Art on the Trail, our celebration of artwork inspired by the LHT continues! We are thrilled to present inspiring contributions from local artists – professional and amateur, across various media, each creator taken with different scenes along our 22 miles of trail. Currently, we are accepting new Still Lives inspired by the trail. Keep creating, we can’t wait to see your work. And, be sure to check out previously featured artists in our gallery for inspiration.
Instagram: @sujathabala1
Sujatha Bala, courtesy of the artist
Meet Sujatha Bala – a Lawrence resident and homemaker who has been walking and biking the trail with her husband and son for five years, often shooting photos. While she also sketches, she finds photography relaxing and wields her iPhone camera as a way to connect with nature.
LHT: Can you share a biography or Artist’s Statement?
Sujatha: I live in Lawrence township with my husband and son. I am a homemaker, but photography has been my hobby. We love nature and often step out on our bikes onto trails. If something beautiful appeals to my heart, I capture it in a photograph.
From John Keats:
“A thing of beauty is a joy forever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness”
LHT: How long have you been creating? What inspired you to start or restart creating art?
Sujatha: I have been taking photographs, mostly with my iPhone, for more than a decade. I casually started clicking photographs and was soon drawn into the beauty of it. I found it be very relaxing.
LHT: What is your preferred medium or media?
Sujatha: My preferred medium is photography. Sometimes I also sketch.
LHT: Is all your artwork inspired by nature?
Sujatha: Mostly. I like nature. It also makes me feel how we are an integral part of nature.
Courtesy of the artist
Courtesy of the artist
LHT: What about the LHT inspires you? What are your favorite segments?
Sujatha: I have been visiting the LHT for more than five years now. It is so pristine and provides an unadulterated natural experience right here in our backyard. I gravitate towards segments with a lot of woods. The Pole Farm is the one we use the most; Rosedale ranks next. I also enjoy Village Park and the Brearley House segments. I do have plans to explore other segments in the future.
LHT: How did you discover the LHT?
Sujatha: Initially we were looking for bike trails around Lawrence Township for my son and we found the LHT. Now even more than for biking, I love LHT for its relaxing environs.
LHT: Do you have advice or messages for other artists (adults, kids, novices, pros) encouraging them to get outside and create art inspired by the LHT?
Sujatha: Not advice but something to keep in mind: When I visit places like LHT I am reminded that life is too short to be spent whining. If we erase all the artificial barriers created by our intellect, we will understand that like any other living being, we are one of the elements of nature. The world still has room for love, beauty, harmony, hope and empathy.
Courtesy of the artist
Courtesy of the artist
Courtesy of the artist
Courtesy of the artist
Courtesy of the artist
Courtesy of the artist
Courtesy of the artist
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