Originals by contemporary expressionist artist Isabelle Gautier

"Secret de la Mer I",  acrylic on canvas,  36in x 48in 

"Secret de la Mer II",  acrylic on canvas,  36in x 48in

For more info please visite:  www.IsabelleGautierOnline.com    French Contemporary Flair

Large Contemporary Maine landscape painting on canvas by Robert Joyner.

Details About This Maine Artwork

Acrylic on canvas, measures 30" x 30".

Inspiration And Technique Used For This Expressive Landscape Painting

I guess I'm getting very excited about our Maine vacation. I know it's only April, but the end of July is just around the corner and I can't help but paint some expressive Maine scenery. This scene was captured on camera while on vacation several years ago in Stonington, Maine.

After spending a few days trying to paint a large dog portrait commission I was left with several reject canvases that littered the studio floor. This piece was painted over one of those reject dog paintings which is still visible in some areas. Perhaps this will be more visible in the close-ups. I started by establishing the horizon line and a few of the houses in the middle background area. From there I painted the lobster boat in the foreground. These are the main elements so once they were in place it was a matter of using the imagination to fill in the voids.

This is probably one of my favorite Maine paintings to date. I love the impressionist style and the colors. There are few things more satisfying in the studio than taking a reject painting and turning it into a winner.

Close-Up Images So You Can Appreciate The Abstract Qualities And Loose Brushwork

How To Purchase This Painting

Sorry, this one is part of my permanent collection. Yes, I'm a fan of my own art and will sometimes keep the pieces that speak to me on a personal and emotional level. However, you can find plenty of similar paintings available at my Etsy shop.

Large Contemporary Seascape Painting By Robert Joyner

Details About This Artwork

Acrylic on paper, measures 22" x 22" and is available unframed

Inspiration And Technique Used For This Expressive Painting

I've always had a fascination with old fishing boats. There's a certain mystique that they have and I'm always curious what Captains have sailed the ship and how many storms they've encountered. If they could only talk!

When I was a small child I had a fear of the ocean and was never comfortable when we would take boat rides at my Grandmother's house. She lived is a house that had a small canal in the backyard, so I would find myself in this peculiar position of having to go when I really didn't want to. In the early 90's I came across a guy that happened to be a fisherman - more specifically a scallop fisherman. He had just returned from a trip and was bragging about the wad of cash he just earned. This piqued my interest since I was looking for a job that payed well enough for me to take time off in the winter to focus on my passion which was ballroom dancing. So, I headed down to the docks a few days later and after several rejections finally got the opportunity to fish aboard the 'Lady Deborah'. I took the job knowing that I still feared the open sea, but figured I would eventually overcome this with a big payday only a few weeks away. The money was the carrot that got me through this and it wasn't long until I had a beard and bandanna and could call myself a fisherman. I think this connection will always be there and to paint fishing boats brings back fond memories of being on the Atlantic aboard the 'Lady Deborah'.

My goal with this one was to create an atmosphere that is typical of being at the docks. It's a very grungy environment with rust, steel and weathered boats. Working with some muted colors and incorporating some grays would capture the feeling I get when I'm at the Newport News Marine Terminal in Virginia. I built the painting up over several layers starting with the boats and working into the water and skyline. With each new layer I added more and more details until I thought the piece was unified and had the look I was after. Returning to the piece the following day revealed a rather dull look which can be synonymous with acrylics. I decided to added a punch of color by using some light yellow to accent the middle boat, and some thinned out transparent ultramarine blue which was added to the water in the foreground. Once these changes were made I decided it was a keeper and ready for it's final voyage to a new home port.

Close-Up Images So You Can Appreciate The Loose And Abstract Brushwork

How To Purchase This Painting

This piece is now available at my Etsy shop. Be sure to stop in browse the great deals on original art.

That's all folks.