James Hartman More Art
California painter James Hartman was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1950. He studied art at Meramec College. When Hartman was in art school, he became fascinated with the Society of Six, a group of artists who painted en plein air and exhibited together in the San Francisco Bay Area during the early 20th century. Hartman's paintings of the Northern California landscape pay tribute to some of the great Bay Area artists of the past. His expressive scenes feel alive through his vibrant use of color and his painterly brushwork. Hartman’s paintings have an immediate visual impact from a distance, yet up close, dissolve into a series of confident marks and strokes. Hartman has participated in numerous shows throughout the Bay Area and his paintings are now included in collections both private and corporate internationally.
Artist Comments
Artist James Hartman captures the meeting point of the Berkeley Marina and San Francisco Bay in this expressive California landscape. A favorite Bay Area spot t...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
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Vases and pots support an array of textured wildflowers, standing out against a rich, dark background. A freeform stripe pattern on the tablecloth adds rhythm a...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
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A dirt path cuts between a golden field and the San Francisco Bay, leading to the rolling hills in the distance. Vibrant colors bring warmth to the scenery. Art...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist James Hartman More Art
Encaustic
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A trail winds through trees, drawing the eye toward distant water. Verdant lands emerge in the distance while pale violet hills glow under a peach-hued sky. Art...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
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Artist James Hartman created this summer still life using the Zorn palette. Named after the Swedish artist Anders Zorn, the limited palette consists of just f...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Impressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
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A cradled panel is laid with vintage sewing tissues as a mordant to adhere the beeswax. I did an underpainting in ink then used a prismatic palette to lead th...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist James Hartman More Art
Encaustic
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Fiery trees tower over a path that opens up to a sparkling hidden beach. Artist James Hartman rendered this piece by first creating his own cradled panel. He ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist James Hartman More Art
Encaustic
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A vibrant encaustic on wood painted with oil over a collage of antique ephemera. Artist James Hartman portrays a colorful stil...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist James Hartman More Art
Encaustic
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Artist James Hartman says this tranquil landscape was inspired by a stay at these cabins at the edge of Clear Lake in northern California. While there, he com...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Impressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
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Artist James Hartman draws inspiration from the experience of seeing sunlit colors and details appearing through the strong vertical tree pattern. He expresses the painting sections to appear like stained glass. James highlights small areas where collaged 100-year-old paper show through the surface, he does this in a non-disruptive way. James applies heat to fuse the oils into a mixture of beeswax and damar crystals to seal the work.
About the Artist
When James Hartman was in art school, he became fascinated with the Society of Six, a group of artists who painted en plein air (outdoors) and exhibited together in the San Francisco Bay Area during the early 20th Century. James's paintings of the Northern California landscape pay tribute to some of the great Bay Area artists of the past. His expressive scenes feel alive through his vibrant use of color and his painterly brushwork. James’s paintings have an immediate visual impact from a distance, yet up close, dissolve into a series of confident marks and strokes. There is a simultaneous complexity and steadiness in his flattened, color-blocked planes. Knowledge and observation are essential elements of James’s working practice. To this end, he spends a large proportion of his time painting on location. His body of work captures the fresh and sunlit essence of the coastal California hills.
Words that describe this painting: expressionism, encaustic, beeswax, collage, antique ephemera...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist James Hartman More Art
Encaustic
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Artist James Hartman began this painting by creating texture with homemade tools. He envisioned standing at the edge of the woods, looking through to an indistinct light. The oil colors were allowed to drip and settle into the textured surface, enhancing depth and movement, while his tools helped define the landscape in a way that captures shifting light.
About the Artist
When James Hartman was in art school, he became fascinated with the Society of Six, a group of artists who painted en plein air (outdoors) and exhibited together in the San Francisco Bay Area during the early 20th Century. James's paintings of the Northern California landscape pay tribute to some of the great Bay Area artists of the past. His expressive scenes feel alive through his vibrant use of color and his painterly brushwork. James’s paintings have an immediate visual impact from a distance, yet up close, dissolve into a series of confident marks and strokes. There is a simultaneous complexity and steadiness in his flattened, color-blocked planes. Knowledge and observation are essential elements of James’s working practice. To this end, he spends a large proportion of his time painting on location. His body of work captures the fresh and sunlit essence of the coastal California hills.
Words that describe this painting: trees, texture, bright, woods, sunlight, panoramic, forest...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
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This encaustic painting blends the elements of still life and seascape, portraying a table set up of rosé against the backdrop of a tranquil bay. The composi...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary James Hartman More Art
Encaustic
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
2010s Expressionist James Hartman More Art
Fabric, Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Realist James Hartman More Art
Panel, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Photorealist James Hartman More Art
Canvas, Oil
Early 20th Century Impressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
Early 20th Century Impressionist James Hartman More Art
Canvas, Oil
1930s Expressionist James Hartman More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Impressionist James Hartman More Art
Canvas, Oil
Ian BertolucciSpongebob- Original Still life hyper realism oil paintings- Contemporary Artwork, 2025
2010s Expressionist James Hartman More Art
Linen, Oil
Late 19th Century Realist James Hartman More Art
Oil, Board
2010s Expressionist James Hartman More Art
Wood, Maple, Screen
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Artist James Hartman displays an enchanting view of Mt. Diablo in the Bay Area. A path opens between a grove of trees leading into the tall mountains. James represents the different natural elements of the composition in a vibrant color palette. Painted en plein air, James says of the medium, "I like using oils for their buttery consistency."
About the Artist
When James Hartman was in art school, he became fascinated with the Society of Six...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist James Hartman combines a vibrant still life with a view of the San Franciso Bay and the Berkeley hills in a captivating encaustic piece. Created on a cradled panel, James utilizes a collage of antique ephemera...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Impressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
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Old growth trees cast soft pinkish-purple shadows on a golden Northern California hillside. "This heavily textured painting has a wonderful transparent earth ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
When asked about his process, artist James Hartman shares, "I painted this from memory, incorporating seasonal fruit as a compositional device." James works o...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist James Hartman captured the rolling green landscape near his home in the San Francisco Bay Area. He stitched together farmland and grassy hillsides in a...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Impressionist James Hartman More Art
Encaustic
Artist Comments
James Hartman searches for the essence of form in nature. In this sunlit landscape, he distills the trees and hills into soft, welcoming shapes that engage the imagination. He says this particular mountain vista in the Bay Area has been a source of inspiration for generations of artists. "I have painted in this spot several times and always find something different to paint," says James.
About the Artist
When James Hartman was in art school, he became fascinated with the Society of Six, a group of artists who painted en plein air (outdoors) and exhibited together in the San Francisco Bay Area during the early 20th Century. James's paintings of the Northern California landscape pay tribute to some of the great Bay Area artists of the past. His expressive scenes feel alive through his vibrant use of color and his painterly brushwork. James’s paintings have an immediate visual impact from a distance, yet up close, dissolve into a series of confident marks and strokes. There is a simultaneous complexity and steadiness in his flattened, color-blocked planes. Knowledge and observation are essential elements of James’s working practice. To this end, he spends a large proportion of his time painting on location. His body of work captures the fresh and sunlit essence of the coastal California hills.
Words that describe this painting: abstract, modern, landscape, California, Bay Area, mountain, Mt Diablo, trees, hillside, nature, outdoors, plein air, impressionism, nature, non-representational, oil painting, green, yellow
Mount Diablo...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Impressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
The colors coming through the trees give a suggestion of stained glass.
About the Artist
When James Hartman was in art school, he became fascinated with the Society of Six, a group of artists who painted en plein air (outdoors) and exhibited together in the San Francisco Bay Area during the early 20th Century. James's paintings of the Northern California landscape pay tribute to some of the great Bay Area artists of the past. His expressive scenes feel alive through his vibrant use of color and his painterly brushwork. James’s paintings have an immediate visual impact from a distance, yet up close, dissolve into a series of confident marks and strokes. There is a simultaneous complexity and steadiness in his flattened, color-blocked planes. Knowledge and observation are essential elements of James’s working practice. To this end, he spends a large proportion of his time painting on location. His body of work captures the fresh and sunlit essence of the coastal California hills.
Saratoga Live Oaks...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Impressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
I am inspired to paint ordinary objects as compositional elements like many painters since Chardin. My goal is to get the shapes and colors to work together a...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Impressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
This artwork was joyfully created exclusively for the 2018 UGallery Ornamental Artworks Collection. Each painting comes gift-wrapped and includes a petite eas...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
This artwork was joyfully created exclusively for the 2018 UGallery Ornamental Artworks Collection. Each painting comes gift-wrapped and includes a petite eas...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist James Hartman More Art
Oil
