Finding Meaning in Abstract Landscape Art

When Landscapes Become Emotions

“Another Year Gone By” abstract landscape oil on unstretched canvas 10” x 16”

I've got a couple different layers of paint from a mix of frantic brush assaults and palette knife negotiations across my canvas. Absolute pleasure to paint like this.

Now when you're working with impasto, in particular with abstract landscapes you want to make sure to use a heavy application. That allows for that textural finish on the surface which gives you that emotional undertone. Available in my store link here.

The Canvas Speaks

“Another Year Gone By” abstract landscape oil on unstretched canvas 10” x 16” This is how the painting might looked framed in a traditional style. The image is cut to fit the frame.

Now, when you’re diving into nature-inspired art (especially something as delightfully weird as an abstract landscape), you’ve got to let your eyes roam around the scenery. I don’t want tot overthink it. I just absorb the swirling textures. The impasto technique here is thicker than grandma’s gravy, so you might catch yourself wanting to run a finger across it. Feel free to do so if you can. It will have a nice feel to it.

Beyond The Surface

The lines and colors here aren't just pretty things . They're telling stories about time passing, seasons conflicting with each other Memories pretending they didn't happen. Abstract isn't about making things look weird - it's about finding the feeling behind the form while pretending you meant to do that all along.

I wanted this piece to capture how a year feels - not how it looks. Those purples against greens? That's autumn threatening summer . The textured ridges? Those are the emotional speed bumps. The white wisps at the top aren't just clouds? They're those fleeting moments you wish you could hold onto. Nature keeps inspiring me in ways I never expect. There's something about how landscapes hold time that just speaks to make sense of my own journey.

Finding Your View

What I love most about abstract landscapes is they let you see whatever psychological baggage you brought with you today. Maybe you spot a path you've walked before. Or maybe you just feel something familiar you can't quite name. That's the magic part. The painting does half the work, and your unresolved issues do the rest.

What Do I See?

Looking at my painting "Another Year Gone By," I see this wonderfully textured abstract landscape with thick paint creating these undulating forms in greens, browns, purples, and pops of red, with what looks like white clouds or sky at the top, all wrapped in that gray border. The impasto technique really gives it this alive quality that seems to capture time passing through nature.

So here's to another year gone by - captured not in photographs or journals, but in layers of paint that somehow feel more honest about how time really passes.