Habitats and Pathways is an art exhibition of oil paintings and mixed media works on paper by Austin artist Valerie Fowler. Produced over an eight month period of time, and partly during our recent pandemic lockdown, Fowler has created a dynamic body of work, honoring the everyday natural landscapes surrounding her own local habitat. Inspired by scenes viewed from local hikes and bike rides, and along pathways near the artist’s own home, including Blunn Creek in Travis Heights, Onion Creek Metropolitan Park, and along the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake, she examines deeply the vibrancy of the environment that thrives all around us. Although limited to these particular settings, it was the familiarity that came from repeated visits which enabled the artist to imagine what was percolating, literally and figuratively, below the surface, and create compelling artworks which portray the inherent natural beauty of nature while inviting the viewer to look deeper, and experience a more expansive understanding of our earthly habitat.