From maritime to landscapes to figurative paintings, award winning artist Dan Simoneau has a gentle, yet firm touch when it comes to applying paint on canvas.
Dan’s dynamic maritime creations are inspired by a life in southern Maine. Transfixed by the movement and clarity of water, he often adds water to his acrylic paints, too, so they also appear as transparent colors on paper.
Two Lights, seen below, showcases his landscape abilities with a classic New England lighthouse scene.
Were it not for the warm light flooding out of the windows, this snow-filled landscape would be a bleak painting of a home in isolation. But instead it becomes a hopeful scene, a place where we can see the lighthouse tender lives, always taking care to keep the lighthouse shining in the darkest of hours so that those at sea can return home safely.
In one of Dan’s maritime paintings, Alice O. is given the spotlight, while her neighbor, Kestrel, is swathed in darkness. This compositional choice (along with the dark waters of the marina) helps showcase Alice’s fine attributes and clean lines.
Add in the subtle diagonal angles of the water and the boats’ bows, as well as the perpendicular angles of the wheelhouse and ladder on the dock, and you have a well-crafted painting that is stimulating and complex, without overwhelming the viewer.
And last but not least, just imagine coming to the top of a very large hill and seeing this view below:
The spread-out details of the farmsteads is simply breathtaking. It looks so calm, so peaceful. . . and yet, anyone who knows something about a farm—especially one with cattle—knows there’s little time for relaxation in the midst of chores!
Up here, though, the cows are just speckled black and white dots, and the varied greenery of the land comes to life. Nestled in the valley, safe and sound, it’s hard to imagine this farm being anything other than “home,” where an apple pie awaits, cooling in an open window.
Dan’s landscapes and maritime paintings are beautiful, but his figurative work (where he explores the male figure in high contrast) is amazing as well. I hope you’ll to take some time to visit his website and browse the rest of his paintings today!
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