Rob Van Hoek

Tall Trees

2025

The artist applies the underpainting in approximately five to six layers, building a rich texture of brushstrokes that adds depth and atmosphere to the work. Although this process is...

Floating landscapes (interdimensional maps) I use the word landscape in a broad sense that encompasses internal and external perceptions, but not necessarily what is visible. The lan...

"Willow Shadows at Chenequa" is an original pastel drawing on canson paper by Peggy Leonard. The artist signed the piece lower left. It depicts a row of willow trees with deep shadows. The artist used variations of green and blue. 12 3/4" x 19 1/2" art 18 3/4" x 26" frame Peggy Leonard received her BFA in painting and drawing and an associate’s degree in nursing from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She is both a registered nurse, and accomplished artist, residing in Milwaukee, WI. From the artist: “These paintings are my prayers,” muses Leonard, reflecting on her driving need to express herself through her art. “We are made of the stuff that requires us to respond with our hearts and hands. Often, it requires terrible sacrifice and suffering, something not everyone can understand. But it is done with reverence of life, not irreverence.” Leonard’s pastels and oil paintings capture her reverence of life and reflect her own life’s journey, including earlier forays into the wilderness. Her venture into art began in early childhood, as childless neighbors nurtured her natural ability to draw; concurrently, Leonard’s parents instilled a respect for academic excellence and the higher order of nurturing others. As a young nurse, Leonard “heard and saw poignant messages to travel while one was young and free…while one had one’s health.” Consequently, she took to the open road and public lands, camping across America for months at a time. During these years, her “celebration of the natural splendor of this country” helped shape her sense of artistic expression. She was moved by such sights as the sunset on St. Mary’s Lake...

Mood. Riga. 1979. Oil on cardboard, 69.5 x 48 cm Artwork published in Japanese catalog This depiction of trees shows artist Laimdots Murnieks as a master of nature representation. ...