"A few years ago, I had traveled the Pacific Coast in California, taking many photographs of the beautiful countryside, cliffs, and ocean. I had mentioned to Valerie that I had these photographs, and she asked me to send some of my favorites to her. She told me that she could paint a picture from one of the photographs. I was excited that she would want to paint one of my photographs! I loved her interpretation of my photograph and the skill with which she brought it to life. She brought the power and intensity of the ocean and the serenity of the two fishermen into a captivating painting that has caught the eye of everyone who enters my home. I am very proud to own an original painting by Valerie!!"

---Allen Glass, Attorney, Southfield, MI.

"Hello! I want to recommend Valerie's art to everyone looking for a way to preserve their memories, decorate their homes or give a wonderfully personalized gift.  I was looking for a way to preserve some of my favorite memories when I met Valerie and saw her work.  I knew right away that paintings would be a great way to enlarge certain photographs of places that I love.  I had already bought several of her paintings when I commissioned her to paint three large canvases for me.  I particularly like her paintings because she is so true to the photos I provided for her and the level of detail is fantastic.  I have been living with my paintings for several months now, and I love them more everyday. The shipping of the paintings was very smooth too."

---Dr. Katie Weber, Mequon, WI

ARTIST STATEMENT

A Stranger in the Wilderness

My paintings represent nature’s intimate beauty. I am always aware that I am the stranger, an outside observer capturing the mountain panoramas, oceans, lakes or streams, clouds, landscapes or animals and birds in their native surroundings at one particular moment. Expressing the color, light and personality of the image as I see it is more important to me than reproducing an exact reality. Sometimes the use of gels and other textures in the paint itself forces me to adjust the innate painting techniques I have developed over the years. As I experiment, the appearance of the work changes. I do this to grow as a painter and to find new ways to bring the emotion of the painting out from the shadows of my imagination. I paint to capture that moment of intense observation that caught my interest in the first place.

If I were forced to classify my paintings, I would call them Representational Impressionism. Whatever the image, from wherever it is generated, the observed reality blends in my mind’s eye and flows from the brush without concern for an exact replication of that reality. Yet, a mountain is easily seen as a mountain. The clouds are clearly clouds. Water is fluid or reflecting, and I want the power of the wave or the calm of the still water to reach out to the viewer. But, I do not pretend to paint reality and so, I quietly allow my imagination to bring my paintings into form and substance.

Valerie Connelly — Artist
Nightengale Media LLC
931-854-1390 / Fax 866-830-2624
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Web: www.valerieconnelly.com

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