The artist uses a palette of vibrant hues in Ancient Watcher, an acrylic on canvas measuring 36" x 36".

Alder’s chromatic sensibilities come to light in works such as the arresting Seeds, with its soft blue and turquoise tones playing against vivid reds and oranges. Inspiration came while walking in Tucson’s Sonoita-Patagonia area: She was struck by the sunlight and bright blue sky behind some tall daisies. “You get a shimmering effect from the shafts of light in certain areas of the painting,” the artist observes. She views the presence of light as “a spiritual experience—an immediate, intimate experience.”           

Aravaipa Creek, a diptych rendered in oranges, browns and copper tones, presents a prime example of Alder’s ability to translate nature into her own chromatic language. The genesis of the work was a walk through the woods in Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon in late November, she recalls. There, she came upon a cluster of sycamores, cottonwoods and willows, all of which were glowing with autumnal splendor. “I didn’t expect to see fall colors so late,” she says. “But the trees were stunningly gorgeous against the deep-blue sky.” Dashes of metallic paint impart a coppery tone to her sun-drenched forest scene, enhancing the painting’s fiery element.   

Rivering Forth/San Pedro,  28" x 36"

One is moved as well by the textural aspect of Alder’s canvases. “I build texture, line and color into a reconstructed, altered and abstracted landscape that becomes an evocative experience,” she remarks. The painter refers to her artistic process of layering as “trailblazing.”
 
In March, she was one of the featured artists in the “Elements of Nature” exhibit at Hernández Contemporary Fine Art in Scottsdale. Owner Liz Hernández points to a paradox in Alder’s work. “Her application of paint appears random,” she says of the artist’s brush strokes. “When you step away,” she adds, “it all becomes clear—it becomes the picture.”  The gallery owner sums up the overall effect: “Ultimately, you can see the forest for the trees.” 

Hernández also confirms the strong influence of van Gogh on Alder’s “thickness, richness and boldness. Acacia is committed to the intensities of pure color, pure pigment and pure application,” Hernández notes.

Collectors likewise have been drawn to Alder’s nature imagery and dazzling color sense. Deb Caldwell of New Mexico has been amassing the artist’s paintings for about 10 years. “There’s a sense of promise in Acacia’s work,” she relates, and compliments Alder for her “wonderful sense of light and vibrancy.” Caldwell traces themes of “renewal and optimism” in the nature paintings. “They capture the cycle of nature.” She is especially fond of how the painter renders skies, commenting that they are “just magic!”   

Alder contends that she sees “a wild harmony of sentient forms and spaces” in the natural world. She wants her woodsy paintings to offer people an opportunity to reconnect with that world, and she hopes that her work will inspire others to prevent the loss of more natural wonders. “I’ve painted many scenes that no longer exist,” she says woefully. Still, on these stunning canvases of light and color, the scenes are here to stay.

The artist is represented by Hernández Contemporary Fine Art in Scottsdale.