San Francisco - Art

Artist Comments
I used my finger tips to apply many layers of translucent cool colors in oil and wax. There is a softly calm feeling to the quiet distance of the winter trees in the background while one sturdy pine comes forth. Hints of apricot and lavender glow from beneath misty layers. My choice in this color palette lends itself to any season's decor, inspired by Wolf Kahn. The edges of this piece are natural wood. This piece is wired to hang.

About the Artist
Valerie Berkely uses her finger tips as brushes to create her abstract paintings. For Valerie, the art is all about the process, the paint, her mood, and the moment. She admires the artist Wolf Kahn, who once said, “the picture is the conclusion of an experiment in which the hint of an image becomes actuality." Like Kahn, Valerie’s paintings combine pictorial landscapes with painterly abstraction. The vibrant primary colors capture the hues of the sun rising and setting, and the texture of her fingers across the surface divides sea, land, and sky. There is something very dreamy about these works, exemplified by their color, texture, and atmospheric quality. Valerie’s first “art epiphany” was seeing Seurat's La Grande Jatte at the Art Institute of Chicago. “Bowled me over! I actually fell down. And I knew I was to become a painter.”

Words that describe this painting: Impressionism, Wolf Kahn, transparent, translucent, layers, abstract landscape, oil, wax, finger painting, impressionism, landscape, representational, oil painting, purple

Trees In Winter...

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Small-scale floral portrait with nice presence. The flower's white petals flow across the composition. The deep green and blue backdrop draw the eye and build...

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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...

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As waves break on shore, a sailboat heads out to sea under the early morning sky. A series of oil glazes were used to ...

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This painting is part of Tatiana Iliina's latest series, Abstract Landscapes. Each artwork presents a stunning view with bold colors and often multiple planes...

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"Tivona" means lover of nature. Nature inspires all of my work, but I saved the title for this one. It is a large, colorful abstract. Fluid acrylics were poured onto a horizontal canvas.

About the Artist
Krispen Spencer...

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Patricia set up her easel at one of her favorite spots along the American River and painted a small study of the early morning scene. Then she went back to he...

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This portrait depicts a woman looking back against a night sky and a sea of wildflowers. Wearing an ambivalent expression, there is an unknown quality to the ...

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A bright day in the high desert plains. Pastel yellow, pink and blue balanced with the earthy tones of the landscape. "Landscapes when viewed in the open plai...

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A misty dawn over a western prairie, the yellow grasses and dark foliage contrast suggesting a sunny day to come. Part of Nancy's si...

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A classic, soft focus view of a small stream flowing through the woods. "On a summer day, when the sun hits the golden leaves and a nice cool breeze moves abo...

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A quiet, peaceful meadow near Lime Ridge on Mt. Diablo in California. Catherine explains that at one time, this area was bustling with mining activity. She fo...

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A minimalist, playful take on the Bermuda Triangle. Part of John's newest series of mixed media works meticulously hand cut fr...

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An original culinary-themed still life created in the realist tradition. "I got the urge to paint golden delicious apples, so my wife and I picked up some at ...

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Janet Hamilton created this modern abstract based on a rainy day. "The rainy day offers such a motivational feeling when I paint," says Janet. "I love how it...

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Patricia set up her easel on an early fall morning to catch the beauty of the fog rising off of the river. The sun was just beginnin...

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Patricia describes this painting as a "three color separation blended into one." She says she worked to create balance between the sections to impart a soothi...

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"A tranquil setting for a picnic or an early afternoon nap," says Patricia. The eucalyptus trees create a frame for the pond, the mid-ground bushes and the di...

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A spring garden scene, done in a loose and spontaneous watercolor style. Bright hues of yellow, pink and purple splash about the green foliage. Part of Karin'...

Artist Comments
After a flight back and forth across the country, Janine's exploration in her studio started with a playful mixing of colors directly on the canvas. A shape emerged in that process that she chose to repeat and then incorporate with a series of glazes. Stepping back and looking at the result, the image reminded her of those hours spent moving through the clouds to finally find herself back home.

About the Artist
Janine’s abstract artworks are created with measured doses of both intuition and analysis. “My work develops as a series of calls and responses,” she says. She adds color, letting gravity pull the paint around. She then responds to the direction of the composition with additional marks, adding and subtracting. The incorporation of recognizable forms, specifically letters and numbers, indicates the influences of Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg on Janine’s work. Janine is also inspired by listening to jazz music. She is a musician herself, and plays in a local Zimbabwean marimba ensemble when she’s not painting.

Words that describe this painting: abstract, dreamy, clouds, abstract, non-representational, modern , acrylic painting, blue

Night...

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Symbols of home and family juxtaposed with adventure, discovery and flight are re-occurring themes in Candice's work. A hummingbird boldly flies away from its...

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The delicate features of the woman are accentuated as she peers into a bamboo-like pattern of contrasting muted whites and grays. Skin tones pop against the h...

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While the artist painted this scene from life, the aroma of lavender filled the studio. "The atmosphere seemed to calm the storms of the day," Pamela recalls....

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Building up many layers of color in oil paint and cold wax medium, Valerie then used scrapers to reveal the tree trunks in an abstract landscape. Warm orange and yellow trees standing in front of a cool blue and green background. Heavy texture complements the expressionist palette. The piece is part of a series of three works. Although Valerie did not create them as triptych, the three hang well close together.

About the Artist
Valerie Berkely...

Artist Comments
Jay Jensen explains of this lush scene, "I visited the Gettysburg battlefield in April and the timing was perfect. In that part of the country, there are lots of flowering trees, particularly dogwood and a pink flower producing variety called redbud, and they were peaking on Little Round Top...

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A stand of trees on a hill overlooking a pond during a sunny day with blue skies. The scene is framed with a deep red abstraction characterized by a very thic...

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A view of the tide coming in near the artist's home. "When the tide is out, there is a lot more beach and a lot less water," Teresa says. "A calm painting wit...

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"Aura of Orange" was painted from life alla prima style, meaning all in one sitting. Pamela enjoys painting at an energetic pace, which gives her work a loose...