©2025 Angela Greene
Please do not use image without permission from the artist.
40″ x 30″
Oil on Canvas
In Collaboration with Geoffrey Siemering, Outreach Specialist, UW-Madison
Growing up in San Diego, I have witnessed California’s relentless struggle with drought and wildfires. This year, as flames once again engulfed the land, I felt the same heartbreak I’ve known for years. The repeated phrase—not enough water to fight the fires—echoed like a haunting refrain, unchanged after 24 years.
In my painting, I use fabric as a landscape, its folds forming small pools of water to symbolize the state’s inescapable drought. As an oil painter drawn to realism and the fluidity of fabric, I find it a perfect medium to represent land without distraction. My work aims to evoke thought—how can a planet covered in 71% water still leave California parched? This piece is my love letter to my hometown, a visual narrative of urgency and awareness. I create to make people think, feel, and remember—because some stories deserve to make an impact that is unforgettable.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Hi, my name is Angela Greene and I am an oil painter and ceramicist. I was born and raised in San Diego California. My creative journey started at my performing arts middle school and there I experienced my first art class and my love for drawing, which quickly progressed into painting. Years down the road, I attended San Diego Mesa community college where I gravitated towards charcoal art and was introduced to acrylic and a variety of other mediums. It wasn’t until I moved to Racine, Wisconsin and began my journey at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside that I was introduced to oil paint and I completely fell in love. I find inspiration from the greats such as Michelangelo, Caravaggio, and many more. It is always my goal to incorporate feelings of comfort, nostalgia, and emotion in everything I create. I’m looking forward to more artistic challenges in the future.
Instagram: @classastudio25
ABOUT THE WATER PARTNER
Geoff Siemering’s work focuses on investigating the behavior of a wide range of contaminants in soil, water, and sediment as well as human health risk assessment to inform the development of environmental regulation. Previously studied contaminants include: pesticides (aquatic and terrestrial), potential toxic metals (lead, uranium, and chromium), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrate, and radionuclides. The research that inspired this artwork is a National Geographic-funded collaboration with scientists from Duke University, the University of Southern California, the University of Arizona, Columbia University, and Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica investigated mercury contamination of the Peruvian Amazon ecosystem from artisanal small-scale gold mining.
MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH SUPPORT FROM
