Artist Statement

As an artist deeply committed to environmental conservation, I have devoted my life to exploring the intersections between visual art and ecology. I am exploring the question of how visual art can contribute to the preservation of a healthy natural environment. I am pondering whether painting can also serve as a form of environmental activism. My research seeks to uncover connections between visual art and environmental issues. Visual art can translate ecological messages using its language in a clear and compelling manner. An environmental orientation and research stimulate me to seek new, original solutions. Through exploration, creative vision, and artistic articulation, I am forging my own path towards the goal. The answer to the posed question lies in an active approach, and I present my response in the form of a composed, modular visual artwork.

Comprised of seven oil paintings on canvas, the modular composition of my latest art project is linked by a supportive framework, forming a geometrically sound arrangement. Drawing from a spectrum of painting styles spanning various periods, I employ a unique approach to visual expression. I embark on a journey of artistic exploration, weaving together diverse painting styles from various epochs, inviting the viewer to contemplate pressing environmental issues. My work extends partially into the realms of geometric abstraction and conceptual art. The focal point of the series revolves around square-format oil paintings depicting scenes of seabirds in pristine coastal environments. The largest diamond-format painting portrays an unexpected encounter between a man and a seagull on a steep cliff, where land, sea , and sky converge. This artwork symbolizes the fragile balance between human civilization and the natural world.

Through my art, I aspire to raise awareness and provoke dialogue about the urgent need for environmental stewardship. By portraying the delicate interplay between humanity and nature, I hope to inspire viewers to reflect on their relationship with the environment and the impact of their actions on the planet’s ecosystems.

Renata Ambrožič Čop

Nature to Man

Project “Nature to Man”, composed, modular artwork consists of 7 Indian ink and oil paintings on canvas and supporting framework , ( 173 x 280 X 10,5 cm), Bled, Slovenija, 2024

The artistic project titled “Nature to Man” is a visual artwork in the field of environmental art. Through my latest project, I caution aginst the destruction of nature, which worsens humanity’s future on Earth. I convey my message using the language of visual art. This message is conveyed through the “Nature to Man”project, comprising seven oil paintings on canvas and a wooden support frame. With research, with my creative vision, and with artistic articulation, I seek my own path towards the goal.

I depict scenes from nature to showcase its beauty to people, so they can feel their connection with nature again. I paint what I believe in: that harmony between people and nature is attainable. A harmonious balance between people and nature can be benificial to humanity while simultaneously preserving nature, its resources, and biodiversity. Time is passing, including the time and opportunities for preserving the planet. The future is in our hands.

Warning

I: Renata Ambrožič Čop, “WARNING” (“Atomic Age”), oil painting on canvas, (173x43cm), Bled, Slovenija, 2024

The first image of the project, both with its title and choice of format, color, and content, conveys a message, which is a warning. The image is a geometric abstraction with some stylized recognizable shapes.

The image titled "Warning" with the subtitle "Atomic Age" is an oil painting on canvas, in the format of a narrow, vertically oriented rectangle. On a blue background, in the upper half, there is a narrow red triangle with its apex pointing downward, reminiscent of a sharp knife or falling sword. In the lower part of the image, there is a red octagon outlined in white, with a blue circle in the center, reminiscent of a stop sign. The content of the image indicates an impending danger.

The artwork is geometric abstraction with some recognizable warning signs (exclamation point, stop sign). With the shape of the format, lines, color, and geometric shapes in a vertical composition, it conveys the basic message to the viewer, while allowing for additional individual interpretation

VITAL ENERGY

II:Renata Ambrožič Čop, “VITAL ENERGY” ( “Yellow-Legged Gull”), Indian ink and oil painting on canvas,(43x43cm), framed, Bled, Slovenija, 2024

The yellow-legged seagull is painted on a rocky shore, at the junction between land, sky and sea surrounded by the dark blue color of the sky and sea. The title “Vital Energy” suggests that this is not merely a depiction of a bird in its natural environment, but the painting carries a message. The strong light-dark contrast also indicates the difference between light and darkness in our lives, which accompanies us just as the light of the day and the darkness of night do. Life energy comes from within, from ourselves, and illuminates our life’s path. The seagull in the painting is illuminated from upper right side and also radiates its own inner energy.

HUNGER

III: Renata Ambrožič Čop, “Hunger” (“The Great White Egret”, ”The Great White Heron", "Ardea alba”), Indian ink and oil painting on canvas, (43x43cm), framed, Bled, Slovenija, 2024

The painting "Hunger" depicts a nest of a great white egret. In the background, there is a dark blue sky and sea, while in the foreground, the nest is painted, woven from bare branches, containing an adult great white egret and four chicks with immature wings covered with fluff. Three of the chicks, with open beaks, are looking towards the head of the adult egret, while the fourth, the smallest bird is painted with a dropping head. The painting is created with oil paints and Indian ink, which highlights the contrast between the dark, cool background and the white birds with orange beaks. The content and title of the painting, "Hunger," indicate the pressing issue of food scarcity, which afflicts a large part of humanity as well as certain animals, especially rare and endangered species.

THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME

IV: Renata Ambrožič Čop, “THE YOURNEY OF A LIFETIME” (“Flamingos”), Indian ink and oil painting on canvas, (43x43 cm), framed, Bled, Slovenija, 2024

In the painting "The Journey of a Lifetime”, a flock of flamingos and their reflections in the water are depicted. In the upper part of the painting, fourteen birds are painted in a compact column heading towards the left side of the painting, indicating a journey in that direction. A larger flamingo in the lower part of the painting is in the water up to its neck, with droplets of water under its beak, creating a sense of dynamism, as it suggests that the flamingo has just lifted its head to look at the viewer.

The artwork portrays a flock of flamingos that have stopped for a short break during their long flight. This rest stop for a brief recovery of supplies and vital energy is something we all need at times. Just like humans, birds need a suitable environment with food, drinking water, and shelter for survival. This painting can be interpreted literally based on what is depicted: it shows the journey of birds, but it can also be seen as a representation of each individual's life journey.

EQUILIBRIUM

V:Renata Ambrožič Čop, “EQUILIBRIUM”, oil painting on canvas,(122x122cm), framed, Bled, Slovenija, 2024

Equilibrium is a state in which opposing forces are balanced, a state of physical balance or a calm state of mind.

The art project " Equilibrium” depicts the encounter between a man and a bird in pristine nature, at the intersection of sky, sea, and land. The painting is done in oil on canvas and framed. Square image format is rotated for 45 ° to form a rhombus or diamond shape. This positioning of the central image in the project "Nature to Man" suggests an unstable, questionable balance, and in relation to the content of the painting, it indicates unstable balance between the world humans create for themselves and the natural world.

In the scene of the encounter between the man and the bird in nature, a young boy with black hair, jeans, and a red shirt is painted sitting on the edge of a steep cliff, seeking support and balance with his hands. Right next to him, a seagull is flapping its wings just above the crumbling steep rock. The painting is dynamic, indicating the unstable balance of both figures and even the rock with falling stones. The scene is depicted realistically, yet also expressively and colorfully.

The fragile, unstable balance between humans and nature can quickly collapse due to the selfish exploitation of all resources and the expansion of areas claimed by humans without regard for the harmful consequences of their actions. However, the encounter between a man and the unspoiled natural world can lead to calmness and rest through childlike curiosity, connection with nature, and relaxation. A harmonious relationship between humans and nature is a possible outcome of this encounter and the most suitable one, as humans are part of nature and we feel this connection.

AWARENESS

VI: Renata Ambrožič Čop, “AWARENESS” (“ Phalecrococorax aristotelis desmarestii”), Indian ink and oil painting on canvas, (43x43cm), framed, Bled, Slovenija, 2024

In the painting titled "Awareness," there is a realistic depiction of a natural scene, adapted in terms of color and composition to convey a message. The area of the coastal world both above and below the water's surface is shown. The above-water world of the coast and islands is depicted in the upper part of the painting in pastel pinkish-violet shades, with a blue sky above them, partially covering the peaks with clouds. The underwater world is shown in a circular composition in shades of blue and green. The direction of movement in this circular composition follows a clockwise direction, primarily indicated by the position of the painted bodies and the underwater world. The circular movement refers not only to the movement of the depicted animals but also to the circulation in nature, of which we may not be aware.

Depicted are a Mediterranean shag (Phalecrococorax aristotelis desmarestii) with a caught fish in its beak, a school of fish, an underwater reef with a cave from which a moray eel is peeking out, possibly for prey. Some of the depicted animals belong to rare, endangered, and protected species. The artwork simultaneously portrays the underwater and above-water worlds in a single image. It raises the question of our awareness of an unknown world. We might consider the dangers we are unaware of, or the painting could be a metaphor for the conscious and subconscious, which we are unaware of and represents a hidden world for us.

IN YOUR HANDS

VIII: Renata Ambrožič Čop, “IN YOUR HANDS”, oil painting on canvas, (173x43cm), Bled, Slovenija, 2024

The painting "In Your Hands" is a geometric abstraction incorporating stylized elements of recognizable shapes. Designed symbols are integrated into the painting to convey a message. The painting is in a narrow, vertical rectangular format, dominated by blue and green colors. In the vertical composition, we see four isosceles triangles. Two green triangles have longer sides on the left and right edges of the painting and meet at their vertices in the center. Two blue isosceles triangles, with their shorter sides on the top and bottom edges of the painting, touch at their vertices in the center, together suggesting the shape of an hourglass.

In the upper blue triangle, there are two stylized light orange hands surrounding a blue circle, symbolizing the blue planet. The hands embrace and attempt to protect the blue circle, from which tiny droplets are dripping, continuing like sand in an hourglass into the lower blue triangle. Here, a larger circular shape is bisected by a wavy blue line. The upper half is divided into a black part, from which a stylized black cloud reminiscent of an atomic explosion cloud rises. At the top of the green half of the semicircle is a stylized tree with a crown in green and partly orange (either illuminated or burning). Below is another semicircle, which can be understood as a reflection in water or the dark half of the planet. The green triangles, symbolizing Earth, the planet we live on, and our material world, are also the negative space outlining the basic shape of the two blue triangles in the form of an hourglass, symbolizing the passage of time. Time is slipping away from us, the time to become aware of our actions, to stop the destruction of the planet and protect it. The fate of our planet is in our hands, and with it, our future.

ODYSSEY’S QUEST

Renata Ambrožič Čop, Tempera painting on canvas, (50x100cm), framed, Bled, Slovenija, 2022

PRAN BY NIGHT

Renata Ambrožič Čop, Tempera painting on canvas, (70x50cm), framed, Bled, Slovenija, 2022

WHEN YOU PLAY THE GUITAR

Renata Ambrožič Čop, Tempera painting on canvas, (70x50cm), framed, Bled, Slovenija, 2022

SEAGULL IN A STORM

Renata Ambrožič Čop, Oil painting on cardboard, (30x21cm), framed, Bled, Slovenija, 2022

SEAGULL VIEW

Renata Ambrožič Čop, Oil painting on canvas, (49x49cm), framed, Bled, Slovenija, 2023

LIFE JOURNEY

Renata Ambrožič Čop, Tempera painting on cardboard, (21x28cm), framed, Bled, Slovenija, 2023

3 ROSES

Renata Ambrožič Čop, THE ROSE OF CHILDHOOD - pencil on paper
THE ROSE OF GROWING UP - oil painting on cardboard
THE ROSE OF LOVE - oil painting on cardboard
(25x20cm), framed, Bled, Slovenija, 2022

THE ROSE OF YOUR LIFE

Renata Ambrožič Čop, oil painting on cardboard, (25x20cm), framed, Bled, Slovenija, 2023

SWAN

Renata Ambrožič Čop, SWAN IN THE MOONLIGHT - white chalk on black cardboard drawing
SWAN IN A SUNNY MORNING - pencil on paper drawing
(24x19cm), framed, Bled, Slovenija, 2022

SHELLS

Renata Ambrožič Čop, STILL LIFE WITH SHELLS - white chalk and charcoal drawing on paper, (35x29cm), framed, Bled, Slovenija, 2023
COMMUNICATION - ABSTRACTION WITH SHELLS - white chalk and charcoal drawing on paper, (36x30cm), framed, Bled, Slovenija, 2023

A STEP INTO THE PAST - MAMMOTH

Renata Ambrožič Čop, hand print on woodcut, limited edition (40x32cm), framed, CSB, St. Joseph, MN, USA, 1988

BLED

Renata Ambrožič Čop, hand print on woodcut, limited edition (50x39cm), framed, CSB, St. Joseph, MN, USA, 1988

PIRAN AT NIGHT

Renata Ambrožič Čop, Acrylic painting on canvas, (70x50 cm), Piran, Slovenija, 2024

SWAN

Renata Ambrožič Čop, Acrylic painting on canvas,(70x70 cm), Bled, Slovenija, 2024

DREAMY ISLAND IN ADRIATIC SEA

Renata Ambrožič Čop, Acrylic painting on canvas,(30 x40 cm), Croatia, 2024