Millerton-based painter Alexis England’s oeuvre always showcases her deep connection to nature; but with her current show—”Nature In Pieces,” now on view at Troutbeck in Amenia—the artist’s work reflects her personal struggle with the state of nature under constant threat from human practices. 

“The paintings in this series contain fractures and feature odd bits, shards, and remnants, reflecting extinction and the profound worry most of us have—now more than ever—for the future of our natural world,” England explains. 

Purposely pale canvases juxtapose the harsh reality, yet evoke precariousness, and though dimmed, elements of nature remain there, pushing through the foggy color schemes, recognizable, damaged, yet still persistent, refusing to be fully silenced, communicating the artist’s cautious hope.

England is a multidisciplinary artist: In addition to painting, in an early chapter of her varied career, she sang professionally, recording and performing with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Mavis Staples, Sergio Mendez, and others. For the last 30 years, England has resided in Millerton with her husband, neurologist Scott Small, where she’s created a flourishing practice painting portraits of canines, in addition to her more personal nature-focused canon. 

“Nature in Pieces,” at Troutbeck through August 31. —troutbeck.com