Visible Stories
Arsenault’s deep connection to the ever-changing vistas of the 170-acre Naples Botanical Garden oasis, as well as his reputation for painting expressionist views of Florida’s other lush subtropical landscapes, led the garden staff to approach him last year with the idea of an exhibit. “Rather than offering my existing work, I imagined the assignment on a larger scale and decided to supplement my older works with 10 new six-by-four-foot canvases depicting various views of the five gardens. The collection of paintings represents my deep appreciation for our region’s distinctive ecosystems, as well as my process of living here and engaging with the community. They’re visible stories of how the gardens came about,” he says.
Rights of Nature
Water Garden View, River of Grass, by Paul Arsenault
Artist Paul Arsenault Joins the Campaign for Clean Water by Linda Sechrist
Q
uoting a Cheyenne proverb, “Our first teacher is our heart”, artist Paul Arsenault turns his eyes to look fondly upon his latest series of work, The Impressionist’s Garden: Plein Air Paintings, on display at the Naples Botanical Garden through November 8. A decade in the making, Arsenault’s heart and passion for the beauty of Southwest Florida’s natural environment are evident to the eyes of any beholder in the exhibit that celebrates not only the botanical garden’s evolution from a community dream to a worldclass establishment, but also the maturation of Arsenault’s artistry in transforming blank canvases into detailed, intricate colorful renderings dense with shapes, textures and shadows. “The exhibit, with some of my never-before-seen works, shows my artful progression and my response to the lush landscape that amazed me when I moved to Naples from Massachusetts more than 40 years ago. My passion for botanical gardens has led me to trek the globe in order to paint many of them. The spark for painting contemporary life in coastal communities was ignited in my homeport of Hingham, known for its colonial history and location on Boston Harbor. My love for history and telling stories through my paintings enhances all of my work,” explains Arsenault. 22
Collier/Lee Counties
swfl.NaturalAwakenings.com
Arsenault’s deep love of the environment also set the stage for his collaboration with Joseph Bonasia, director of education for Lee County Rights of Nature (LeeRON), which is part of the Florida Rights of Nature Network, as well as the Rights of Nature worldwide movement to legally recognize the entitlement of ecosystems to exist, flourish and evolve naturally; the inalienable rights of human beings to clean air, clean water and healthy ecosystems; and the constitutional authority of local governments to declare and defend these rights. “LeeRON is also about recognizing that our current regulatory system, highly subject to corporate influence and changing political systems, is failing us and Earth,” says John Cassani, a Calusa waterkeeper and member of the international Waterkeeper Alliance.
The Power of Art to Illuminate, Educate, Inspire and Motivate
Against the colorful backdrop of Arsenault’s art, Bonasia gave a LeeRON fundraising presentation at The Collaboratory, in Fort Myers. “I connected immediately with Paul’s vibrant art, which not only captures the essence of a place, but also beautifully and persuasively affirms what our hearts know better than our brains—that nature is infinitely more than mere property. Paul’s loving relationship with nature, Paul Arsenault visible on every canvas, evokes in viewers his same sense of nature’s intrinsic value beyond that of mere property, as well as a more intuitive understanding of nature. “Paul resonated with our LeeRON efforts to assist and support citizens in amending their local city/county charter to create constitutionally framed environmental protections in their community. Paul and I had planned to do more coordinated presentations at his future shows, but COVID-19 temporarily changed that,” advises Bonasia. He is presently working with Chuck O’Neal, president of Florida Rights of Nature Network, Inc. (FRONN), to pass a Right to Clean Water charter amendment. Also known as the Wekiva River and Econlockhatchee River Bill of Rights (WEBOR), the proposed
