American Realist More Art

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Every summer, Jo goes down to the Coquitlam River near her home in British Columbia to enjoy the beautiful green surroundings glowing in the summer heat. "I couldn't resist how inviting this scenery was," she says. "Where I live, summer only lasts about three months, so I put this scene on canvas to enjoy it the whole year through."

About the Artist

Words that describe this painting: nature, water, trees, rocks, river, sunlight, woods, summer, forest, stream, riverbank, nature, realism, representational, oil painting, green

A Moment in Time...

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Two Chinese vases lay on a background of different shades of gray in artist Guigen Zha's piece. The still life references cultural relics from the Song Dynast...

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Working from observation and imagination, artist Nancy Hughes Miller paints an early morning coastal sky. A cloud moves across the ocean as the sunlight casts...

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The area in northwestern New Jersey where the artist lives has a large deer population. This painting is a scene revealing a portion of the yard in the home o...

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Artist Emil Morhardt displays an impressionist portrait of three brown pelicans. The birds sun themselves in the Sea of Cortez against a subtle greenish-blue late afternoon sky. "I hadn't thought about pelicans having a 3D vision like hawks until I was looking over my photos and saw one of the birds staring straight at me," shares Emil. He references his photographs from a National Geographic Zodiac that the pelicans seemed curious about, allowing very close viewing.

About the Artist
Emil Morhardt is an acrylic painter from Santa Barbara, California who expresses his passion for birds through realistic acrylic paintings. He paints at home in a studio room that has large windows and a north-facing view of the mountains. He observes the animals from this window, watching roadrunners, foxes, bobcats, deer, and coyote run by. Surrounded by this wildlife, Emil paints bird portraits reminiscent of those by artist John James Audubon. He bases his paintings off hundreds of photographs he takes of birds in the wild and at wildlife recovery centers. Emil captures the freedom and inquisitiveness that birds display in the natural world. Before painting birds, he painted landscapes of San Francisco and the Eastern Sierra. Emil was raised in the high desert of California and learned to paint from his father, who was one of the early California watercolorists...

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"Hope is the belief that things will work, most especially when it seems otherwise," says artist Jo Galang. "Deep, never wavering hope is what we need to clin...

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In the style of contemporary realism, artist Guigen Zha paints a porcelain vase of Buddha's head. A bouquet of blue lotus flowers blooms in the oriental still life. Succulent dew drops glaze the delicate petals. Guigen conveys the message of hope and peace for good in life.

About the Artist

Words that describe this painting: healing, lotus, belief, still life, floral, poetic, cultural relics, Tang Sancai, oriental, Asian, Chinese, oilpaint, realism, ceramic, flower, vase, budha, head, vertical, tonal, still life, flora, realism, oil painting, grey

The Buddha...

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Artist Nancy Hughes Miller paints a majestic seaward skyline with tinges of periwinkle. Inspired by her time on the coasts of North Carolina, she displays a d...

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Artist Guigen Zha displays an exquisite white lotus in stark focus and realistic detail. The flower flourishes with velvety white petals and tender pink tips....

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Artist Guigen Zha pictures a plump red lotus blooming opposite a developing bud. He paints in his distinct style of realism that pres...

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Artist Jesse Aldana paints a dramatic shoreline view of the Santa Monica Bay. A surfer lines up a final ride as evening deepens under heavy blanket clouds. In...

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The setting is the Corner Deli on Kenmare Street in Soho, New York, across the street from Lt. Petrosino Square. I was interested i...

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"Togetherness is a wonderful place to be, and what better reflects a bond of love," says artist Jeff Fleming. He displays a touching portrait of a golden retriever mom affectionately posing with her puppy. Jeff begins with a pencil sketch and applies paint with his fingers, brushes, and string. He drizzles paint in random strokes to create an energetic composition brimming with splashes of color.

About the Artist
Artist Jeff Fleming uses fingerpainting to create exuberant portraits of dogs. Growing up in Southern California, Jeff was first introduced to fingerpainting in kindergarten. He painted through high school and college and won several art awards, including Best of Show in a city wide student competition. After graduating with a degree in journalism and advertising, he went to work as an art director. For the next 40 years, he created print, radio and television ads for a number of top agencies. "After retiring in 2019, the clouds of stress and pressure cleared and allowed me to set my creative energy free," says Jeff. He began developing new techniques focused on the excitement and energy of painting. Today, he uses a variety of methods and tools, including fingerpainting wearing nitrile gloves...

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Artist Emil Morhardt paints a glaucous-winged gull lifting off Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. He paints the bird splashing the crystalline water in detailed realism. "These big gulls are unafraid of brown bears, dodging between their legs to grab morsels," says Emil. He highlights the piece with a silvery edge reflecting a dazzlingly sunny day.

About the Artist
Emil Morhardt is an acrylic painter from Santa Barbara, California who expresses his passion for birds through realistic acrylic paintings. He paints at home in a studio room that has large windows and a north-facing view of the mountains. He observes the animals from this window, watching roadrunners, foxes, bobcats, deer, and coyote run by. Surrounded by this wildlife, Emil paints bird portraits reminiscent of those by artist John James Audubon. He bases his paintings off hundreds of photographs he takes of birds in the wild and at wildlife recovery centers. Emil captures the freedom and inquisitiveness that birds display in the natural world. Before painting birds, he painted landscapes of San Francisco and the Eastern Sierra. Emil was raised in the high desert of California and learned to paint from his father, who was one of the early California watercolorists...

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Artist Jo Galang paints bright yellow flowers growing in the forest. Abundant green ferns fill the natural surroundings. She demonstrates beauty and splendor ...

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Artist McGarren Flack paints a twix mix cookie on a solid white background. “Who doesn't like sweets?” asks McGarren. In his Sweets series, he draws every...

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Jo encountered this peaceful scene at the edge of a river while on a road trip. "All that green and blue color gives a relaxing feeling after a long day's dri...

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"A late morning on a Malibu beach finds the tide nearly at its peak and the usually broad sands founder in a creamy froth," says artist Jesse Aldana. Sunlight...

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"These raucous birds arrive at my Santa Barbara feeder in flocks," shares artist Emil Morhardt. "They shoo away sparrows and hous...

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Artist Jinny Tomozy presents a realistic still life of vibrant and colorful produce - an intimate look at the gardener's prize. "I can not resist the bounty of a fresh harvest," says Jinny. The saturated hues of the fruits that have been nurtured all summer finally come to reveal themselves. The shine of the plump globes displays a dance of highlights among the gathering.

About the Artist
Artist Jinny Tomozy reveals the most tender aspects of nature through the sculptural forms of flowers. Her strikingly realistic floral watercolors connect us to the familiar emotions we experience in viewing the spectacular or mundane circumstances of this place we call home. "I am captivated by light touching a surface, the nuances of a shadow, interplays of color, and of other complex facets of our visual world," shares Jinny. After twenty-two years as a teacher of foundations in art education and placing her creative aspirations on hold, she now pursues art full-time and spends more of her days painting and creating. Jinny captures tangible feelings of space and time in her studio at Reno Art Works. In this non-profit gallery, a community of eleven artists works in an emerging art...

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"I would describe this still life of tulips as uncommon, novel, and intriguing," says artist Nicole Lamothe. "I was initially attracted to the striped leaves ...

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"A thick layer of clouds begins to loosen its grip on the Malibu coast as the restless autumn sea besets a pier of stone," describes artist Jesse Aldana. Beam...

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A quiet riverside scene, with lush greens and leisurely moving water. Just above the treeline, billowing clouds linger before revealing a soft blue sky. "I fi...

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"The Galapágos hawk (Buteo galapagoensis) is the same genus and size as the North American Red-tailed Hawk, but a little darker," explains artist Emil Morhard...

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Artist Emil Morhardt photographed this goose from a small boat on the Multnomah Channel in Portland, Oregon. "It was serenely paddling along just a few feet a...

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"These two glowing marbled godwits are painted at the edge of the surf on a soft late evening on a Santa Barbara beach," sh...

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Artist Marie-Eve Champagne paints a gold ore on a pale teal background. The subject opposes the contrasting hue, putting each aspect o...

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"This year, late winter brought several cold storm fronts blowing stiffly across the bay," says artist Jesse Aldana. "With them came batteries of color and sh...

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"In this painting, a cold winter storm rolls in from the Pacific," shares artist Jesse Aldana. "The icy blue water and sky are accented with warm notes of clo...

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Artist McGarren Flack paints a frosted snickerdoodle cookie on a solid white background. “Who doesn't like sweets?” asks McGarren. In his Sweets series, h...

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Artist Jesse Aldana displays a picturesque view of a hiking path. He paints a verdant landscape of the track along the tall mountains. Golden light flushes the sky over a springtime creek with clustered willows and reeds. Jesse conveys the feeling of hearing birdsongs and the low thrum of bullfrogs accompanying the trickle of the mountain spring...

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I love these dead pines that overlook the ocean, their texture, the way the branches stretch out like arms and fingers out to the sea, and the alternating li...

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Artist Emil Morhardt depicts an Elegant Tern and a Forster’s Tern hanging together in the winter shallows of the Santa Barbara beach in California. Their evening reflections ripple above the water highlighted in gold, silver, and copper leaf. "While the Elegant Terns show up in huge flocks, the much smaller Forester’s tern is uncommon in Santa Barbara, and so a treat to see."

About the Artist
Emil Morhardt is an acrylic painter from Santa Barbara, California who expresses his passion for birds through realistic acrylic paintings. He paints at home in a studio room that has large windows and a north-facing view of the mountains. He observes the animals from this window, watching roadrunners, foxes, bobcats, deer, and coyote run by. Surrounded by this wildlife, Emil paints bird portraits reminiscent of those by artist John James Audubon. He bases his paintings off hundreds of photographs he takes of birds in the wild and at wildlife recovery centers. Emil captures the freedom and inquisitiveness that birds display in the natural world. Before painting birds, he painted landscapes of San Francisco and the Eastern Sierra. Emil was raised in the high desert of California and learned to paint from his father, who was one of the early California watercolorists...

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"Who knew that Snowy Egrets at the beach hunted beetles?" says artist Emil Morhardt. "This one was stealthily sneaking up on some...

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A hyperrealistic close-up view of an eye surrounded by vibrant red and yellow flowers in full bloom. "The viewer cannot know if the model is a man or woman, a...

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"The still life is simple, but the combination of red and gray gives it sophistication," says artist Nikolay Rizhankov. A well-worn table stands against a muted background with cracks on the wall. A basket, a few apples, and a red mug...

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I've painted this scene a couple of times before. There a lots of dead pines facing the channel that separates the coast of Maine from Grand Manan Island, exc...

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"The two nearer whimbrels look to me," shares artist Emil Morhardt. "They look as though they might be discussing whether or not to let junior fly to Florida ...

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"These two long-billed curlews are gazing at us with an unmistakable curiosity," says artist Emil Morhardt. "Like many shorebirds, when I sat on the beach qui...

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I saw this pair zooming around my house, cawing wildly on some crow mission," says artist Emil Morhardt. "One would think that Common Crows are black, but in ...

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Long-Billed Curlews, some of the largest of the shorebirds, often hang out together, milling around at the edge of the surf, then wading in to feed. I spotted...

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When artist Jo Galang moved to Vancouver many years ago, she and her family settled in the city near Stanley Park. "On frequent visits to the park, we would o...

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A quiet, peaceful meadow near Lime Ridge on Mt. Diablo in California. Catherine explains that at one time, this area was bustling with mining activity. She fo...

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Kent Sullivan draws ideas for paintings from a variety of sources - plein air sessions, photography, videos, memory, and sketches...

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Artist Marie-Eve Champagne features a realistic image of beautiful yellow ore in mesmerizing crystalline clusters. An entry to her series of still-life minera...

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The sky and sea converge in artist Jenn Williamson's arresting panoramic piece. She explores light and darkness, searching for beauty in quiet, unnoticed places, thus creating a spiritual oasis. "I painted this piece during a season of spiritual and personal awakening from a season of trials," shares Jenn. She expresses the peace and tranquility in her soul for which she is genuinely grateful.

About the Artist
Jenn Williamson expertly evokes the scenery of British Columbia in her soft abstract landscapes. She utilizes defining horizontal and vertical strokes, coupled with a skillful handling of color, to create significant depth in each piece. Her paintings, though abstracted, clearly convey the atmospheric attributes of the scene–rain, wind, clouds, fog. Jenn’s muted color palette transports the viewer to the Canadian west coast...

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"Corgis have big ears, big smiles, and have lots of LOVE to share," says artist Jeff Fleming. He displays the two playful canines with endearing grins and sparkling doe eyes. Jeff blends multiple colors and textures, adding depth and character to the composition. He creates dynamic points of interest with finger painting and applying drizzles of color with string.

About the Artist
Artist Jeff Fleming uses fingerpainting to create exuberant portraits of dogs. Growing up in Southern California, Jeff was first introduced to fingerpainting in kindergarten. He painted through high school and college and won several art awards, including Best of Show in a city wide student competition. After graduating with a degree in journalism and advertising, he went to work as an art director. For the next 40 years, he created print, radio and television ads for a number of top agencies. "After retiring in 2019, the clouds of stress and pressure cleared and allowed me to set my creative energy free," says Jeff. He began developing new techniques focused on the excitement and energy of painting. Today, he uses a variety of methods and tools, including fingerpainting wearing nitrile gloves, traditional paint brushes, bamboo shish kebab sticks, kite string, spraypaint and splattering. While working, Jeff always listens to music, including Broadway musicals, dance music and rhythmic Hawaiian tunes.

Words that describe this painting: Corgi, happy, dogs, kinetic impressionism, oilpaint, fun, Iris Scott...

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Artist Marie-Eve Champagne displays a metallic ore on a striking lilac background. The subject opposes the contrasting hue, putting each aspect on display. Th...

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Artist Marie-Eve Champagne shows a realistic depiction of aquamarine crystal clusters on a coral-pink background. The subject opposes the contrasting hue, put...

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Artist McGarren Flack paints a pineapple frosted cookie on a solid white background. “Who doesn't like sweets?” asks McGarren. In his Sweets series, he dr...

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A realistic rendering by artist Emil Morhardt of a calm but vigilant crow on a powerline in the early morning sun. The bird is pa...

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A refreshing basket of juicy red apples after a rainstorm. Raindrops slowly dry under the warm sun as leaves rustle in the cool wind. Artist Nikolay Rizhankov...