Foreign Vistas

Inspired by landscapes in many international locations, these artists present their work and share their technique. Click on each name to visit the artist’s website.

 

 

Carolynne Fromme

Santorini is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I painted this just before sunset. Sunsets are taken very seriously in Santorini, and the view warrants it.

 

 

Cattie Coyle

I found this beautiful boat on the island of Gotland in Sweden. It fit so perfectly with its surroundings, and added an even more serene feeling to the landscape. This is a digital photograph.

 

 

Godwin Cassar

Venice is an enchanting place to paint. Its colorful vistas across the water make it a unique city with architecture that is so varied and yet so complementary.

 

 

Roxanne Mapp

This picture was taken on a visit to Store Bay, Tobago. Inspired by the architectural shapes, texture, colors and lines, I use my photography as reference for creating abstract, colorful art.

 

 

Fiona Hind

Sometimes I see a landscape, and I just want to paint it. The feeling can be instant or over a time, and it can become overwhelming and a personal challenge to capture it, such as the beach at North Uist, Scotland.

 

 

Mary Morganelli

Upon my return to my homeland, I planned a visit Portofino, Italy, and was amazed with all the small and large boats, yachts, and sailboats in the port. I’m inspired with exquisite scenery and using vibrant colors, I convey the mood and open all minds to my imagination.

 

 

John Webb

Looking and seeing inspires me so I always carry sketchbooks; these generate paintings.  But I prefer to paint on site to retain immediacy of sketches. Subjects include notable buildings, urban scenes, stunning land and seascapes. This is the Lindisfarne Causeway at low tide in Northumberland, England.

 

 

Theresa Otteson

I went to the Zugspitz, Germany’s highest mountain, while on holiday in Bavaria. I loved the division of the warm colors in the sun at the bottom of the scene and the cool blues in the shadows at the top. There is no way to recreate the feel and look of vastness that was in front of me, but I could make small changes to create a sense of distance and draw the eye of the viewer into the painting.

 

 

Victoria Veedell

I was inspired while an artist in residence at Gullkistan in Iceland. I created many oil paintings interpreting the constantly changing weather reflecting on the lake outside my studio window.

 

 

Mark Hilsden

The magical and dramatic Tianzi Mountains, Hunan Province, China, shrouded in drifting mist inspired James Cameron’s film Avatar. Painted in acrylics using brushes and palette knife, creating a 3D effect.

 

 

Joy Makon

Done from a summer watercolor workshop trip to Mont Saint Michel, in France. I took numerous photographs of the iconic landmark but none affected me as strongly as this view from a few miles away: the drama of the mountain, the beautifully landscaped field of Queen Anne’s Lace, the softness of the sea-level sky and light.

 

 

Alice Briggs

From a photograph taken in Umbria, Italy. In a town square with most buildings connected, this one intrigued me as it stood alone. It was created in mixed media in layers for added depth.

 

 

Ruth Soller

Summer Palace Beijing is a historical wonder in China. Dragon boats pass Seventeen Arch Bridge crossing Kunming Lake to Longevity Hill. Scattering Clouds Gate leads to Buddhist and Tibetan temples. Inspired by this challenge, I designed a Modernist Chinese painting.

 

 

Sue Henderson

Tuscan bedroom view. Waking at sunrise in the Chianti region of central Italy, I was greeted with this glorious view of the olive groves and vineyard.

 

 

Marion Webber 

“Blue Wood 1” is referenced from a park in Vancouver, BC, Canada. It is painted in an Impressionistic style with some underlying Renaissance techniques. I wanted to capture the rich cool colors of winter on the Pacific West Coast.

 

 

Dorothy Berry-Lound

A photograph taken at Nyhavn Harbour in Copehagen, Denmark, colours have been enriched and texture added digitally. The contrast of the wooden boats with the local architecture caught my eye.

 

Jasmine Alexander

“Villafranca” is an oil on canvas. This image is a memory from when I lived in Spain. The vineyard in Penedes, Catalonian wine country, is full of history, warmth, creativity, and a dash of magic.

 

 

Carole Elliott

My favourite early morning view at Caves Beach, NSW, Australia, using moulding paste to form the rockface, a palette knife and brush to add colour, in acrylic on canvas.

 

 

Grace McKee

This beautiful river is in the Kruger National Park in South Africa. The colours of the sandbanks, vegetation and the reflected sky inspired the painting. Painted in oils, mostly with a palette knife.

 

 

Eva Polak

I was inspired by the light as well as subtle and dramatic changes of the endlessly shifting rhythms of the sea. Wattle Bay is one of the inner city’s west coast beaches in Auckland, New Zealand. I used a horizontal panning technique and a slow shutter speed to achieve the painterly look.

 

 

Jill Banks

In Italy, you witness the locals engaged in conversation everywhere. “Market Day” is about that. My palette is limited to accentuate the light/shadow and ancient setting of San Gimignano.

 

 

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