Above Lake Tahoe, 2016

Tatyana Fogarty  

Artist Statement:

I am a Signature member of American Impressionist Society (AIS), and Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA); an Artist Member of California Art Club (CAC), Oil Painters of America (OPA), and The Salmagundi Club NY.

I am inspired by the way light shapes the landscape, and I strive to capture it on canvas. I often paint en plein air (French term for painting on location), which allows me to use all my senses to interpret a scene in front of me with a sense of immediacy and honesty. Some of my greatest lessons in color have occurred while painting en plein air.

I choose to paint in oils, because they offer unique benefits for interpreting a subjectI - love their robust quality of bright, luminous colors, which are easily bendable and capable of retaining texture and showing brushstrokes.

My favorite starting point for the landscape painting is the golden light of late afternoon, known as the “magic hour", which creates the most intriguing and fascinating effects by merging captivating shadow patterns and warm, luminous color of the setting sun.

My distinctive impressionistic style expresses a vibrant atmosphere of awe-inspiring vistas of California coastal and inland landscapes, as well scenes from my travels in Europe, and brings a sense of “ joie de vivre".

I see my art as visual music, brought to life with harmonious colors, which emanate joy and peace. Each of my brush strokes is infused with its own kind of melody. My hope is that the viewers will hear the sounds and rhythms of that music as they look at my work, and it will generate the same emotions and connections that I had when painting that piece.

Education:

Although not holding a formal art degree, I don't feel I am completely "self-taught". Perhaps all artists are self-taught to a degree. I learned technical drawing in high school, which helped me understand the rules of perspective. I studied with acclaimed American painters like Scott Christensen, Kevin Macpherson, Kathleen Dunphy, and others, both in master classes and workshops.

Awards & Distinctions:

Recent awards include:
- “Best Water" Award, 8th Annual PleinAir Salon Competition, June/July 2018, Judge Jean Stern, Director Irvine Museum;
- Juror's Award, California Art Club “Amador Flower Farm En Plein Air", 2018;
- Honorable Mention Award, LPAPA "Best Of Plein Air 2018", Judge Jean Stern, Director Irvine Museum;
- Jennifer Hill Award, Carmel Art Festival 2018;
- Award of Excellence, California Plein Air Painters International Yosemite show 2017
- Award of Distinction, American Impressionist Society National Exhibition 2016, Judge Calvin Liang AISM;
- Honorable Mention Award, Carmel Art Festival 2016, Judge Huihan Liu;
- Award of Merit, California Plein Air Painters (CPAP) International Plein Air Challenge 2016;
- Honorable Mention, Bold Expressions, NCA International Annual Exhibit 2016, Judge Stefan Baumann;
- First Place Award at Folsom Arts Association Annual Exhibition 2015,
- Award of Excellence at Mother Lode National Exhibit 2013, Judge Terri Miura;
- Third Place Award at the American Landscape National Exhibition 2014 in Staunton, Virginia, Judge Steve Doherty, Editor Plein Air Magazine;
- First Place Award at Folsom Arts Association 2014 show;
- First Place at El Dorado Hills Art Association 2013 show;

Artistic Influences:

I am inspired by a wide range of work, from Monet and Rembrandt to Marc Chagall, Isaak Levitan and Nicolai Fechin. My interest in painting water is partly born out of my longtime admiration of the 19th-century Russian artist Ivan Aivazovsky's dramatic marine scenes. I spent endless hours studying his large-scale paintings at his museum in Feodosia, Crimea.