About

I paint contemporary oil landscapes that hover between observation and abstraction. Although the subject matter is obvious, I simplify shapes and explore paint application techniques to form a somewhat abstracted result. I am constantly amazed how little information is needed to understand and feel the complexities of nature. What appeals to me most is creating a sense of balance, harmony and calm.

My method is to think about what I love about any given landscape and then decide how to portray that in paint. I consider the combination of composition, color, values and paint application that will help to reach the objective. Once all the thinking and initial planning is done, the fun and intuitive part begins. To start, I generally treat the surface with a mid-tone of color and complete a monochromatic underpainting. I then add and subtract color with abandon using a variety of tools including brushes, cheesecloth, squeegees, fingers, scrapers and palette knives. The final stage is to sit back and listen to the painting as it tells me what it needs.

If you have comments or questions, please reach out to me at mkersellart@gmail.com.