscapes that echo internal states. Glowing orbs appear throughout her compositions, drawing attention to moments of tension and release. Her work considers the unseen forces that shape existence, revealing the shifting connection between nature and the body.
Q: Your paintings are an exciting mix of pop art and anatomical precision. What drew you to this style, and how did it develop?
A: I have always felt inspired by nature, be it grand landscapes like canyons and mountain ranges, or small moments like finding a fossil in a creek bed or sitting by a tree in the park. To me, these all have a spiritual energy and intrigue that I like to explore through art and serve as the basis of my work. Other artists that incorporate nature and transcendental themes have long since inspired me, such as Agnes Pelton and Georgia O’Keeffe. I think my work is constantly adapting and changing, but I typically find myself inspired by patterns in nature and abstracted styles. This can be physical processes such as erosion, to literal patterns like butterfly wings. I can always turn to this when looking for a place to start, and I try to just let the painting evolve from there.
Q: "Collarbone Release" is a breakthrough piece for you, with its exploration of bone shapes transforming into landscapes. What led you to begin this series, and how do you see bones as a connection between the body and the earth?
A: I made this piece during a liminal time in my life. I was post-graduating college and not sure which next steps to take for my life, particularly my work in art. I was also undergoing a lot of personal and emotional changes. In this process, I noticed how much emotion was stored in my body. It felt like my bones held all this experience I had never fully acknowledged. I felt most connected to my physical and emotional being when I was outside in the natural world. I took this concept and started to make this painting. I have broken my collarbones multiple times, and I feel most tension in my shoulders.
I just started to paint what my body felt like, and I realized that the painting became this kind of desert landscape all on its own. It got me thinking about how much nature reflects our emotional selves, and how we are not separate from nature at all. After all, our bones are the last thing we give back to the earth, and if our bones have the capacity to hold so much emotional experience, we essentially give our stories and selves back to the earth. I find this a really beautiful connection, and it’s inspired much of my work.
Q: "Heaven’s Rib" explores the metaphysical through the lens of bone imagery. How does the intersection between the physical and spiritual inform your artistic practice?
A: I think the physical and spiritual are more connected than we give them credit for, and I think nature is a good example of experiencing a powerful intersection between the physical and spiritual. So are our bodies. We are physical, but we are also alive and conscious. When I am painting, this connection informs a lot of the emotion and character I want to give a piece.
I want my paintings to feel reminiscent of a familiar landscape but otherworldly at the same time. Art making often feels like a spiritual practice to me, yet it’s totally physical and material. I try to stay really attuned to that aspect of it and not compromise that feeling to just make something. Of course, this gets tricky when you have deadlines and need to churn out some artwork, but I think I’m successful when I’ve made a painting that I feel represents a small piece of that spiritual exploration. As long as it has this energy and "aliveness" to it, then I’ve done my job.
Q: In "Bone Rose", you mix bone and flora symbolism, delving into womb imagery. How does this painting reflect the themes of connection and returning to one's roots?
A: This painting has a very ephemeral quality to it. I wanted to capture what felt like a moment in the midst of something moving and evolving. Even in a constant process of evolution, I often feel like there is this energy connecting all of us. I feel this particularly when thinking about nature and our role within it. This painting is about honoring that connection, with this focal point of light at the center bringing focus to that life source and that energy.
Q: "Sand Skirt" is inspired by sandstone formations and their slow, ongoing transformation. What does the process of erosion and change mean to you, both in nature and in your art?
A: I am so inspired by this process. It’s been the foundation of a lot of paintings of mine. Nature has many examples of cycles it goes through that evoke change and transformation, sedimentation and erosion being one of them. Exploring this process through visual arts helps me connect to that process within myself. It’s a reminder that we are also undergoing our own versions of transformation.
I try to make paintings that articulate this motion and this kind of bridge between physical, emotional, and spiritual change reflected in both nature and ourselves.
Q: Your work often features glowing orbs, symbolizing spirits or guides. How do these orbs influence the mood and narrative of your landscapes?
A: These orbs give my paintings an ethereal or spiritual quality. I think they can easily be interpreted as moons, but there is something otherworldly about them, like they are spirits visiting for just a moment. I started painting these orbs as a way to capture this spiritual connection I feel towards nature. I like creating paintings that capture the essence of a landscape. It’s not a precise rendering, rather an emotional and spiritual documentation of a place. I find a lot of comfort in these orbs, they evoke a lot of wonder and curiosity in me, and I hope other viewers feel that as well!
Q: Your background in psychology and your studies in clinical social work seem to influence your art. How do these fields inform your approach to the intersection of emotional experiences and the natural world?
A: Yes, they definitely inform each other! In social work, I have the privilege of hearing people’s stories and being a part of their emotional process.
This is a really special thing to me, and it’s incredibly vulnerable. There is a lot of emotional intensity, and making art is my personal way of processing these experiences so that I can show up fully for clients. I like to explore the ways art and nature can be tools for healing in this work. Sometimes drawing and coloring can help people express difficult emotions or gain new insight into their experiences. Sometimes it’s just relaxing, and that’s what someone needs. Creative processing should not be exclusive to “artists”. I am a firm believer that we all can benefit from creative engagement, or creative “rest.” However, I notice a lot of shame that comes up for people when they do something creative, like they are not good enough to even try. I hope to help people reconnect with the parts of them that are inherently artistic and emphasize that much of the value of making art is honoring that creative process, regardless of the final product. Nature is similar.
There is a lot of compelling research about grounding and spending time outside as a way to help regulate emotions. It can be helpful, too, to remember that we are nature. Just as plants and animals have cycles of transformation, so do we. Looking at these patterns in nature can be helpful to remember that we are a part of the cycle of things, which means we have the capacity to recover, grow, and evolve. All that being said, sometimes art and nature never come up in my clinical social work. They may not be relevant or resonate with a particular client. Also, we unfortunately live in a world that makes engaging in art and the outdoors a privilege that many people do not have the time and money to afford. I hope to make this more accessible–in micro ways such as introducing creative processes into one-on-one work with clients, and macro ways, such as advocating for policies that promote environmental protection and arts curriculums in school.
At the end of the day, I don’t see my work in art or my work in social work as separate sides of myself. I think there are always ways to integrate them.
Q: Living in both Colorado and Texas has exposed you to distinct landscapes. How have these environments shaped your artistic vision, and what new directions are you exploring in your current work?
A: These landscapes have definitely influenced my artistic vision. I feel a strong spiritual connection to nature. I am lucky to have had access to such beautiful landscapes all my life, as I’ve been able to really foster that connection. I appreciate just how old it is and how much time and history is documented within the rock formations and plant life. It quiets a lot of the chaos of life and reminds me how small I am and how temporary. I find a lot of comfort in that and it helps give me perspective. I acknowledge that this concept is not my own, and indigenous communities have understood this connection to these landscapes long before me.
I credit their wisdom and stewardship as the bedrock of my own environmentalism. Alongside spending time outside, painting is the way I celebrate this connection. I am interested in circling back to more traditional landscape paintings in the future, and I’ve been so interested in butterfly wing patterns! Often, a shape of stones, bones, or plants cues my inspiration and I let that guide a painting. I research more about that thing, such as the geologic processes behind it or ways it functions in an ecosystem, and I love seeing how my artistic inspiration meets a scientific curiosity. They overlap in many ways. I want to keep exploring this overlap in my work.