Wisconsin Sunset – Impressionist American Landscape Oil Painting – Karen Winters


“Wisconsin Sunset”
12 x 16 oil on canvas

This is another in the series of paintings inspired by the beauty of Wisconsin which we saw on a recent trip.

After visiting the Art Institute of Chicago, I was impressed by the works of George Inness, an American “Hudson River School” painter who was greatly influenced by the French Barbizon painters (who were impressionist forerunners.) Although I had not seen an Inness in person, before, I remember seeing a Theodore Rousseau painting (Barbizon school) at the Norton Simon Museum near us in Pasadena – and my response to it was the same: I found it breathtaking and deeply moving. These painters’ choice of dramatic landscape subject matter and the use of powerful darks is something that I’ve included in my paintings from time to time and it may be one area I’ll be exploring in the future. They also were fond of spectacular skies, and I am, too.

This location was near a farm in the southeast part of the state where there were numerous outbuildings. The water feature is probably a seasonal pond, left as a result of the spring floods in that area.

When I look at this painting, it takes me right back to that time and place. I’m satisfied with it. What do you think?