Toni Grote is a successful artist from Iowa, who has used Ebay as her global “storefront” since 2001. She hopped on the blogging bandwagon in 2006, and over the last 4 years has posted over 1,000 paintings, selling most of them.
Toni uses acrylic paint to create exquisite landscapes, farm animals, and still lifes. She paints on canvas, textured masonite, and interestingly, even old ceiling tins.
I was particularly drawn to her powerful nighttime images, and how she captures the dynamic strength of Iowa’s weather. Toni uses the natural veins in the masonite to emphasize striking clouds and commanding prairie. All that texture paired with the focal point of lightening creates a fabulous visual energy.
In the painting below, Toni depicts a serene green pasture that is about to be overtaken by a raging, dark tornado. The serenity and smoothness of the grass is reflected from the wood on which it is painted.
In this last painting Toni shows us an engaging, peaceful, moonlit scene. Simplicity is at its core. A bright moon in a dark sky acts as the focal point, while textured horizontal water anchors the painting. This scene is powerful, but in a peaceful way.
If you liked the images above, I encourage you to visit Toni’s website to experience the rest of her exquisite paintings on unique materials. You won’t regret it.
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