Interpretations of the Natural World an Art Exhibit by Jim Kaelin and Emily Kaelin

In Interpretations of the Natural World, artist Jim Kalien shares his deep reverence for the beauty, complexity, and quiet wisdom of nature. With a background in graphic design and a lifelong admiration for the wild, Jim’s work seeks to preserve fleeting moments of light, texture, and life—inviting viewers to slow down, observe, and reconnect with the world around them. His paintings capture the intricate details of wildlife and landscapes, reflecting his belief that we are all part of an interwoven, living tapestry.

This exhibition also features the work of his daughter, Emily Kalien, whose approach to nature is more impressionistic, imaginative, and emotionally driven. Rather than painting directly from observation, she draws inspiration from within—pulling from memory, emotion, and instinct to create expressive, dreamlike interpretations of the world. Her work invites viewers to look beyond realism and experience nature through feeling and intuition.

Together, their pieces offer a contrast in perspective—one grounded in observation, the other in imagination—opening the mind and heart to both the seen and unseen details of the world around us.

Exhibit Runs: March 6th – April 20th

Exhibit Dates and Hours:

Thursday, June 12, 2025 6:30pm – 8:00pm Opening Reception
Friday, June 13, 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Sunday, June 15 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Wednesday, June 18 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Thursday, June 19, 2025 4 pm – 7 pm
Friday, June 20, 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Sunday, June 22, 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Thursday, June 26, 2025 4 pm – 7 pm
Friday, June 27, 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Sunday, June 29, 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Wednesday, July 2, 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Thursday, July 3, 2025 4 pm – 7 pm
Sunday, July 6, 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Wednesday, July 9, 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Thursday, July 10, 2025 – 6:30 pm – Artist Talk
Friday, July 11, 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Sunday, July 13, 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Wednesday, July 16, 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Thursday, July 17, 2025 4 pm – 7 pm
Friday, July 18, 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Sunday, July 20, 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Wednesday, July 23, 2025 11 am – 2 pm
Thursday, July 24, 2025 4 pm – 7 pm Last Day of Exhibition

Place: Mary Anderson Gallery
Mount Saint Francis Center for Spirituality
101 St. Anthony Dr.
Mount Saint Francis, IN 47146

Meet The Artist

Jim Kaelin

Originally from Louisville, KY, I moved to Cincinnati in pursuit of a Graphic Design degree at the University of Cincinnati. I’ve
worked in the advertising and marketing arena for over 30 years. Over that time, I’ve periodically explored painting as a hobby,
finding inspiration from artists such as Steve Lyman, Robert Bateman, Carl Brenders and many others. Awed by nature since I was a
child, my natural tendency has always been to experience it through illustration or painting. In the last several years I’ve had more
time to observe nature and practice my art. I’m looking forward to sharing the moments in nature that excite me.

We share this amazing and unique world with so many other living things. Plants and animals all making an interwoven tapestry
of wonder and beauty on landscapes that, one could argue, are also alive and somehow sentient. We originate from and are an
active part of this dynamic.

I’ve always felt my best when outdoors, especially in the woods, listening to the whispering trees, watching the continuously
changing clouds and seeing the sun paint everything with dancing dapples of light. Nature communicates its mood and every
day is a new one. It’s these things, along with the wildlife so blessed to call the outdoors home, that I attempt to preserve with
paint. The wildlife brings a focus, an energy, a momentary bit of new awe to an otherwise expansive and complex scene. My goal
is to capture these creative moments offered by our good Earth, reminding us to appreciate a texture, a color, the dance of light,
an assemblage of natural elements. Nature shares a moment of marvel. It invites us to slow down, appreciate and be aware how it
all connects with each of us.

I want my art to be encouragement to step outside and discover the endless wonderment of our natural world. We too often
surround ourselves with ourself, oblivious to a world of amazing environments, some tiny and some expansive, brimming with
living stories. No matter how many times I’ve walked the same forested path, I always discover something new.
Take to the woods.

Emily Kaelin

She earned a BFA from Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Denver, CO in 2008, as well as an MFA from Burren College of Art in County Clare, Ireland in 2011. She has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally for over 15 years, especially in her hometown of Cincinnati, where she worked actively in the local underground art and music scene for well over a decade, participating in and well as curating numerous exhibitions and events. In addition, she has worked as a painting instructor and art educator for over 10 years.  

Specializing in painting, mixed media, sculpture, installation, and sound, Emily creates work deeply inspired by the beauty and chaos of the natural world. With painting being one of her central foci, she has created countless paintings exploring the aesthetic, emotional, and spiritual sublimity of nature and its myriad lifeforms. Honing her skills through numerous painting studies focused on forests she has visited, as well as on her favorite animals (ranging from peacocks to insects to deep-sea bristleworms), she further expands and adapts this research into surreal, abstracted, and expressionistic visions. Evoking the organic complexity of the natural world, and manifested through vivid colors, sensuous mark-making, and lush details, these pieces are enigmatic, compelling, and intensely emotive – thus creating an open window – which beckons the viewer to enter their strange yet alluring realms.  

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