Abstract Impressionist More Art

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"On December 21st, 2020 I witnessed the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn," shares artist Elizabeth Garat. "Astronomers said these planets hadn't appear...

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"I used artistic license to ramp up the expression of color in this piece in an effort to enhance the feeling for the viewer," explains artist Jill Poyerd. "T...

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A thickly textured palette knife painting of an old saguaro cactus standing against a blooming spring desert backdrop. "This painting was inspired by the incredible Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California," shares artist Lisa Elley. "It's where the Colorado and Mojave Deserts collide with amazing vistas and dazzling flowers."

About the Artist
Working almost exclusively with a palette knife, Lisa Elley maneuvers her artistic blade with an uncanny fluidity. Why paint only with the knife? She says, "when I paint with a brush, which I do occasionally, I tend to focus on the detail. With a palette knife I can't focus on the detail too much, so my paintings are looser, and more gestural, with bigger sweeps and strokes." This technique is called wet-on-wet. And it seems to be quite popular, as she has been bestowed the title "Knife Queen" by her facebook fans. Fun fact: Lisa's high school art teacher told her to study harder at math, as a career in art was "impossible."

Words that describe this painting: desert, Mojave, flowers, floral, spring, cactus, sun, mountains, sky, landscape, California, Joshua Tree, impressionism, landscape, western, representational, oil painting, purple

Desert Bloom...

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A vibrant still life featuring a colorful patterned vase with lush greens and flora by artist Claudia Verciani. "This still life was done in my studio with a high contrast light above to depict shadows and light," explains Claudia. Bright blue lines...

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The bare branches and textured grasses in this piece were painted mostly with a palette knife, giving it the broken, wild feeling of nature. In addition to th...

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Artist Catherine McCargar paints a classic white house perched on top of a hill. Lush greenery circles the delightful scene. She depicts serene surroundings r...

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Artist John Jaster paints an impressionistic painting of two White Mandarin ducks. He displays them with their reflections swirling in the water. With intrica...

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While visiting Paris a few years ago, Faye was inspired by the way the late afternoon sunlight cast its long shadows across this busy street corner. "The warm...

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A puddled hillside path reflects the sky's brilliant light just after an afternoon shower. The light gives the fall trees a soft backlit appearance. "I love t...

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Artist Elizabeth Garat developed this impressionist landscape after a summer hike through the rolling hills of Southern California. She says it was a warm day beneath a dynamic sky. "I wanted to record the striking balance between the golden hill in the foreground and the deep blue mountains behind it."

About the Artist
Growing up in California and Colorado, Elizabeth spent much of her formative years outdoors. “Exposure to nature early on planted the seed of landscape painting in me,” she says. She enjoyed spending time on her grandfather’s sunny sheep ranch and going to the beach with her grandmother. Her grandmother also would bring her to art galleries in Laguna Beach, where she was first introduced to California Impressionism. Today, Elizabeth lives in Tennessee and enjoys painting both outdoors and in her studio, a detached garage at her home. She has a keen interest in working with color and capturing the effects of light.

Words that describe this painting: impressionistic, California, summer, landscape, hills, mountains, trees, clouds, sky , impressionism, landscape, representational, oil painting, blue

Santa Ana...

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A dreamy still life of peach and white roses, a gold-rimmed teacup, and a red candle. "Edges, edges, edges," says artist Lisa Nielsen. "The longer I paint the...

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The rear arbor and limestone pond of a historic mansion in Ringwood located in northern New Jersey. On the upper tier of the arb...

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"Spring is a wonderful time to paint flowers," says artist Oksana Johnson. "Everything is blooming and the colors all around are inspiring. In this compositio...

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"When starting a work the most overlooked detail is the size of the canvas," says artist Benjamin Thomas. He explains why the size of his canvases has recentl...

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Artist Janet Dyer depicts a burning glow of the setting sun slowly sinking below a snow-covered horizon. Its warmth dusts the clouds a pink hue as the night s...

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In this painting, Pamela used a technique known as Contre-jour, where she backlit the figure. The strong light behind the young man creates a nice contrast be...

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This painting was inspired by a beautiful winter scene. Western mountains spotted with evergreen trees and banks of snow depict a ...

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Artist Elizabeth Garat paints a dramatic view of the sky above the vast ocean's choppy waters and distant coastal islands. The brilliant rays of the sun illum...

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"The inland hill country of Northern California is ideal for raising and riding horses," says artist Catherine McCargar. "This is my impression of a scene at a local ranch that captures both an up-close view of iconic beaver-tail cactus, and a glimpse of the surrounding rolling and distant hills." Catherine infused the scene with bright midday sun and the quiet, welcoming atmosphere of the landscape.

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, hills, plants, cactus, ranch, mountains, nature, country, impressionism, Northern California, prickly pear, western, impressionism, nature, western, representational, acrylic painting, green

Horse Country...

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In Sunrise at Malibu, I wanted to capture the rich plum silhouettes of the Santa Monica mountains just after dawn. On clear days after the sun rises, the cap...

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Pamela Blaies was inspired by a little slice of light shining into her studio late one afternoon while she was cleaning up for the day. The illuminated stash ...

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A grove of trees in the middle of a plowed field provided the inspiration for this western landscape painting. This piece is on a gallery wrapped canvas with finished black edges. It comes ready to hang.

About the Artist
Nancy Merkle;s process begins with a glimpse of color, a flicker of light, a pattern, or a texture. Elements swirl in her mind for hours, sometimes days, sometimes weeks before a design clicks and is transferred to canvas. With the canvas in front of her, she works intuitively -- a mark here, a mark there, a little touch of color, a bit of texture -- until she is satisfied and declares the work finished. Currently Nancy;s work leans toward abstraction; she doesn't paint the world as it is, but as she wishes it were. Bold colors and loose brush strokes are her goal. When she;s not making art, Nancy travels the Pacific Coast with a bicycle strapped to the car and curiosity in my back pocket. Fun Fact: Nancy lived in Alaska until she was five. She had bison in the backyard, bears at the landfill, and a moose who stopped by once in a while to look for sweet grass...

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Naoko describes this vibrant scene as a walled garden where all kinds of herbs and medieval plants are in full bloom. The sun shines brightly, illuminating th...

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This impressionist rendition of a narrow ravine is the first piece in artist Onelio Marrero's series that explores the terrain and geology of northwestern New...

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Artist John Jaster presents a vibrant still-life of delectable fruits and dainty daisies. Luscious red apples and plump strawberries sparkle on the deep gray ...

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Artist Crystal DiPietro shares a spectacular mountain desert view from a camping and hiking trip to the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Rendered en plein air, Crystal captured the sierra's golden summit as the sun sets, its rays melting into the west. "The late afternoon light lit up the dramatic peaks with a warm glow."

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: mountains, desert, peaks, sunset, landscape, southwest, west, western, plein air, Mojave, Joshua Tree, shadow, impressionism, oilpaint, impressionism, landscape, western, oil painting, blue

Sunset Glow...

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A young woman takes time out from the busy world to stop and sit on the grass and read her book. "I noticed her sitting in the cool green grass, feeling the warm sun on her back," says artist Faye Vander Veer. "Her red bike...

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Colorful autumn grasses light up this mountain hillside. Part of Nancy's signature series of nature scenes. She spends a lot of tim...

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While the artist painted this scene from life, the aroma of lavender filled the studio. "The atmosphere seemed to calm the storms of the day," Pamela recalls....

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"This is a loosely painted scene based on a visit to a ranch in Stanley, New Mexico," shares artist Heather Foster. "I think they thought I was going to feed them. Sometimes a group of cattle will see me and run away like they imagine I'm thinking about burgers. But this group was curious and started towards me, with the ones in the distance moving at a quick pace, worried that they might miss out on something. Then we just paused & looked at each other for a bit." Heather captured the moment with her painting vividly portraying the scene. The cattle stand with inquisitive gazes before her. A bright underpainting shows through exemplifying the heat of the day and the amusing instance.

About the Artist
Artist Heather Foster captures an enduring image of the West. She paints the dramatic landscapes and stalwart animals she encounters on her adventures to ranches and rodeos. Heather says she has always known she wanted to be an artist. As a child, she spent her weekends and summers riding the bus into Philadelphia to attend art classes at Philadelphia College of Art, Moore College of Art, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Over the years, she's moved around the country quite a bit and done many jobs - everything from driving a pedicab (a giant tricycle that transports passengers) to art restoration and conservation (for one project, she unstretched and then restretched a $17 million painting that would not fit through the door of the buyer's house). The one constant though, no matter where she lived or what side jobs she held, she always made space and time to paint. Today, she works from a home studio in Santa Fe, painting from thousands of reference photographs she shoots on her travels. Her artwork has been featured in the magazines Southwest Art, American Art Collector, and Western Art Collector, and published in the books Art Journey New Mexico and The Book of the Horse.

Words that describe this painting: ranch, cattle, cow, herd, animal, western, country, countryside, panoramic, New Mexico, impressionism, animals, landscape, western, acrylic painting, purple

Gathering on the Plains...

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"The winter season highlights the houses and farms by accenting everything with snow," says artist Brian McCarty. Amongst the crisp winter landscape, a three-story barn stands prominently. A trail makes its way towards the edge of the structure's door and continues to carve its path to an unseen destination. "The reds on country barns become that much more colorful when surrounded by snow."

About the Artist

Words that describe this painting: country, country life, farm, farmhouse, rural, barn, building, architecture, windows, door, winter, snow, trees...

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Part of artist Marie-Eve Champagne's series exploring coastal life and memories. She paints a large growth of cacti near a beach reminiscent of hot summers an...

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A scene from heritage dairy and traditional crop farms located north of Frederick, Maryland. Artist Doug Cosbie painted the structures in oil, based on a plei...

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A cluster of pink hydrangeas arranged in a clear rounded vase in full bloom. Artist Nicole Lamothe painted this piece in alla-pr...

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This painting is about combining realism, abstraction, color, spontaneity - all of the things that I think make for an exciting and engaging piece of art.

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This is an impressionistic painting of light filtering in through cypress trees in a river. The overall hues in the painting are cool blues and greyed violets...

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It's my continuing love affair with the forest. Using contrast, I portray the rose of morning rising from the shadows.

About the Artist
Russian-born Tatiana Iliina lives in Montreal and has sold paintings to collectors all over the world. She works with both abstract and representational compositions, with many pieces falling somewhere in between. Some of Tatiana’s paintings could be interpreted as a landscape or a cityscape, or a non-representational articulation of color, giving the viewer the opportunity to make independent decisions about the work. Her long brushstrokes and painterly style are created using a palette knife, resulting in richly textured canvases. Working in a range of colors from muted grays to bold blues, vibrant purples, and glowing oranges, Tatiana’s portfolio reflects an array of moods while maintaining a focus on her iconic style.

Dawn to...

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A playful scene of four boys getting ready to take their surfboards into the cool summer waters. While contemplating the incoming waves, the sun moves across the sky drawing long shadows on the sand. "This piece reminds me of fun relaxing times at the beach during the summer months," shares artist Claudia Verciani.

About the Artist
Inspired by the great Impressionist painters, Claudia uses paint emotionally to depict the beauty of life. She is most inspired by light, and as such, tends to paint en plein air frequently. Claudia strives to capture singular, transient moments in time in which the contrast between light and dark values are striking. She presents a body of work that conveys traditionally Impressionist influences across varying choices of subject matter.

Words that describe this painting: beach, ocean, boys, play, impressionism, seascape, surf, surfboards, shore, sand, water, waves, children, kids, impressionism, people, seascape, representational, oil painting, blue

Boys of Summer...

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A red barn sits in a spring field surrounded by wildflowers. "This piece has a light and airy feeling," shares artist Kip Decker. Soft brushwork sets the atmo...

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"The inspiration for this painting came from a visit to the Rodin Museum in Paris," says artist Faye Vander Veer. "As a painter, I always get excited when I s...

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"Three geishas walk away from the viewer into a lantern strewn background with various prismatic shapes surrounding the figures," describes artist Mary Pratt....

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A fervent hiker and camper, artist Crystal DiPietro invites the viewer on an adventure of the majestic wilderness of the southwest. "This piece is about stand...

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Artist Faye Vander Veer came across this sunny summer moment while traveling in San Francisco. "I was drawn to the contrast be...

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"The fall colors of the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado are rich with earth tones," says artist Heather Foster. "One of my favorite road trips takes me t...

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Nancy Merkle spends a lot of time exploring the nature around her home in Tacoma, Washington searching for special compositions in the landscape. She looks fo...

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Claudia Verciani painted this impressionist scene after seeing fishing boats in Brazil.

About the Artist
Inspired by the great Impressionist painters, Claudia uses paint emotionally to depict the beauty of life. She is most inspired by light, and as such, tends to paint en plein air frequently. Claudia strives to capture singular, transient moments in time in which the contrast between light and dark values are striking. She presents a body of work that conveys traditionally Impressionist influences across varying choices of subject matter.

Words that describe this painting: impressionism, boats, seascape, harbor, impressionism, seascape, representational, oil painting, blue

Three Amigos...

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The Strait of Juan de Fuca in Washington State provided the inspiration for this semi-abstract landscape painting. A rug...

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This landscape painting was inspired by the coastline of the Strait of Juan de Fuca as it runs along the northern borde...

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Suzanne revisited a site and theme found in a previous work, "Solar Event over Marsh and Fen." However, she changed the tone of this painting to reflect the c...

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Native Americans call the month of February the Hunger Moon. Outside my studio windows, the February sun is hidden behind an overcas...

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This is an original landscape painting created with a palette knife inspired by Bliss Carmen.

About the Artist
Russian-born Tatiana Iliina lives in Montreal and has sold paintings to collectors all over the world. She works with both abstract and representational compositions, with many pieces falling somewhere in between. Some of Tatiana’s paintings could be interpreted as a landscape or a cityscape, or a non-representational articulation of color, giving the viewer the opportunity to make independent decisions about the work. Her long brushstrokes and painterly style are created using a palette knife, resulting in richly textured canvases. Working in a range of colors from muted grays to bold blues, vibrant purples, and glowing oranges, Tatiana’s portfolio reflects an array of moods while maintaining a focus on her iconic style.

As a Dream...

Artist Comments
This painting was inspired by a grove of birch trees on the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, located on Puget Sound in the State of Washington. The reser...

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Inspired by spring gardens in Southern California.

About the Artist
Inspired by the great Impressionist painters, Claudia uses paint emotionally to...