EVERYTHING FROM THE EARTH

Wildlife and nature artist Jon Ching shifts his imagination toward the wonders of gems and minerals

- ALYSSA M. TIDWELL

The moment you look at a Jon Ching painting, a feeling akin to magic overcomes you. And not just because of the wonders of nature he depicts, but the ways in which he uses his imagination to combine them-tropical birds with feathers of honeycomb and crests of vibrant blooms, jellyfish whose tendrils transform into hydrangeas, or a seahorse sprouting branches of newly budding leaves. In Ching's work, feathers become flower petals, tail fins become flames and fur becomes fungi.

Ching grew up on the island of O'ahu, Hawaii. Like most kids, he didn't fully grasp the innate beauty of his home growing up. Only after a perspective shift, moving to California for college, did he start to realize how special Hawaii was-and by extension, his love of the wider world of nature grew exponentially. "Leaving and learning more about Hawaii's nature as an adult helps me see things with fresh eyes. It makes me want to go back and explore, especially the outer islands where there's more preserved land. As kids, we don't have context," he reflects.

"When I first started diving into nature, it was totally new to me. Once I opened the door, I realized there were endless things to learn....I did my best to understand and teach myself biology as much as I could," says the artist. "These days, because I'm morphing [my subjects] a lot of the time, I'm not worried about getting all of the specific traits correct... But when I do endangered species, I really try to stay true to their biology. I look at their natural habitats, their diets, where they fit into their ecosystems."