ALLAN
HAMILTON
USING ART TO CONVEY THE
PLEASURE OF NATURE
Canadian graphic artist, illustrator, photographer and blogger Allan ahares
his nature-inspired project, Arboretum Virtualis. See more at https://
themofman.wordpress.com/2015/05/17/arboretum-virtualis-introduction/.
I’ve produced a fair amount of wildlife art, and painted sci-fi illustrations that conceptualize possible
environmental futures. While not all of my work focuses on nature, my latest nature inspired project is more
personal to me than all of those that I’ve done before.
Arboretum Virtualis is a project in which I use black and white nature photography consisting of tree
portraits, forest and grove landscape images to get people thinking about the environment without being
preachy or threatening. Most people already have memories of enjoying nature. We just need our memories
jogged from time to time as we get so caught up with the consuming responsibilities of day to day living.
I’m neither an environmentalist nor a naturalist. Like most, I feel as though I have no practicable ideas to
ensure the protection of our world from the excesses of the human species. I have to rely heavily on those
who understand the necessary enviro-sciences and evolving enviro-laws to guide me on the best ways to get
involved, little by little, in preventing the overuse or destruction of nature.
I always feel that in being an illustrator and photographer, I have a profound opportunity and duty to try to
do some social and moral good with my art. The natural environment is one of those aspects of living on
our still unique planet in which I act to creatively inspire others to appreciate nature, and join the effort to
maintain it.
It’s my experience that there are three things that shouldn’t be done if anyone really intends to motivate
the masses into becoming active in protecting the environment. 1) it’s not a good idea to tell people that
not enough of them, companies and governments care enough about the environment to invest realistic
time and money to take care of it without being forced to through laws or given financial incentives, 2) you
really shouldn’t overwhelm the average person with highfalutin scientific terms and special environmentalist
jargon, and 3) you can’t blame people and make them feel like it’s their fault for why we have global warming
or that if they aren’t part of the solution, then they’re nothing but part of the problem. Even if there is
absolute truth to these issues, and it is necessary to tell people in your region just how it is, coming across
like a nag or scientifically intimidating largely causes people to disc onnect quickly and permanently. Really, I
don’t even want to be preachy and I don’t want to be accused by others of not doing enough.
What I find does work is using mostly uplifting art to remind people, especially big city dwellers like me, that
nature is fun, a place of adventure and discovery, wonderfully nostalgic and healing. Art has the potential
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