Abstract Impressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Artist Comments
"Bright as a light!" exclaims artist James Nyika. Taking inspiration from a quietly crowded pantheon in Rome, James captures the delightful scene brightly lit under the sun. "When I arrived at this location, I found the square and the sky so beautifully lit by the light of the day. And with very few people around, you could see a lot of the bases of the columns. I wanted to capture the warmth of the sun as it evaporates any lingering dew and 'crispness' of the air."

About the Artist
Artist James Nyika paints the glowing atmosphere of cities across the world. As a child growing up in Kenya, he found art materials at the student bookshop and also borrowed just about every art history volume from the British Council library in Nairobi. "I checked out the same books over and over just to stare at the art, to try and understand how it was created," says James. With family encouragement to study engineering, James moved to the U.S. and immersed himself in science studies at Boston University. Several years after embarking on a tech career, he set a goal to create at least one painting a week, never throwing away any works and learning as much as possible in his off hours. Today, James still balances his full-time career designing large software systems with his prolific output as a painter. "Painting is a great antidote to the regularity of a computing profession and I really value it for the uncertainty that it brings - something frowned upon when writing code."

Words that describe this painting: Pantheon, Rome, monument, columns, tourists, sunlit, sunlight, building, architecture, travel, facade, impressionism, paper, watercolor, architecture, impressionism, travel, watercolor painting, beige

Morning at the Pantheon...

Artist Comments
Artist Judy Mudd takes inspiration from a journey through the lush countryside. She offers a captivating view of the bright field and a rural farmstead surround...

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Artist Catherine McCargar can't help but be charmed by California's expansive vineyards. Often taking inspiration from the rich and verdant views as she lives in easy travel distance to many of them. In this piece, Catherine offers the viewers a perspective from within a vineyard. Rows and rows of grapevines cover the landscape and nearby trees border the edge adding fiery touches to the scene. Painting the piece in an impressionistic style, Catherine uses deep shadows that highlight autumn light drawing the viewer in to see what she sees.

About the Artist
Impressionist Catherine McCargar expresses her deep admiration of nature through landscape paintings of Northern California. While she is well-versed in a range of media, her preferred medium for painting is watercolor. The fluidity of the paint allows her to capture the muted undertones and the fleeting light found in the natural world. While the backgrounds of her paintings are impressionistic, the foregrounds of her paintings are often highly detailed, showcasing her technical mastery over her medium.

Words that describe this painting: landscape, vineyard, grapes, nature, autumn, fall, season, California, wine country, impressionism, farm, plants, watercolor, paper, travel, impressionism, landscape, travel, watercolor painting, green

November in the Vineyard...

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Artist Catherine McCargar enjoys living in Northern California with the wine country of the Bay Area within easy reach. "I found the softly rolling hills of p...

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Artist Catherine McCargar explores the tranquility of still waters and deep shadows in this peaceful coastal landscape. The sun's rays shine on the greenery wit...

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Artist Jill Poyerd captures a peaceful landscape with snow-covered mountains emerging from a haze. Painting with soft and neutral tones, Jill conveys the feeling of calm tranquility with her delicate brushwork. "I kept the elements to a minimum in order to accentuate the openness of the valley and increase the strength of the mountain range...

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Artist Catherine McCargar finds inspiration from a row of colorful kayaks while on an outing to Tomales Bay in California. "I was captivated by the rainbow colo...

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"Mt. Diablo has many faces," says artist Catherine McCargar. "It can be seen from afar and up close." In this painting, Catherine captured the scene by standing...

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Trees dot a grassy landscape under a clear blue sky. Captured by the shadows cast by a lone tree, artist Catherine McCargar painted this peaceful scene on a late California summer morning. The purple and lavender shades contrast and complement the golden glow of the morning sun. Catherine employed an impressionist style to simplify the subject matter, yet her brushwork on the foreground grasses is intricately detailed.

About the Artist
Impressionist Catherine McCargar expresses her deep admiration of nature through landscape paintings of Northern California. While she is well-versed in a range of media, her preferred medium for painting is watercolor. The fluidity of the paint allows her to capture the muted undertones and the fleeting light found in the natural world. While the backgrounds of her paintings are impressionistic, the foregrounds of her paintings are often highly detailed, showcasing her technical mastery over her medium.

Words that describe this painting: landscape, field, trees, impressionism, shadow, sunlight, summer, sky, watercolor, paper, morning, impressionism, landscape, watercolor painting, green

New Day Dawning...

Artist Comments
Part of artist Judy Mudd's marine collection, her inspiration comes from numerous trips to the coast. Judy captures the brilliant sunset as it colors the sky above a lighthouse. "I was intrigued by the sweeping clouds and the backlighting from the sun that reflected on the water," says Judy. As such, she felt it would create a visually striking painting.

About the Artist
For Judy Mudd, creating a work of art means much more than simply reproducing something she sees. “It is more than painting a subject, it is expressing a feeling,” she explains. Judy develops her paintings with thorough reconnaissance work. She goes out on photo shoots in a variety of atmospheric conditions, sketches outdoors, takes notes, and completes color and value studies. From there, back in the studio, she lets the paintbrush guide her. Outside of painting, Judy also leads watercolor workshops and runs a real estate business with her husband.

Words that describe this painting: paper, impressionism, marine, lighthouse, ocean, Thomas Point...

Artist Comments
"Istanbul is a city of contradiction and beauty. But nothing compares to its wonderful architecture by the water," says artist James Nyika. "The old Constantino...

Artist Comments
"Restaurant Julii is a wonderful new fixture on the Washington, DC landscape," says artist James Nyika. "I was strolling the neighborhood and came across this b...

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"Vibrance, and soul, are the words I would use to express Tokyo on a warm night," shares artist James Nyika. "It is lit completely and has an audible pulse! W...

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Artist Patricia Prendergast depicts a popular fishing spot along the American River in Sacramento, California. "There were actually many fishermen there when I ...

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Painted from a photographic reference, artist Joanie Ford rendered this painting with contrasting soft tones. "I wanted to represen...

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Cool air blows as the sun radiates warmth into the atmosphere. The early morning light glows from behind a stretch of mountains in the far distance. "I find t...

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A tranquil scene from a stretch on the American River in Sacramento, California. Artist Patricia Prendergast painted this piece by enlarging a smaller plein a...

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Softly painted narcissus blooms form a bouquet of fresh fluorescence. "I painted this piece while taking part in an online demo with IranSheen," says artist F...

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Narcissus is a holy flower for artist Fatemeh Kian. "I painted this with love and passion," she shares. An elegant composition with a delicate balance of oran...

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Light seeps between voluminous flowing clouds. A cool wind blows ruffling leaves from tall trees while birds fly away to the distance. "I find that getting aw...

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Emerald grasses sprawl into the distance of an open landscape. A peaceful scene as the sun rises. Trees stretch into the gradient sky drawing the eye to a flock of birds flying free. "I find that getting away to the country offers a quiet and peace that lends itself to times of reflection and meditation," shares artist Posey Gaines.

About the Artist
Using flowing watercolors, artist Posey Gaines creates atmospheric, high-contrast landscapes developed mostly from intuition. He often starts a piece by simply putting paint to paper and then decides on the elements to bring the composition together. He draws on memories of places he has lived and reference photos taken on road trips to arrive at the final serene and eye-catching view. Posey says that from a young age artistic inspiration has touched everything he's done in life. He plays the piano, the guitar and the bass guitar, writes poetry and wrote a book. Posey first discovered watercolor in the 1970s while auditing art classes at East Central College near his home. Over the years, he's honed his skills attending workshops and watching DVDs. Today, he enjoys painting from a tidy home studio while listening to music. True to his well-rounded personality, when he’s not making art, he works as a web developer.

Words that describe this painting: landscape, morning, sunrise, nature, quiet, hike, sky, clouds, desert...

Artist Comments
"Getting away to the country offers a quiet and peaceful moment," says artist Posey Gaines. "It lends itself to times of reflection and meditation." Posey pai...

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"Main street is the heart of any town," says artist James Nyika. "It is where you go to get your name known!" James captures this extensive view from the main...

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Artist Judy Mudd captures a unique perspective on one of her signature rural landscapes, representing a grand old barn from the rear of the property. She uses...

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"Everyone has a favorite place in nature to visit," says artist Joanie Ford. "This is reminiscent of one of my favorite places. I w...

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Artist Joanie Ford started this piece with a carefully drawn and detailed image. "I had been to similar places in my life, and as I...

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"Mount Diablo is a majestic presence throughout California's Bay Area," says artist Catherine McCargar. In this painting, she capt...

Artist Comments
"I have always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon - and as a result have fantasized painting them too," says artist James Nyika. "When I created this paintin...