Fictional Landscape Paintings: An Endeavor to Push Creativity & Evoke Emotion {plus animations}

I initially fell for painting because I loved the process of recreating an image. Photorealism was my objective, and the act was therapy. A couple of years ago, however, it simply wasn't feeding my artistic soul anymore. Many artists can copy a photo, but what really interested me was diving into my creative brain and pulling out ideas that did not exist in the real world. I was tired of being scared of painting without a reference, so I exited my comfort zone to learn more and to push my abilities.

I've talked to many artists that begin painting without a plan or an objective and let the process speak to them. Something equally intriguing and terrifying to me. One evening I gathered the courage to simply start doodling with paint, and I was surprised with the outcome and immensely enjoyed myself. I began with thinned oil paint and pulled out the forms the uneven paint presented. I kept building details and colors while keeping the structure fairly simple so my brain could keep up. This is what I came up with:

Flux, 12x16, oil on canvas

At the time, I was very interested in creating more of a feeling more than a narrative. Imagery that was haunting but comfortable was not only appealing but also very relatable at a time in my life that I was especially uncertain as I transitioned in my worldly beliefs.

Expansion, 12x16, oil on canvas

I focused on composition, structure, and color. After my first piece, these became a bit easier to find the frameworks and create these environments I called "cosmicscapes," feeling like they weren't of this world. The swirls were very indicative of how I felt during this tumultuous transition in my life.

Pulse, 11x14, oil on canvas

From there, I tried a couple other variations that tied in my previous series, Roots, by painting trees to keep in theme with these eerie yet beautiful landscapes. These are a couple of my favorites of all time now:

Suspension of Reality, 12x12, oil on canvas

Allure, 12x16, oil on canvas

I painted "Allure" larger and omitted the black hole because it didn't quite work with the new scale. It now is a permanent installation in my living room :)

Allure, 24x36, acrylic + oil on canvas

I also took several of these images and created animated GIFs of them to present them in a new way. Enjoy :)

Thanks for looking!

www.christiesnelson.com