State Street Chicago – Impressionist Urban Oil Painting Cityscape – Karen Winters
“… I think it was the fourth of July”
8 x 10 oil on canvas
Or we could just call it “State Street”. If you are old enough to name that tune, name it and the band that made it famous.
I was trying to get this painting finished for yesterday, the fourth, but just ran out of time. So here it is, a day late. It was inspired by a recent trip to the Windy City, where the flags were already on display – and had probably been up since Memorial Day.
I loved this big clock on Macy’s (formerly Marshall Field’s) department store – there’s one on every corner of the building which covers a large city block.
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?
California Impressionist Oil Painting -La Canada Memories – San Gabriel Mountains – Karen Winters
12 x 16 oil on canvas
“La Canada Memories – Oak Grove Park”
This one is not for sale but was a last Christmas gift to my daughter. But it wasn’t really practical for her to schlep it back on the plane to Northwestern U. so we agreed I’d get it framed up for her to take to her new place in the SF Bay area. So, it’s all finished up and here it is.
This is a scene of Hahamongna Park looking northward to the San Gabriel Mountains. (Formerly Oak Grove Park.) It is right across the street from the high school where Kelly and her brother went to school, as well as right next door to their preschool. So this truly is a hometown painting. Hahamongna Park is also known as the northern part of the Arroyo Seco, an area I’ve painted often and will again in the very near future!
