Oil Painting

November 6, 2023

Stunning Hyperrealistic Paintings Capture People’s Surreal Connection to Nature

Human figures appear to merge with their surroundings in the paintings of Austin Howlett. The New Mexico-based artist explores people's connection to their environment in surrealist depictions of men and women converging with natural settings. In some of these pieces, portraits are overlayed with the branches of a large tree, and in others, figures appear to become one with the mountains they are perched on.

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July 2, 2023

Moody Settings Reveal What People Are Feeling in Uncanny Portrait Paintings

New York-based artist Xiao Wang masterfully sets the mood in his portraits with uncanny environments. Although realistically rendered, the color palettes have a slightly distorted quality that speaks to what each figure is feeling or thinking at the moment. From swirling violet clouds to blue-toned leaves, these backgrounds help us understand what Wang's subjects are trying to say—but cannot. Originally from China, Wang's experience as an immigrant has a major influence on his portraits.

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May 29, 2023

Enigmatic Paintings Explore the Challenges for Women Fitting Into Today’s World

Netherlands-based artist Martina Johanna uses her distinct, expressive style to explore women's roles in society. This series, titled How to Eliminate Stress and Anxiety through Good Housekeeping, places female characters in colorful, dreamlike worlds that have multiple realities trapped in the same space. In this way, she explores the public and private perceptions of women. Each oil painting features at least one female character who appears to wrestle with her surrealist surroundings in some form.

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April 27, 2023

Painter Makes Serene Landscapes Appear Within a Single Brushstroke

Flashes of landscapes cut across black space in the paintings of David Ambarzumjan. The Munich-based artist has been building on his ongoing series, titled Brushstrokes in Time, which pairs two different scenes together through the use of a giant, sweeping brushstroke. While in some he contrasts the past with the present, in others he juxtaposes the natural beauty of Earth with the depths of black space.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.