As a Plein Air painter, I work directly from the landscape aiming towards getting the value relationships and warmth or coolness of the color. Using a somewhat limited palette, I mix to get the exact color I see—trying to put down the subtle color variations while interpreting the relationship of colors to each other.
I grew up in Connecticut on Long Island Sound where the sea was both meditative and stormy. I particularly love the bold, gestural line of color on the horizon during sunrise and sunset. For me it is about capturing the moment—the mood of the sea or the exact response of the sky to the sun setting. The scene changes quickly and I try to capture the moment as a symphony of color — both intense and subtle — crosses the sky.
For the past 10 years I have focused on painting seascapes from my home in San Francisco, California, Cannon Beach, Oregon and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I have been fortunate to have traveled and painted in many beautiful places including Venice, Italy, Tuscany, and the Swiss Alps.
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Cathy Perillo