Maria Bertrán

"Nelly" Contemporary Impressionist Figure Painting

2024

Maria Bertrán, a painter born in Venezuela who immigrated to the United States in the late 1960s, splits her time between her home in Laguna Beach, California, and her studio in Provence, France. She is a consummate observer — Bertrán finds interesting scenes in street markets, harbors, building facades in populous European villages and elsewhere — and her gestural brushstrokes and daring use of vibrant color bring life to her Impressionistic works as she endeavors to communicate her deep appreciation for her radiant surroundings in her work. 

Bertrán infuses her landscape paintings with her heartfelt response to the beauty of the natural world and to her medium. “For me painting is my happy place, and it is technical but also emotional,” she has said. “It is color and joy, and I hope to share these feelings with as many people as possible through my art.”

Bertrán received her BFA from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, continuing her figurative drawing studies in Paris. In 1980, she settled in Laguna Beach. Pacific Edge Gallery, where a permanent exhibition of her work can be found, has represented the artist since 1987.

Bertrán has a deep love of working with natural light, and she is constantly seeking to capture its essence in her paintings. The artist has traveled extensively and has painted scenes from Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, the South Pacific and the United States. 

Bertrán has had numerous solo exhibitions in locales such as Aspen, Key West, Provence, Stockbridge and New York City. Her work is held in the collection of the Laguna Art Museum in California.

Find original Maria Bertrán landscape paintings, still-life paintings and abstract paintings on 1stDibs.