Abstract Impressionist Paintings

Artist Comments
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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As the sun rises, golden hues of peach and soft shades of blue illuminate the pond. Artist Gail Greene paints this restorative moment capturing the quiet and ...

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Artist Lisa Elley displays an impression of a breezy coastal seascape on a beautiful summer's day. She draws inspiration from one of her plein air painting tr...

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Artist Suren Nersisyan depicts saguaro cactuses in the deserts of Arizona standing under the hot sun. Their large fleshy stems stretch up to the sky thriving ...

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Artist Pat Doherty displays colorful macarons on a pedestal plate next to an arrangement of pink and orange roses. A dainty blue st...

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Artist Doug Cosbie offers a peaceful view of an Amish dwelling during the summer. A well-trodden dirt road leads up to a wooden garage where a trusty tractor is parked for the day. "Traditional Amish homes have a distinct angular look," says Doug. "Its metal roof, white paint, green window shades epitomize the simple life they have chosen."

About the Artist
Artist Doug Cosbie presents the vibrancy found in nature with his impressionist, rural architecture centered artwork. Longing to create something that connects with people, Cosbie spent countless years perfecting how he portrays the world on canvas. Within his journey, he studied as an apprentice in the studios of Sam Black and Jack Shadbolt. As a plein air artist, Doug's studio is a portable pochade box...

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A dramatic winter scene of an aspen forest in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, outside of Santa Fe. "There is an amazing point during a snowstorm as clouds are...

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Inspired by the views of her annual trips to Northern New Mexico, artist Heather Foster recreates this scene on canvas. She displays an ethereal sky with lila...

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Suren travels extensively, seeking out unique compositions in the neighborhoods, architecture and nature he encounters. For Suren, it is important for him to ...

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Artist Suren Nersisyan painted this impressionist coastal scene en plein on the beach in Malibu, California. He says his focus was on the color and texture of...

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Artist Heather Foster displays a calm landscape of Northern New Mexico. Three bulls line up in the center of the grassy field in front of a breathtaking view ...

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"This painting was inspired by beautiful Vernazza, one of my favorite villages of Cinque Terre," shares artist Oksana Johnson. "On a bright sunny day, Vernazz...

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Red wildflowers line the Pacific Coast in this sunny scene of the Monterey Bay in California. Artist Lisa Elley says she is greatly inspired by Monet's work, ...

Artist Comments
Artist Judy Mackey shares her joy in painting US flags. In this piece, the flag is painted at a stationary position set against an abstracted blue background....