See some of the larger paintings in this exhibition at this link.

The paintings in On Nature's Terms are contemplations of special places where nature dominates.

"Wilderness" aptly described most of the world from time immemorial. In the last two hundred years, the balance of nature and culture has changed, and instead of dwarfing human-altered landscapes, truly wild lands are now reduced to special areas dotting the map. Still, those large and small oases of wild nature remain vibrant, if smaller, worlds.

Fifty years have passed since the Wilderness Act of 1964 was signed into law, protecting the wildest remaining lands in the United States. This exhibition celebrates the places preserved by that law – places that thrive not by dint of industry and scientific progress but by the forces of nature alone, protected from significant human intrusion.

Thomas Paquette's paintings in On Nature's Terms were inspired by his journeys to federal wilderness areas all across the country. The great diversity and vitality of environments that comprise the National Wilderness Preservation System – from southwest canyons and high peaks, east and west seashores, to lowland swamps and deserts – are reflected in these gouache and oil paintings.. Subjects include Okefenokee Swamp in the south to Boundary Waters Canoe Area in the north, and other wilderness areas from New Hampshire to California, including places in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Wyoming.

On Nature's Terms is a tribute to the effort of protecting some lands forever as wild, a gift of heritage.

See some of the major paintings in this exhibition
See installation views of the exhibition at the Quick Center
See the catalogue online or buy a printed 40-page catalogue from Eyeful Press or Amazon or at the museums.
See a review of the show from the Santa Barbara News-Press
See a preview/interview about the show in the Erie Times News
Hear a radio interview on Buffalo's NPR news station WBFO