Nature has a way of bringing out some of the best creativity a person can have. I have to admit that I am not a very artistic person, but I love taking photos of nature, animals, insects and flowers.

Often times, I have to download thousands of photos from my phone because I quickly run out of space. I am also not very good at taking photos of people; that’s why I may have three photos of people on my phone, and the rest are of the outdoors. Of course, that’s why I am able to provide so many nature photos for my articles.

If you are on Instagram or Facebook, I have been sharing some of my photos that I have taken in and around Hurley Park on our new social media pages. I have to say that some of the weather we have been having has made some of the photos quite unique.

Having said that, I believe I have shared what I think may be the only artistic piece I have. But, the purpose of this article is to tell you how nature and more specifically, Hurley Park, can inspire all types of artists, even novice ones, and of course to invite you to the Opening Reception of “The Language of Nature” at the Waterworks Visual Arts Center on Friday, Feb. 16 from 6-8 p.m.

Twenty-five artists have been inspired by the nature at Hurley Park, and created 40 works of art featuring digital photography, paintings, mixed media and even sculptures. This will be the first program followed by two additional events later this year, all of them involving nature and Hurley Park.

If you need more evidence or another reason to attend the exhibition, take it from some famous artists that are inspired by nature such as Mozart, who preferred to compose in the open air of a garden. Or one of my favorite artists, Claude Monet, whose painting, Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies could literally be a mirror image of the bridges in Hurley Park.

Although Monet is not on the list of artists on exhibition, here are some on display: Don Moore, Carolyn Blackman, Mikel Frank, Rebecca Little, Sean Meyers and Celeste Ward, to name a few.

Be sure to come visit the park and the exhibition at Waterworks Visual Arts Center, 123 E. Liberty St., on Friday, Feb. 16 from 6-8 p.m.

For more information on the exhibit, visit Waterworks’ website at: http://www.waterworks.org/ or call 704-636-1882. If you would like more information about Hurley Park, please call or email me at 704-638-4459 or danelle.cutting@salisburync.gov