Brooke Jacobe - Treks and Texts

Two weeks ago, our class took a trip to the Amon G. Carter Museum, and I am just now sitting down to reflect on it. Walking through the gallery, I was struck by how landscape paintings can capture a single, fleeting moment in nature and hold it still. Even though we were indoors, the artwork created a sense of space and quiet that felt surprisingly similar to being outside. There was something grounding about standing in front of a scene that had been carefully observed and preserved. As the class moved from painting to painting, I noticed that I naturally slowed down and took in each piece. The paintings felt lie reminders that moments in nature are easy to miss if we are always moving or distracted. Today, like most people, every time I come across a beautiful landscape my first instinct is to pull out my phone and snap a quick picture. Back when these pieces were created, capturing a landscape require time, patience, talent, and dedication. You really had to sit with it. This differ...

This past weekend, I spent time with my friends at Lake Travis in Austin, Texas. Even though it was February, Friday greeted us with beautiful sunshine that made it feel like summer had arrived early. The sky was clear, the air was warm, and somehow a few of us even ended up with sunburns. It felt amazing to have that kind of weather in the middle of winter. Saturday told a completely different story. We woke up to dark clouds and steady rain that lasted through most of the day. The lake looked gray and dramatic, and everything felt slower and quieter. Around 4 PM, the heavy rain rolled in, yet the sun began shining through at the same time. Rain continued to fall while golden light broke through the clouds. The sky felt alive. The clouds moved quickly across the horizon, and by 6 PM the storm began to clear just enough for the sun to fully emerge. What followed was one of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen in a long time. We all walked down to the boat dock to watch it together. T...