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"Autumn Weaver" is one of the smallest oils in a new series of paintings influenced by The Hudson River School, a mid-19th century American art movement embodied by a group of landscape painters whose aesthetic vision was influenced by romanticism.
This new series was inspired by an afternoon at the Chicago Art Institute, admiring and studying the work of Albert Bierstadt., and others. Those painters focused on the realistic and detailed aspect of the landscape, my work is focusing on the landscape / nature abstracted. The Hudson River School paintings reflected three themes of America in the 19th century: discovery, exploration, and settlement. The paintings also depict the American landscape as a pastoral setting, where human beings and nature coexist peacefully. These painters shared a reverence for America's natural beauty with American writers such as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. As both a certified yoga instructor and Reiki healer, I enjoy sharing nature poems during the" savasana" or relaxation part of the yoga classes that I teach in Chicago.
For the past 5 years I have been developing my own no pesticide, butterfly, honey bee, hummingbird garden. I draw flashes of inspiration from both gardening and my mountain bike rides, hikes in the forest preserve by my home.
On a technical level I am exploring the use of some old master glazing techniques to create the luminosity in these pieces.
According to Eastern philosophy the painted landscape is spiritually restorative even when actual visits to nature are impossible.
Today it is becoming increasingly difficult for the urban public to connect with the sacred realm of nature to find psychological comfort. It is my intent that my abstract landscape paintings can act as sanctuaries for the urban public reminding the viewer to respect and care for the environment and to observe each marvelous moment.
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| Autumn Weaver 18 x 24 @ Fine Line Design Gallery, WI Save Oct. 2 & 3 Ravenswood Art Walk Studio Open House |
Copyright ©2010 by Tracy Lynn Pristas. Site by Fianchetto
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