Nature Vs. Nurture

are we products of nature or nurture? this question has conjured long-standing debate in society; the balance between two competing factors which determine fate: genetics and environment. our nature refers to how genetics influence our individual personality, whereas nurture refers to how our relationships and experiences impacts our development. decades of scientific research has resulted in the belief that nurture, our environment, has a bolder influence into who we are and become over nature, our genetic make-up. Although this may be true, based on scientific research; what can we learn from nature, our outside dwellings and phenomenon we can not describe, to help us become more nurturing to the human existence? nature has an ability to send our minds into deeper thought and our hearts into greater depths of empathy. why is this? how is this? is it nature’s beauty, its indescribable characteristics, its miraculous ability to heal itself and other elements it encounters, or is it its ability to naturally continue to create life. this exhibition is a visual exploration of our life’s life cycle through the eyes of our planet’s nurturer, nature.

Heather Kinsel

Most of my family members are artistic in one way or another. My love of art started in high school, drawing mythical creatures as a past time & painting ceramic figurines. That Artistic ability carried me into being a hairdresser, striving in creative coloring & cuts. I am originally from Lake Charles, LA, my husband Ricky and I moved to Zachary due to Hurricane Laura. In Lake Charles, we opened Stone Koat Kreations Epoxy Countertops. From day 1 of opening we have kept God, Jesus Christ, the center of our business. He has led us to every job either the client needing us in some way or just the opposite. In 2022 I started playing around with Resin Geode Art and fell in love with it. Just as with our business, countertops, I let God’s creativity into my art work. He continues to give me ideas to create some of the most beautiful art I have ever seen or made. He has seen me through so much and brought me to this place in my life, that never in a million years I thought I’d ever be. Only by His grace and faithfulness is why I’m where I am today.

Justin Patin

Justin Patin is a Louisiana artist born and raised in Baton Rouge, with family roots attached to Louisiana’s swamps and bayous. He considers himself more of a painter of light than a photographer. As a painter uses assorted paints and canvas to create work, Justin uses a light attached to a drone as paint, and his canvas is the darkness of night where he paints in lights and shadows into the landscapes. The philosophy originated during his undergraduate tenure at LSU, where he earned a BFA in photography. You can learn more about Justin and his work on his website, roseonestudios.com, or in person at the Elizabethan Gallery, where he is represented locally in Baton Rouge.

Cathy Smart

As a photographic artist, Cathy Smart specializes in landscape, wildlife, travel, and all things Louisiana. Photography for her is a satisfying blend of creativity and craftsmanship through the use of a digital camera and computer editing tools. By being observant and imaginative, she is able to create unique final images that are reflective of her feelings and passions. Cathy loves using her camera to capture those moments which evoke an emotional response in the viewer. Maybe it’s a reminder of a personal memory that brings joy to the heart or gives a sense of peacefulness. She will tell you it is scientifically proven that not only being in nature and the outdoors, but even viewing images of nature and the outdoors can help improve a persons quality of life. It can help to lower blood pressure and cause a person to experience a sense of peacefulness and lower stress. She believes that art in medicine can be used as one tool in the healing process and quality of life we live. Cathy is a Certified Professional Photographer living in Baton Rouge.