J. Michael Kennedy

Carolina on My Mind

2019

Artist Comments
Beautiful spring blossom in a rural area. Lilac and apple trees are highlighted under the light of the spring sun. I used thick ...

Artist Comments
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 Teresa Smith displays a picturesque impressionist landscape of Aspen groves. "Autumn is here," declares Teresa. The leaves slowly turn a crisp, bright yellow. The sunny fall day along the shoreline brings inspiration from its vivid colors.

About the Artist
Teresa Smith captures the soul of the west coast landscape in her contemplative oil paintings. Teresa gathers impressions of the land around her remote island home on horseback rides accompanied by her Irish wolfhound. Her works capture the light coming through the trees, a richness of color, and the interconnectedness of nature. Her subjects emerge through lyrical brushwork, sometimes with light streaming as if through a stained glass window. Her major influences are Georgia O’Keeffe, Emily Carr, and the Canadian Group of Seven, the latter of whom pioneered a distinctive style defined by a direct connection with nature. In addition to painting, Teresa is a master gardener, and she grows food year-round in her garden and volunteers in the community to educate and diagnose plant problems. She works from her studio on the top floor of a barn overlooking the pond and trees, where deer walk by and ducks swim. According to Teresa, "much of today’s art is based on concept. That is, the artist has an idea, then uses their art to educate and inform. I do contemplative painting, which is different. For me, it is allowing the painting to unfold in a contemplative or meditative way."

Words that describe this painting: landscape, Tom Thomson...

Artist Comments
Artist Melissa Gannon paints a lush landscape at the height of fall. The carpeted grassland transitions into the forest canopies. Vibrant hues of yellow progress into orange and red in the autumnal terrain. Melissa displays...