As part of our summer-long mural exhibit, Artisans at The Arboretum, The Dawes Arboretum is proud to showcase the work of nine talented artists who have brought their creativity to our grounds. In this Meet the Artist series, we’re highlighting the people behind the paint—learning more about their inspiration, process, and what their murals mean to them. Today, we’re excited to introduce you to Anne Balogh, whose mural The Puzzle of Nature can be found near the Japanese Garden.
1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background as an artist?
In my life, art and conservation have always been my main interests. I was fortunate to have parents that cultivated and supported both. However, in my youth, science was thought to be a more stable career than art and I pursued a BS from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania majoring in environmental science with a minor in studio art. I then got a masters with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center & Towson University with a focus on biology and birds. I spent a number of years working around the US as a biologist and environmental educator at places like Yellowstone National Park, Hawk Ridge in Duluth, MN, and the Chesapeake Bay. However art, primarily in the form of painting, remained a strong thread throughout my life, and seeing our country's wild and wonderful spaces solidified the themes I often pursue.
Since moving back to Ohio I have displayed work in a number of galleries and helped start an artists co-op in Columbus. I have experience in a variety of mediums, but watercolor is actually my first love for its versatility and luminous, expressive qualities. I like to blend realism and abstract backgrounds. I am a bit newer to murals though I have always enjoyed working large scale. I find in my murals I still gravitate to realism with a touch of abstract, but I am much more colorful painting in acrylic! This mural was definitely the one I have completed in the most beautiful setting!
2. How would you describe your artistic style or the themes you explore in your work?
The wonder of our natural resources is something I strive to celebrate in my work. I am especially fascinated by birds – their beauty, personalities, and biology. My personal, professional, and artistic life is also driven by a profound belief in the importance of conservation. As an artist whose work is deeply rooted in the observation of nature, I am inspired by the intricate beauty and delicate balance of the ecosystems that surround us. So when this idea was put forth by the arboretum I was excited to apply – art and nature together in the best possible way. I believe art has a unique ability to bridge the gap between people and the environment, in a time when many people are disconnected from the natural world and so many of our wild neighbors are in decline.
3. What inspired your mural for Artisans at The Arboretum?
First, I selfishly really love to paint wildlife! At first I had a bit of artistic block, because the theme of nature is so broad and the work The Dawes Arboretum does is comprehensive. But then I started to focus on nature as an intricate web of interconnected systems, each element playing a vital role in maintaining biodiversity and a healthy environment. And I started to think of it as a complex puzzle, the pieces of nature—whether they be plants, animals, pollinators, or microorganisms—fit together in ways that are often unseen yet essential to the whole. Every species, no matter how small, contributes to the health of the ecosystem, and the loss of any piece can cause disruptions that affect the entire system. Successful conservation embraces this complexity, recognizing that true environmental preservation requires safeguarding the full spectrum of biodiversity.
Dawes, with a variety of projects from native plant propagation and reforestation studies to woodland wildflowers and monarch butterfly raising to spotted salamander migrations and nest box monitoring, is constantly working to keep the puzzle pieces in place. It is also a place of constant learning, and so I included a puzzle piece ‘missing’ to represent the work of restoring what once was. I hoped to blend realistic portrayals of plants and wildlife with abstract elements that evoke the interconnectedness of all living things. It was also pointed out to me recently that people may choose to take a photo with their face framed in the missing piece. And while I did not initially intend it to be such, it actually makes sense because people can have so much effect on the missing pieces and the other parts of the puzzle.
4. Did the location or landscape of The Dawes Arboretum influence your piece in any way?
Yes, the idea of removing a puzzle piece was with the idea that the visitor would look through the painting and see the Dawes grounds, providing an interactive element connecting the artwork to the conservation work.
5. Can you walk us through your creative process from concept to completion?
I think I touched on my creative process generating the idea a bit in a previous question, but once I had my theme I started with a pencil sketch at scale. I then roughed it in with color and that was what I submitted with my application. By having it to scale, it makes it easier for me to transfer later. I still paint my concept sketches, but as I gain more experience I am realizing I need to learn to do it digitally – I am not excited by this lol!
6. What was the most rewarding or challenging part of working on this project?
I was worried about transferring the sketch to the wall, as in the past I have used a projector. I am too much of a planner to sketch freehand directly on the wall, though I wish I was that confident! I follow a number of online groups of amazing and helpful muralists and learned of a technique called pouncing. Basically I drew the design at full size on rolls of craft paper and then used a pounce wheel to go over the outline, creating tiny perforated holes. I taped the paper to the wall and dabbed chalk over it, creating a dotted outline over which I could then use acrylic markers. I was nervous as I was delayed by weather and on a deadline so if it didn't work....But it did work and felt like magic. So not only did I get to do a mural on a theme dear to me, I learned a new skill!
7. What do you hope visitors take away from seeing your mural?
I chose to apply under the Nature category as I wanted my mural design to invite visitors to pause and reflect on the importance of the intricate relationships within nature and the species The Arboretum studies and conserves. I hope visitors will be able to have fun identifying the species in the mural and connecting them to the projects and habitats of The Arboretum. I purposely made the smallest species and the largest species have equal ‘weight’ with the hope visitors also take away the message that even the smallest species is important for a healthy whole.
8. Where can people see more of your work or connect with you online?
Website [at] annebalogh.com. As well as facebook: Art by Anne Balogh and Instagram: @annebalogh_art.
We’re grateful to Anne Balogh for sharing her time and talent with our Arboretum community. Be sure to stop by the Japanese Garden during your next visit to see her work up close—and experience how art, nature and history come together in this one-of-a-kind exhibit. Artisans at The Arboretum runs through September 20.