Tara Verkuil’s breathtaking acrylics on canvas present the sweeping landscapes of Northern California and display both European and distinctly American influences. Verkuil first developed her love of landscape painting when studying abroad with the Parsons School of Design in France.  There, she honed her technique which is characterized by a thick application of paint, brilliant color pallet, and impromptu mood.  The artist paints her modernized versions of traditional landscapes “en plein air”, which undoubtedly helps to give them an organic, lively feeling.  Although the artist is influenced by French art and culture, her paintings, with their simplified planes of color and light, are reminiscent of the great American painter Edward Hopper. Yet, Verkuil’s paintings are profoundly different in mood, as they seem to rejoice in nature and reflect a true love of the act of painting.

A graduate of the Tulane University, Verkuil originally hails from New Orleans, a place she believes innately influenced her unique color choices.  The artist now lives and works in Napa Valley, California.