The landscapes and cityscapes in my paintings are perceptual but also exist in an invented realm. Herman Melville’s quote: “It is not down on any map; true places never are” is a fitting description. Although painted directly from life the motif serves as a springboard to create another place that blurs the line between what is known and what is invented. I am interested in evoking a fictional place and space.  My goal therefore is not to get the precise light for the time of day but to convey the myth and fantasy suggested by the light, color and shapes before me.

More work can be seen at www.lourdesbernard.com

 

Checklist

1. Afloat, 2007, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 30 inches

2. New York, N.Y. triptych, 2007, Oil on board, 12 x 42 inches