There is a peaceful beauty in nature that calms the mind and spirit. My desire is to draw emotions from the heart of the viewer by capturing beauty on canvas with oil paint. Growing up in the Midwest I became an avid gardener of flowers. Many of my paintings are a representation of the gardens I created.

Landscapes of the Midwest and across the country capture my imagination. In my paintings I want the viewer to feel the warmth of a summer day, the coolness of a walk-in shaded woods, and feel the bitter cold on a January morning. Many times, I bring life to a painting by incorporating a mule deer and her fawn peeking around the trees, or a big black Labrador cooling himself in a shallow pond. Sometimes he walks seemingly alone across stark frozen snow and ice giving a sense that nature is taking a moment to recharge from its prolific summer explosion. In the Midwest the seasons are very distinct. I’m excited when the weather turns once again and I’m able to employ a new color palette to express the beauty of the new season.

My painting echoes who I am as a person; present, self-searching and intimate. I hope to inspire the viewer to be in the moment, reflective, seeing in the mind’s eye a memory; possibly recalling an experience once enjoyed, and most of all having gratitude for all the grandeur surrounding us.

 

gwenbelanger@yahoo.com

815-351-4415