One of the most influential American artists of the nineteenth century, Inness was influenced, in turn, by the Old Masters, the Hudson River school, the Barbizon school, and others. Inness was known to have adopted a spiritualism found vivid expression in Inness's work, particularly in his later years.
Although Inness's style evolved significantly over a prolific career that spanned more than forty years and 1,000 paintings. He was a true master and one of my historical art heroes. Some have called him "the father of American landscape painting."
Inness was described by art history buffs as a transitional figure who intended for his works to combine both the earthly and the ethereal in order to capture the complete essence of a location. Considered by art experts, a master of light, color, and shadow, he became noted for creating highly ordered and complex scenes that often juxtaposed hazy or blurred elements with sharp and refined details to evoke an interweaving of both the physical and the spiritual nature of experience. In Inness's words, he attempted through his art to demonstrate the "reality of the unseen”[1] and to connect the "visible upon the invisible."[2]
Toward the end of his career he became a Tonalist. This is a style of painting that I really enjoy.
In this painting featured in my YouTube video, I will try to recreate much of this style.
This is a painting study. My goal is to explore ways I can create similar effects using oil paint. The work will be done on a gessoed piece of paper in my handmade Oil Painting Journal.
Hope you enjoy! Be well, -Tom
References
(1) Bell, Adrienne Baxter (2006). George Inness: Writings and Reflections on Art and Philosophy. New York: George Braziller. p. 79.
(2) "George Inness – Lines and Colors".
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