Nature Painting | ElaineFogel Art

paining of mountain wildflowers by Elaine Fogel

Mountain Wildflowers Location a Mystery

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There’s a world of public domain and license-free photos available for use. The challenge for me is to choose ones that resonate and inspire me to paint my interpretation of them.

Nature and landscape images represent locales across the globe. So, when I discovered this image of snow-covered mountains with wildflowers in the foreground, I was determined to learn where it was.

I did a reverse image search on Google only to find that its location is somewhat of a mystery. Based on image tags, it could be in the Alps – possibly near Chamonix, France, or, the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, or, at Glacier National Park in Montana.

I couldn’t find similar pink flowers on this website identifying “Wildflowers of the Rocky Mountains,” so that leaves the Alps or Montana. Either way, the image was breathtaking.

If you happen to know this location, please share! In the meantime, learn more about this painting in the gallery.

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The sight of the stars makes me dream

When I was a child, I spent July and August in a Quebec summer camp 47 km (29 mi) north of Mont Tremblant and 208 km (129 mi) from Montreal where I lived.

The temperatures in the mornings and evenings were quite cold – cold enough to wear a heavy jacket! Sometimes, at night, I would bundle up and lie on my back staring up at the sky. Where else but the countryside can you witness such a vivid star display?

As an adult, now living in the Phoenix area, there are light pollution laws which require all outdoor light fixtures to be fully or partially shielded, with the exception of emergency, construction, and navigational airport lighting. That makes our evenings very dark – a perfect scenario to see starry night skies.

My recent painting, entitled, “Starry Summer Sky” was inspired by an Unsplash image by Czech photographer, Tomáš Vydržal. I loved the way he captured the brilliant stars against the night sky, reminding me of the universe’s infinity.

Update: This painting was donated to Hospice of the Valley art auction fundraiser.

“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of stars makes me dream.” Vincent Van Gogh

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Two Paintings for the Autumn Season

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In many regions of North America, the fall season brings such beauty. For those lucky enough to live in maple tree territory, nothing can compare to the colors these trees produce. That is, of course, unless you’re tasked with raking their leaves! Been there, done that.

Now that I live in the desert, which has a unique beauty all its own, I still miss the changing leaves. Second best? Paint them!

This recent painting entitled, “L’automne au Québec,” reminds me of my youth growing up in Montreal, Quebec and its environs. During the fall season, the drive north to the Laurentian Mountains is filled with color splendor. The leaves send a message that the trees will soon be ready for maple syrup harvesting.

This next one, “Algonquin Park Trail,” displays the very beginning of autumn with only a few fallen leaves. This painting was inspired by a license-free photo taken in Algonquin Provincial Park in southeastern Ontario, Canada.

Update: This original painting has sold. To order prints visit: https://www.saatchiart.com/print/Painting-Algonquin-Park-Trail/1796157/8472548/view

If you really want to see magnificent art of the unique character of the Canadian landscape, you must check out the Group of Seven.

Also sometimes known as the Algonquin School, the Group of Seven was a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920 to 1933, originally consisting of Franklin Carmichael (1890–1945), Lawren Harris (1885–1970), A. Y. Jackson (1882–1974), Frank Johnston (1888–1949), Arthur Lismer (1885–1969), J. E. H. MacDonald (1873–1932), and Frederick Varley (1881–1969).

Here’s a stunning painting, “The Woods Interior,” by Arthur Lismer painted in Algonquin Park in 1914.You can also view the Group of Seven at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection online or in person. It is the largest publicly-funded art gallery in Canada that focuses exclusively on Canadian and Indigenous art, both historical and contemporary. Located in Kleinburg, Ontario, just north of Toronto, I’ve spent many hours there enjoying its collections.

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