Lisa Elley

Napa Valley with Monet, Oil Painting

2020

Artist Comments
"This piece is inspired by the difficult traverse of a dramatic, jagged ridgeline," says artist Crystal DiPietro. A high vantage point offers an expansive view of veined mountains. The sun's rays glow golden on one side while cool shadows of purple fall between the deep crevices. "Despite its rugged appearance, the ridge seemed to have a harmonic rhythm."

About the Artist
Many artists work with the landscape, but Crystal DiPietro sees her works as different from most in the genre. "I tend not to see landscapes as soft and pretty, but as rugged, dramatic and colorful." Many of her works depict wild storms and moody sunsets. She spends a lot of time in remote spots and uses layers of color to create her compositions. Her work hovers between a brief impression of a scene and a pure dream. Crystal's landscapes of southern Utah seem to undulate and continuously change. What's interesting, though, is that these mountains and valleys seem to do the same thing in person. In these areas, the view changes constantly throughout the day as the light shifts, throwing shadows of faces, mazes and alien patterns across the cliff faces. Crystal impressively captures what's there, and what seems to be but isn't.

Words that describe this painting: ridge, ridgeline, mountains, desert, southwest, west, western, southwestern, viewpoint, impressionism, sunlight, shadow, oilpaint, landscape, impressionism, landscape, western, oil painting, yellow

The Brute...

Artist Comments
"For a few brief moments on the south rim, the morning sun lights up the canyon walls like neon while casting blue shadows into its depths," says artist Cryst...