Liz Hoag: Nearby Beauty

Works
Installation Views
Overview
Nearby Beauty is a continuation of my attempt to capture the beauty of the Maine landscape, not through an exclusive focus on stereotypical ocean and lake scenes, but on what we in Maine are lucky enough to experience every day. As a painter, I’m drawn to the abstract patterns and balance inherent in the treed landscape and value the abstract composition of my paintings as much as any narrative sense of place. By focusing on the light and therefore the color I see in the landscape, a color that isn’t always consciously taken in by the casual viewer, I hope to bring out a feeling that comes from walking in the woods at a particular time of day or during a particular season. One painting could give you the feel of a cool fall afternoon, while another a midday walk on a summer day. Paths are often full of blues and violets and an infinite variety of grays. Skies are often peeking through as yellow or green, not just blue. And the abstract patterns and negative spaces in the woods are soothing and peaceful. Nearby Beauty is a collection of abstractions that hopefully bring a feeling of peace and beauty to the viewer.