Plein Air Landscapes by Carol Ann Newsome

Plein Air Landscapes

My mother introduced me to the impressionists, post-impressionists and fauvists when I was very young. Their simplified shapes and rich colors remain root influences in my work today. They were the first, I believe, to appreciate nature for itself, without nature being forced to assume metaphorical importance. When I paint landscape, I want immediacy. Speed is important as light can change very quickly. Being on site is essential. I am painting my experience of a place, a day, an hour.

I have a reverence for the land which grows as I get older. As an introvert artist, I often spend weeks indoors. Yet, I have always found time spent in nature to be healing. In the past year I have been researching issues of food production as part of switching to a priimarily raw food diet. As my awareness of our simbiotic relationship with the earth has increased, I find I am becoming an environmentalist. You will find few references to urban life in my paintings. I tend to edit out roads and buildings. I am most interested in the shape of the land itself, exclusive of our impact upon it. Most of these were painting in Cincinnati, with one from Covington, Kentucky and another from the Gatlinberg - Pigeon Forge area of Tennessee.

All paintings are oil on canvas, painted "ala prima", that is, "all at once" in one session. If you are interested in purchasing a painting, you can contact me at info@carolannnewsome.com for more information.

	Advancing Fog This view of the Ohio River was painted from the Eden Park overlook. Oil on canvas, 16" x 20" 2003 $600
	Almost Spring This March painting is one of my favorites from French Park. Oil on canvas, 16" x 20" 2003 $800 French Park
	Arabesque The graceful lines of these trees in mid-winter reminded me of a ballet in progress. Oil on canvas, 16" x 20" 2003 $600
	Aria This lone tree, blooming so intensely on center-stage, reminded me ever so much of an opera diva, mid-solo. Oil on canvas, 16" x 20" 2003 $600
	Branch with Lichen I love the drama of this painting. If you look closely, you'll see the spirit of Georgia O'Keefe peeking through. Oil on canvas, 16" x 20" 2002 SOLD
	DeepWinter The clean lines of this compositon made this my Dad's favorite panting. Oil on canvas, 16" x 20" 2003 SOLD
	Dormancy The land in a state of waiting, painted at French Park Oil on canvas, 16" x 20" 2003 $600
	Jazz The glorious chaos of full summer, painted at French Park Oil on canvas, 16" x 20" 2003 SOLD
	Licking River I painted this one evening along a tributary to the Ohio River in Covington, Kentucky. I couldn't seem to get the colors bright enough, and I kept intensifying them as the light was failing, and, and...when I was finished, I discovered I was wearing sun glasses. But I love the way it turned out, so I may do it again! Oil on canvas, 16" x 20" 2003 $600
	Sanctuary Painted from inside the caretakers cottage at French Park, this quiet scene gave me a sense of pure peace. Oil on canvas, 16" x 20" 2003 SOLD
	WinterFlame This is another of my favorites from French Park. I was entranced by the contrast between the firey color of the tree on the left and the soft green of the pine in the background Oil on canvas, 16" x 20" 2003 $800