Swamp Life

In Swamp Life, the writhing tentacles and bare trees suggest dangers lurking in murky depths. Yet the colorful forms also remind us that a swamp is an ever-shifting environment of abundance, renewal, and growth. Here, Marcy Hermansader’s interpretation of a swamp seems to represent her broader creative approach: “I try to create a real feast for the eyes — an image that is intense and mysterious. I want each drawing to feel as full and complex as a world. Within this world there is often a suggestion of a story. A running theme of these stories is the process of renewal. Renewal involves destruction, fear, and pain as well as certain brightness, magic, or spiritual power.”