During this time of year I like to reflect upon and
appreciate all the blessings in my life (...also eat a lot of carbs and watch TV
marathons). But lately I've been dwelling on how lucky we are to have so much
amazing art created and inspired by the American landscape. I would have no
problem filling hundreds--thousands!--of pages of landscape paintings from East
Coast to West that remind me of "home" in the broadest sense.
I could start with landscape artist Frederic Edwin Church.
He traveled throughout the Americas, creating works of art that make me want
to stay outdoors forever. Twilight in the
Wilderness is one of my favorite landscape paintings and captures the
natural beauty of America without being a depiction of a specific place.
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| Twilight in the Wilderness by Frederic Edwin Church, oil painting, 1860. |
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O'Keeffe's landscape
art of New Mexico made such an impression on me when I first saw it that, in a
way, it now defines that region for me more than the actual landscape does. The
artist was inspired by nature and yet took that into a completely new place,
visually speaking; making works that give a sense of the landscape but also bring
to mind ideas about vastness, loneliness, and beauty.
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| Grey Hills Painted Red by Georgia O'Keeffe, oil painting, 1930. |
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Ruscha's roadside gas stations make me a little bit envious
because they are of a time and place I never got to see--when taking to the road
was an adventure and meant freedom and independence, not the rage-filled grind
of today. I also love the graphic, slick, Pop qualities of Ruscha's work--how he
can make a gas station feel like it is larger than life with a few diagonal
lines, though he simultaneously shows the homage to be a bit absurd as well.
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| Standard Station by Ed Ruscha, oil painting, 1966. |
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California through David Hockney's eyes is a composite of a
lovely urban jungle. His swimming pool paintings give a sense of the West Coast that isn't all glamour and glitz, although he does
show off those elements through the bright colors and modern architecture that
fills his landscape paintings--and yet there is an introspective quality to the
paintings that sometimes goes unsung.
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| Portrait of Nick Wilder by David Hockney, acrylic painting, 1966. |
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Each of these artists has become iconic in American art and
their landscape paintings offer unique and one-of-a-kind views of the places
they were inspired by and called home.
American
Artist is where you can read about such artists' work in detail and
discover more about how rich and varied our artistic landscape really is, all
the while learning tips and methods that can help you hone your own paintings.
Enjoy your subscription!
P.S.
What artist or painting that is quintessentially "American" comes to mind for
you? Leave a comment and let me know!