Naona "Peaches" Wallin

 Artist Statement

As a nature photographer, my time in the field is invaluable; nature is my classroom. This has been true since childhood and continues to have significance for me as a lifelong Alaskan. For three years, we lived entirely off-the-grid, deep in the heart of the Tongass National Forest. Living in the wilderness revolved around our ability to observe nature: the weather, tides, and seasons.

While learning to read the landscape, I formed a deep connection with the natural world—a relationship essential to my artistic process today. As a child, I was fascinated by the surrounding scenery, from the cleansing smell of fresh rainfall to an awe-inspiring sunset to the wonder of rain splattering on a calm ocean surface. My childhood admiration for beauty in the Alaskan wild developed into a nature-inspired artistic intuition. Being in nature immediately grounds me in the present. I see beautiful images everywhere, and my creativity comes alive. When I witness these moments, I’m inspired to create and share them as photographs.