Abstract Impressionist Art

Artist Comments
Artist Yangzi Xu depicts an iconic view of LaSalle Street in Chicago, facing south from the bridge. She rendered this piece in a warm muted palette, setting the stage to highlight sporadic lights and reflections on wet concrete. "My focus was to convey the mood and feeling a rainy day brings to my beloved city," shares Yangzi.

About the Artist
Artist Yangzi Xu captures a nostalgia for Chicago and its dramatic seasonal changes in her expressionist cityscapes. Having a full-time job and being a wife and mother, Yangzi makes a habit of painting everyday to keep her passion exciting and fresh. She keeps a queue of ideas and reference photos that she takes throughout the year. She looks through her references, tweaks and adds elements to them. Once inspiration strikes, Yangzi draws several sketches and begins to work with oils on canvas on multiple pieces at once - to keep each painting spontaneous and new. "I try to capture the paradox of life in the city, where one can be in a crowd and yet feel alone," Yangzi says. "My main intent is not to capture the physical reality of a scene, but to express my own moods and feelings to my audience." In her free time, Yangzi enjoys reading, with her current favorite genres being biographies and memoirs. Yangzi is an alumnus of DePaul University in Chicago.

Words that describe this painting: Chicago, La Salle...

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Artist Joanie Ford created this painting from her references of Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona. "I included the springtime trees from my imagination to add...

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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 Catherine McCargar based this painting off of a plein air piece she created while standing in the middle of this walking path and horse trail. "I had t...

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Artist George Peebles presents a beautiful palm tree overlooking warm waters. The leaves mesmerizingly sway along the gentle gusts of wind. The tropical setti...

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An open porch welcomes the morning breeze and the warm sunrise. Artist Onelio Marrero recreates the setting from a bed and breakfast inn called "Angel of The Sea" in Cape May...

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A young boy and his dog walk along the a sunny shore in artist Sally Adams's tranquil piece. "Lake Michigan is a beautiful but very...

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Artist Nicole Lamothe creates a simple yet striking composition of velvety red roses in a clear glass vase. A single petal falls to the table, directing the e...

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Artist Benjamin Thomas shows a sunny beach with softly crashing waves on the dark sand. Three Amish sisters enjoy a stroll on the receding water with their ba...

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Artist Jo Galang displays a magical woodland path illuminated by the sun. "Walking through the woods is one thing I always look forward to," says Jo. She paints the sun peeking through the trees, leaving speckled patches of sunlight on the ground. It creates beautiful patterns of light and shadow that make the piece all the more captivating and exciting.

About the Artist
Artist Jo Galang expresses a quiet nostalgia in her airy interpretations of the landscapes and waterways of the Pacific Northwest. Her soft oil paintings capture the meditative sounds of rivers and waterfalls flowing past her easel. During the summer, she spends as much time as possible outside creating plein air sketches and studying the light on the landscape. As a young art student in the Philippines, Jo was privileged to study with the renowned painter Danilo Dalena, who she says encouraged her to be the artist she is today. "I believe my art looks simple enough that people have no idea how much time I have spent working on it," she says. When she is not painting, Jo and her husband enjoy taking road trips, playing cards and finding creative ways to spend time with their granddaughter.

Words that describe this painting: ferns, foliage, forest, leaves, moss, nature, plants, sunlight, summer, trees, vegetation, woods, impressionism, oilpaint, impressionism, nature, oil painting, green

Chasing the Light...

Artist Comments
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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Artist Onelio Marrero paints a portion of a woodland river, referencing his favorite spot near his home. Combinations of robust strokes and palette knife appl...