​Extreme weather, global warming, environmental destruction These words are all too familiar now. I never knew before that getting used to it was such a painful thing. Even if you type on related keywords on YouTube or the Internet, countless content is pouring out. It's an emergency. Now many people are concerned and aware that they have a different attitude than they used to be. It is because it is so close to our daily life.

 Environmental problems are serious because they are closely related to our lives and survival and, above all, directly or indirectly affect future children. When I was a child, I often heard adults say that you want a peaceful world without war or destruction when you grow up. I grew up in their beautiful wishes. So when I became an adult, I knew that I would live a beautiful life with the same hope for my children. But to be honest, I feel guilty about growing up. Because now I know that those words are being ruined to the point where they are virtually useless.

But before, I thought I had plenty of time left. It was believed that the Earth at 4.543 billion years old would not be destroyed so easily. 
According to a major study, a 40% chance by 2025, the global temperature will be 1.5 degrees higher than pre-industrial levels in at least one year out of five. This analysis report was created based on modeling by the UK Meteorological Agency and climate researchers from 10 countries, including the US and China. 

 Due to the reports of these scientists and the efforts of related experts, many people are still more interested and are trying to save the rapidly warming planet. No, you don't have to start trying. You have to do something right now. This is correct.

 Actually, I'm just an ordinary person who wants to draw away from the hustle and bustle of the world. My childhood dream was to wear a pretty floral dress and ride on a white bicycle with a basket in front, with painting tools on the back of it, and then get off the bicycle and paint when I saw a beautiful view. Especially I feel some trouble in life, and the burdens  heavy under my shoulder, I would bring this little dream out of my head and get comfort from time to time. But as an adult, I realized that living like this would be impossible unless I was a millionaire. In particular, it is because someone must support a safe environment where women can run anywhere in a one-piece dress, and above all, economic situation to draw pictures and, finally, a clear, uncontaminated scenery is necessary.

 One day I will feel that this dream was indeed a luxury. And I'm afraid I'll find out that it will be an impossible dream because the scenery that is more beautiful than money is disappearing.

 As an artist, what should I do to participate in protecting and protecting the environment, even a little? 
 
“There’s a crescendo of interest in both art that is itself about the environment and art that is self-consciously environmental, and I think that’s entirely understandable and good, because it draws attention to these dire situations we’re facing,” said Karl Kusserow curator of American Art at the Princeton University Art Museum. 

 And in fact, there are artists who, in the name of Junk art, Eco-art, art activists, etc., inform the public of the dangers of environmental destruction through artistic activities and create and display works of art using recycled or waste paper themselves. 

Many of the artists who identify with the environmental movement have explored the relationship between mankind and the natural environment. These artists are often concerned about ecology, health, and human rights issues and dedicate their art to the these subjects.  Environmental artists can also be found in connection to conservation and green politics. ( What is Environmental Art? By Renee Phillips Leave a Comment)
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 ROUTE USA is a 100% volunteer-lead organization looking for solutions to reduce the impact of waste on the beaches of America and the world. Their mission is to promote arts, community service, education and the awareness to preserve the health of the world’s oceans, beaches and marine life, specifically focusing on the problem of plastic pollution.

 ​The Eco-Art project started in Italy in 2009. Artists interested in sustainable environmental protection movements such as climate change, environmental pollution, forestry, and recycling are jointly hosting international contests and delivering active messages through exhibitions and conferences. The online gallery ‘EAD (EcoArt Database)’ currently has about 1,300 works by artists from all over the world.

 Art makes the invisible visible. So artists help people through painting to see the world from a perspective they never knew before when they looked at objects. So, as a result, artists help them realize the hidden beauty or some fact of the things they see. The objects look beautiful depending on wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum at which the sun's rays reach an object. Color is also the phenomenon or result of the refraction of light. Scientists have been trying to define these colors, and in the 20th century, they were finally able to report the consequences of each definition. The colors perceived by the human eye are wavelengths. The human eye only detects wavelengths between 380-789 nm. Our vision responds only to the narrow range of electromagnetic energy. Light is invisible to the naked eye due to infrared, radio waves, and ultraviolet. Newton used a prism to prove color, which is a component of light, and Einstein paid attention to the energy of light.

​ Whether scientists have proven it, the world is made up of invisible energy. The invisible energy determines the direction of the visible object behind it. Even in the first chapter of the Bible, it is stated that the invisible Word came first, and then visual the world was created later in the beginning. 

 I've learned that the color and beauty of an object are determined by the light hitting it, but I've been questioning them for a long time. So, how can we explain our dreams, which we unconsciously have in our minds at night, or images that pop up in our minds someday? In the unconscious world, there is no light, and objects look beautiful. Even when we imagine, even though there is no light or similar effect, but it makes an object look beautiful. It seems like the wonderful movie scenario that comes to our mind. So, what is the existence of an object, and what are light and energy? So, what determines beauty? Physical light or external wavelengths determine the beauty of things, but isn't it that some indefinable power within us creates the true beauty and images of objects? 

 ​At night, I often dream very colorful and vivid dreams. Some scenes are so real that I can actually draw them. Another night's dream has so many messages that it makes me want to describe it. 

​Moreover, I am trying to draw the invisible world based on these theories and philosophies. So when a beautiful image comes to mind, I rush to the studio to make it visible on a canvas. In order to come up with this idea, I need the energy that creates a reflection, that is, motivation. Its motifs come from emotional points such as love, inspiration, melancholy, and compassion, and these energies subconsciously create images related to objects in the head. When I have time, I express it on canvas or paper. I digitise it on a tablet when I'm still short on time.

I mainly painted pictures displaying such mental dynamics, vivid movements, and inner energies convert to trees or fish, such as nature in the early times. Lately, I try to draw whatever comes to mind without any restrictions about the subjects. When I get some inspiration from an event or experience, that energy creates a premier. And it is the work of putting that video into a picture. It's like making a movie. So, if there are no regular and typical patterns, but if you can feel some energy through these paintings, I would say that my work is successful. The story of the artworks is posting on the blog of my website, annakoh.com.

 The ideal goal of my work is to express dreams ultimately. The color I saw in my dream has various spectrums that could not be shown with the world's existing materials. I'm trying to paint it, but I admit I don't have such optimized skill yet. But I'm trying my best to draw similarly. This is because the color produced by internal energy is different from the color produced by physical, external spotlight, infrared light, or ultraviolet light. I would be happy if I could show that such a color exists. This quest for color, light, and energy will continue to follow my work, and the process is always enjoyable. I want to share the joy of this kind of work with as many people as possible. 

 Germany is my second hometown. I've been for 8 years and then even though it is not a long period to call hometown. However I spent all time my 30s there. Maybe that's why, my attachment was added with active 30s, and I was able to consider Germany my hometown for those years. Karlsruhe, a small and beautifully well designed city in southwestern Germany, gave a lot of vitality and motive to strangers who were always tired of life. And it is also the country that gave me an excellent opportunity to continue drawing like recent. I still miss Germany and love Karlsruhe, where I lived in. That's why I'm often more interested in news about the country. ​I wish Germany and Karlsruhe to be so picturesque and peaceful as always and forever.

 ​But today, I have not seen good news, but sad news that breaks my heart. In Western Europe, water bombs are hitting the world record heavy rains in 100 years, killing dozens of people. Germany was no exception.

 

  As feared, the earth is getting hotter and extreme weather are commonly occurring all over the world. With a lot of worries, everyone is concerned, careful and is trying to somehow delay this tragedy to close our door. But it is still unsatisfactory. This is not a problem that can be solved by changing only individual habits, but a structural systemic problem that requires changing social policies and regulations. 

 I depicted a deep concern about  the environment, especially since my older sister is an  environmental activist in Korea. As the environment deteriorates to the extreme, my older sister has to work non-stop without taking a vacation. I try to be careful and eco-friendly, but I have personal limitations. When I have to buy a toy for my child, a birthday present, or something like this, I feel secret guilt. Trying to avoid buying as much as possible, I struggle to live as my father taught me to think three times before buying. But I know that this is not a fundamental solution. 

 In the past, I had an exhibition on the subject of nature at the Pump House in Lauterbourg, France.  ​Among the paintings on display, the picture called "Weeping Trees", "Burning trees" expresses nature suffering from global warming. 

 In particular, "Weeping Tree" reflects the worries and fears I felt about environmental destruction at the time. First, I draw mountains in the background layer by layer, then fill the brush with paint and lots of water and touched it in the middle of the canvas. Then, raise the canvas at a right angle, lay it down again, and repeat. This will cause the paint from above to naturally fall to the floor due to gravity. It is as if the canvas is crying. The sky expressed the pouring rain.

 Someone told me this while this painting was on display. "You can see Noah's ark behind the picture." I first found out then. I can see a ship that looks like Noah's layered ship on the right screen if you look closely. It was nice to find an exciting point, thanks to him. This painting was sold during the exhibition. I want to talk about it like this, even now, because it was sold without time to tell the story behind it. and say thank the art lover. 

 And the "Burning trees" below expresses the trees that is burning due to an extreme climate. I'm not particularly eager to draw with intentions or beliefs. I am afraid that it will remain like a communist propaganda poster, and it is also because I wouldn't say that are artificially fixed in nature. ​But my concerns at the time made me paint something intentional. The trees are burned badly and the whole world is filled with red flames. But there are trees that stand tall among them. It is the irresistible strength of nature itself.

 This painting was returned to me by an old woman who runs a studio, who was interested in purchasing it, but was unable to sell it. Currently hanging in her husband's school office.

 These are the little things that I can do professionally, and other than that, there are other things such as using fewer disposable items, separating recyclables well, and protecting and loving the environment around me. Most of all,  I am determined that we and our descendants should work harder to sustain life and coexist on this precious and beautiful planet for a long time.

 In particular, in terms of environmental movement, artists make works by recycling waste plastic around them under the name of Junk Art and Eco Art Project, and deliver a message about nature conservation to the public. I will reorganize this content later and post it.

 As an artist, I want to live by thinking about what I can do in solidarity with society and what I can personally practice first. 

This issue cannot be overemphasized. If we always keep this in mind and live as a part of nature, one day the world will gradually change. And I hope that bad news like this will gradually diminish. It is hoped that the European region suffering from flood damage will be stabilized quickly so that many people can start again with hope.

​My daughter likes pink the most, but I like blue. That's why most of the clothes are blue. When I was young, I wanted to express to paint exactly blue, so I often looked up at the sky. I enjoyed imagining what it would be like if God had set the sky pink or green instead of blue. After the green, the color that reminds us of nature is blue.

Blue is a brilliant, beautiful, and perfect color that surpasses all other colors. No one can talk about this color, and people can do nothing with it. The quality of this color is still outstanding.
—Chennino Chennini, from Il libro dell’arte, circa 1400 

A few recipe books, such as Cennino Cennini's 15th century Il Libro dell'Arte, revealed the secrets of preparing paints from pigments and dyes. Such books also provided sophisticated guidelines for using each color based on factors such as its lightfastness, toxicity, reactivity, and cost. 
Lapis lazuli was quite expensive to use because of the scarcity of the mineral and the difficulty of its preparation. As Cennini details here, simple grinding produced a greyish blue, so complicated practices were needed to extract the vibrant ultramarine blue we are accustomed to in medieval art. The traditional use of Lapis blue for the robes of the Virgin Mary (who earlier had been shown in red) grew out of the value placed on this precious color. 
(Source:https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/collex/exhibits/originsof-color/organic-dyes-and-lakes/secret-medieval-palette/)

It has been very difficult to find blue pigments in nature except for the color of light since ancient times. This is because the sea and sky are not actually blue, but appear blue because of light scattering.

​ In modern times, the value of blue has been proven by many studies closely related to human life. For example, there is research showing that when you are in a room painted in blue, you feel that time passes more slowly than it actually is. Blue also reduces appetite.  

Last week on a children's playdate, a child brought my child a pretty blue hydrangea. ​Although it was a common hydrangea, it seemed unusually beautiful because it matched the pure and beautiful heart.

 The flowers were beautifully mixed with purple and blue, and it looked as if each flower leaf would turn into a butterfly and fly away. In an instant, an image was drawn in my head and I immediately ran to the studio.

 ​The work process will be included in the Photoshop tutorial in the info menu of this website when I have time later. First of all, I want to briefly show you the process of making it.

French painter Maurice Denis said, "There are three famous apples in history: the first is Eve's, the second is Newton's, and the third is Cézanne's." Due to the development of civilization in the 21st century, the famous Steve Job's apple is added as the fourth apple. 

 Image source: Myungja Anna Koh, Edunet, Wikipedia

 ​Paul Cézanne was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work was dedicated to transit from the 19th-century conception of artistic endeavor to a modernistic and initially divergent world of art in the 20th century.  

Cézanne pioneered his own style of painting, boldly escaping from the style of Impressionist painters at the time, who tried to portray the beauty of objects by capturing the shapes of objects that change with the angle and movement of light. If you look at his paintings, they are structural and formative rather than detailed and realistic. In particular, while the painters of that time fixed the point of view and painted from one point of view, he painted from multiple points of view. Therefore, looking at his paintings somehow makes you uncomfortable.  Especially he tried to find the essence of things, not light or the external environment. In other words, he wanted to paint a true picture rather than a beautiful view or decorative paintings. 

 I love Cézanne's apples so much. Because the philosophy of the apple he drew coincides with the starting point of my painting. He did not simply try to draw apples beautifully, that is, he did not draw consciously of the gaze of others but created his own world with the essence that comes from within, that is, his perspective and philosophy. To build his world in this way, he one day leaves Paris, the home of art, alone and enters the mount Sainte Victoire alone.