Artist Elizabeth Fontaine-Barr invites you to step into her colorful fantasy landscapes and experience the dynamic energy and serenity of nature. View more of her work by visiting her website.
“Purple Graze” Acrylic, 24” x 24”
As a young girl I knew I wanted to be an artist. I graduated from college with a major in painting and no clue as to how to make a living at it. I did some freelance commercial art and bounced around in various “creative fields” for a while, then stopped making art completely.
“Convergence” Acrylic, 48” x 24”
It was a thirty-year hiatus! When my one and only child entered high school, I knew I better fill that soon “off to college” void with my other passion—painting. Not surprisingly, the staring at a blank canvas fear was still there but I did get my “art eyes” back and the joy of painting came flowing in.
“Drifting on By” Acrylic, 36” x 36”
I also discovered I’m a social painter. I love to be around other artists as we create, critique and support each other.
“Forest Waltz” Acrylic, 30” x 24”
I love to paint landscapes and consider myself a modern expressionist. My muses are the Fauvists so my color palette is bold. It always has been. When I begin a new canvas, I’m not always sure what I’m going to paint.
“On The Way” Acrylic, 48” x 24”
I start moving paint around (I call it scumbling) usually in warm/hot colors. Then I try to see or feel what might be presenting itself to me. Sometimes I use a travel photo or an image torn from a magazine to trigger my landscape scene.
“Orange Trees” Acrylic, 24” x 24”
Trees are almost always present. They are a strong connection for me to this beautiful earth. I then put the photo away because if I keep looking at the image, my painting becomes tight and unemotional.
“Something Unpredictable” Acrylic, 36” x 36”
By not looking at the photo, the process of painting what I “see” stops and my self-expressive imagination takes over, transforming the painting into a place not seen before. At this point the painting starts to paint itself.
“Sunrise Sanctuary” Acrylic, 40” x 40”
Trusting this balance feels like a delicate dance with my intuition and skill level. I must be sure the values move the eye around the canvas, the colors work together and a pleasant tension is created between energy and peacefulness. That push/pull tension is what is exciting to me in a painting. It is not formulaic and can happen in a variety of ways.
“Tranquil Reflection” Acrylic, 48” x 24”
The end goal (I hope) is to lure you in with a desire to get closer and get “lost in the view.” That emotion of getting lost in the view and drinking in the beauty is my experience when I’m looking at and immersing myself in nature.
“Castle Coast” Acrylic, 24” x 24”
This experience is always an intimate one and difficult to describe so I strive to translate that emotion onto my canvas.
Artist Elizabeth Fontaine-Barr invites you to follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
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