The Art Portfolio of Plein Air Painter Julia Lesnichy
The spring in the mountains, oil on board
Julia Lesnichy is a plein-air painter based in Virginia. The artist works primarily in landscapes, though she also produces works of still life and animal portraiture. Working primarily in oil paint, the artist often works outdoors before putting the finishing touches on a painting back in her studio.
I really enjoy the slightly hazy texture and atmosphere that many of Julia’s oil paintings have. It’s like a kind of chiaroscuro blending, the way the artist perfectly captures the slight blur and shade of a view into the distance on a sunny afternoon. The artist also produces work in pastel, and it’s interesting to see how Julia’s style adapts to this different media. Her pastel works feel more graphic; more focused on colour and form than on atmosphere.
Julia’s animal paintings really show off the artist’s impressionist sensibility. Here Julia uses small, sharp, confident brush marks to build up texture and lend her animals a sense of realism and volume.
