Title: Echoes of the Dolomites: The Sands of Change
Artist: Laura Bernardeschi Nelson
Year: 2025
Medium: Mixed Media on Stretched Canvas (80 x 60 cm)
Price £1200
Description:
Echoes of the Dolomites: The Sands of Change is a deeply personal and thought-provoking mixed-media artwork by Laura Bernardeschi Nelson. With a rich tapestry of textures and materials, Laura captures the profound shift in the landscapes she once cherished. Growing up spending summers in the Dolomites, her connection to the mountains runs deep. These majestic peaks, once covered in lush grass, towering trees, and pristine snow, have transformed. Now, they are blanketed with sand and soil, a symbol of the changing climate that she witnessed firsthand in her youth.
Laura’s unique technique combines acrylics, gesso, glue, and ground coffee, imbuing the mountains and river with a tactile, almost geological texture. Real rocks, with their breaks and pores, are embedded into the canvas, adding a striking realism to the depiction of nature’s erosion. The sky above, painted using a mix of gesso, acrylics, glue, and beach sand found on a walk along the Northumberland coast, captures the ever-changing essence of the earth. Seaweed and sand, glued directly onto the surface, bring a sense of the world’s fragility and the impact of human actions on the environment.
This artwork reflects not only Laura’s childhood memories but also her urgent message about climate change. The once-glorious mountains, now barren and desolate, stand as a warning—humanity’s disregard for the planet is pushing the natural world towards extinction. The river that once flowed freely at the base of the mountains now dwindles, a silent testimony to the consequences of environmental neglect.
Signed front and back by the artist, Echoes of the Dolomites is a compelling piece that invites viewers to reflect on the delicate balance of nature and our role in its preservation.
Laura Bernardeschi Nelson artworld and travels 