Abstract Impressionist Art

Artist Comments
"Monet's Garden in Giverny, France - just a delightful train ride outside of Paris - never fails to inspire artists just as it was intended to do when it was ...

Artist Comments
"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...

Artist Comments
An impressionist view inspired by the Great Lakes of North America by artist Valerie Berkely. Using her fingers, Valerie forms a gentle rendering of crashing ...

Artist Comments
"I have always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon - and as a result have fantasized painting them too," says artist James Nyika. "When I created this paintin...

Artist Comments
A young girl sits at a park on a late summer's day in August, lost in a story of a compelling book. The strong afternoon sunlight highlights her hair and back. "I saw this girl sitting by the reflecting pool in Washington, DC", shares artist Faye Vander Veer. "I wanted the painting to be about her, so I obscured surrounding details and kept the brushwork loose. What was her story, what was she reading?”

About the Artist
Artist Faye Vander Veer seeks out moments with engaging narratives and captures them with an impressionist style. She describes herself as an observer of people living their day-to-day lives. Her goal is to offer viewers a look into her sensory memory while also prompting the beginning of a story. Faye always keeps her camera by her side, ready to capture reference material. "For me, each painting is an opportunity to explore my emotional reactions to the color and light I observe," says Faye. She enjoys being in her glass-walled studio surrounded by nature to inspire her creative process. When she is not putting paint on canvas, Faye can be found in nature, journaling or writing poetry. Her artwork has been showcased in both American Art Collector and Art of the West magazines.

Words that describe this painting: figure, figurative, female, woman, girl, impressionism, impressionist, water, book, Manet, Degas, people, park, book, hair, impressionism, people, oil painting, brown

Young Girl Reading...

Artist Comments
Artist Faye Vander Veer depicts a late afternoon at a cafe in Rome. Understanding design, value, and color harmony, Faye demonstrates these with keen attention to detail. "You first notice the waiter carefully placing crystal wine glasses on the table," shares Faye. "Then leading to the lady in blue...

Artist Comments
With an undertone of cool colors, artist Janet Dyer presents a serene composition of summer in Provence, France. Lush greene...

Artist Comments
"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...

Artist Comments
"I spend all summer long at my studio on a big lake," shares artist Valerie Berkely, "and the shoreline is often a favorite subject. In this piece, I first ap...

Artist Comments
The Smithsonian Castle in Washington, DC on a bright summer afternoon. The brilliant green lawn and trees in the foreground ...

Artist Comments
"This girl was posing for me on a trip to visit a ranch in Pagosa Springs, Colorado," shares artist Heather Foster. "She looked, to me, as if she was wearing black knee socks...

Artist Comments
A divided path in a forest preserve near artist Suzanne Massion's studio in rural Illinois. She captured the cool autumn day, punctuated with gold, ocher and warm yellows against the purple shadows along the pathway. The location is a favorite subject for Suzanne, and she often walks there for inspiration at different times of the year. "Baseball great Yogi Berra...