James Hartman

Garden Still Life, Oil Painting

2023

Artist Comments
Artist James Hartman paints a still life of vibrant potted plants on a garden table with an expressionist approach. The warm orange tones against the cool shades of blue make for a complementary balance. He includes objects from his studio and garden to interact with the lively elements of the composition. “Some things get moved or removed and give room for a new change and finished resolution,” shares James.

About the Artist
When James Hartman was in art school, he became fascinated with the Society of Six, a group of artists who painted en plein air (outdoors) and exhibited together in the San Francisco Bay Area during the early 20th Century. James's paintings of the Northern California landscape pay tribute to some of the great Bay Area artists of the past. His expressive scenes feel alive through his vibrant use of color and his painterly brushwork. James’s paintings have an immediate visual impact from a distance, yet up close, dissolve into a series of confident marks and strokes. There is a simultaneous complexity and steadiness in his flattened, color-blocked planes. Knowledge and observation are essential elements of James’s working practice. To this end, he spends a large proportion of his time painting on location. His body of work captures the fresh and sunlit essence of the coastal California hills.

Words that describe this painting: Matisse, still life, garden, oilpaint, oranges, outdoor, pot, rosemary, plants, table, glass, bottles, lemon, expressionism, diningroom, expressionism, still life, oil painting, blue

Garden Still Life
James Hartman
Oil painting on stretched canvas
Finished black edges
Ready to hang
One-of-a-kind
Signed on back
2023
37 in. h x 42 in. w x 1.5 in. d
4 lbs. 2 oz.