Valerie Berkely

Bare Trees 3, Oil Painting

2019

Artist Comments
Building up many layers of color in oil paint and cold wax medium, Valerie then used scrapers to reveal the tree trunks in an abstract landscape. Warm orange and yellow trees standing in front of a cool blue and green background. Heavy texture complements the expressionist palette. The piece is part of a series of three works. Although Valerie did not create them as triptych, the three hang well close together.

About the Artist
Valerie Berkely uses her finger tips as brushes to create her abstract paintings. For Valerie, the art is all about the process, the paint, her mood, and the moment. She admires the artist Wolf Kahn, who once said, “the picture is the conclusion of an experiment in which the hint of an image becomes actuality." Like Kahn, Valerie’s paintings combine pictorial landscapes with painterly abstraction. The vibrant primary colors capture the hues of the sun rising and setting, and the texture of her fingers across the surface divides sea, land, and sky. There is something very dreamy about these works, exemplified by their color, texture, and atmospheric quality. Valerie’s first “art epiphany” was seeing Seurat's La Grande Jatte at the Art Institute of Chicago. “Bowled me over! I actually fell down. And I knew I was to become a painter.”

Words that describe this painting: woods, forest, trees, nature, expressionism, nature, non-representational, oil painting, blue

Bare Trees...

Artist Comments
I used my finger tips to apply many layers of translucent cool colors in oil and wax. There is a softly calm feeling to the quiet distance of the winter trees in the background while one sturdy pine comes forth. Hints of apricot and lavender glow from beneath misty layers. My choice in this color palette lends itself to any season's decor, inspired by Wolf Kahn. The edges of this piece are natural wood. This piece is wired to hang.

About the Artist
Valerie Berkely uses her finger tips as brushes to create her abstract paintings. For Valerie, the art is all about the process, the paint, her mood, and the moment. She admires the artist Wolf Kahn, who once said, “the picture is the conclusion of an experiment in which the hint of an image becomes actuality." Like Kahn, Valerie’s paintings combine pictorial landscapes with painterly abstraction. The vibrant primary colors capture the hues of the sun rising and setting, and the texture of her fingers across the surface divides sea, land, and sky. There is something very dreamy about these works, exemplified by their color, texture, and atmospheric quality. Valerie’s first “art epiphany” was seeing Seurat's La Grande Jatte at the Art Institute of Chicago. “Bowled me over! I actually fell down. And I knew I was to become a painter.”

Words that describe this painting: Impressionism, Wolf Kahn, transparent, translucent, layers, abstract landscape, oil, wax, finger painting, impressionism, landscape, representational, oil painting, purple

Trees In Winter...

Artist Comments
Winter inspires a quiet contemplation as limited colors evoke the crisp chill and silence of the woods. The scene suggests snow covering the forest floor and fo...

Artist Comments
Tall trees stretch skyward, guiding the eye toward drifting clouds. The upward perspective evokes the quiet awe of standing beneath a towering forest. Blue stre...

"Elegance of trees in winter" a moment of joy. The relationship of colors and movement of algae in transparency is at the origin of this atmosphere, but I put everything in suspensio...

Winter trees, part of a series of 7, early morning simplicity following a light l on gallery canvas, painted all sides, unframed, wired and ready to hang. :: Painting :: Impressioni...

This abstract landscape captures the serene spirit of nature by blending dynamic shapes with vivid colors, evoking feelings of calm and wonder. The composition invites viewers to exp...

My abstract paintings are also glimpses of nature. Some of these paintings read as landscapes of a different world, a wondrous space. Others are about the more intimate aspects of na...