"THIS SERIES OF ARTWORKS IS THE RESULT OF A SHIFT OF PRIORITIES AFTER THE 2020 PANDEMIC. AT THE TIME, I HAD BEEN TRAVELLING AND TEACHING WATERCOLOR WORKSHOPS NATIONALLY, PAINTING COMMISSIONS, AND EXHIBITING MY WORK IN GALLERIES. WHEN THE WORLD SHUT DOWN, I HAD AN UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS ON NEW WORK THAT DID NOT INVOLVE TEACHING OR COMMISSIONS. IT WAS THE BIRTH OF “UNTANGLING OUR ROOTS”.
ALL OF THE FLOWERS INCLUDED IN THE ARTWORKS WERE RESEARCHED AND ARE EITHER MEDICINAL AND POISONOUS (YING YANG) OR EXTREMELY RARE AND ENDANGERED. EACH INSECT, FLOWER, AND ANIMAL HAS A SYMBOLIC OR VISUAL METAPHORICAL MEANING.
THESE ARTWORKS HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART BECAUSE THEY ARE DEEPLY PERSONAL AND YET HAVE RESONATED WITH SO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE TOLD ME THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES WITH UNTANGLING THEIR OWN ROOTS.
“UNTANGLING OUR ROOTS” WAS EXHIBITED AT THE PITTSBURGH BOTANIC GARDEN IN 2024 IN A WONDERFUL DUO EXHIBITION WITH ARTIST LAUREN BRAUN."
- PEGGI HABETS
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ABOUT THE ARTIST
Peggi Habets lives and works as an artist in her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pa. Her deep love for the fluidity and spontaneity of watercolor has led her to paint and teach in the medium for over 20 years. Her figurative and cityscape paintings have been exhibited and collected internationally and she has received awards in many prestigious shows, including the National Watercolor Society and the American Watercolor Society International Juried Exhibitions.
Publications of her work include Splash 18, Splash 19, and Splash 20 Best of Watercolor books, as well as magazine articles in The Artists Magazine, The Art of Watercolour, L'Art de L'Aquarelle, Pratique Des Arts, Watercolor Artist, Watercolor Magic, and Palette magazines. She is the author of "Watercolor Made Easy: Portraits" and was featured in "The Art of Drawing and Painting Portraits" and "Faces & Features" books.
Peggi’s artwork was selected out of 7,000 entries for the esteemed Shanghai Watercolour Biennial and the Shenzhen International Watercolour Exhibition, both in China.
"Untangling Our Roots” explores the evolution from childhood beliefs and cultural influences to developing a unique path and voice as an adult. Each painting in the series addresses a different universal struggle and is infused with a solitary figure, enigmatic nature as a healing and guiding force, and/or spiritual and cultural symbolism. This series strives to embody mystery, beauty, exploration, and discovery.
My own journey started mid-life, following a childhood steeped in Catholicism, traditional family values, and a small-town view of the world. I started the life-long process of unravelling beliefs that served me well to those I did not accept. I discovered meditation and Buddhism in my thirties and began learning and practicing skills that have helped me unpack mysteries of my life, past, and connection to others in this world. This practice has influenced my artwork conceptually and visually."
