Renee Hartig

Click Image to View More WorkIn my work, I strive to show the process of the land and its interconnection with man’s influence. We have all contributed to the landscapes of today. We have over-processed, over-worked, and drained our resources. 

Contrast and juxtaposition are key elements in my work. The way we attempt to integrate our humanity into nature creates a certain tension. To capture this feeling, I combine impasto paint quality, heightened color, and sgraffito. I use these painting elements to abstract and flatten areas of the land, sacrificing the carefully constructed landscape. This is done to emphasize the way foreign elements conflict with the natural ecosystem that surrounds us. 

Formally, my paintings are abstract representational works. All of my work is oil paint on a stretched and sealed canvas. I then processed to tint my canvas, start my under-painting and my final layers. My paintings are ala-prima (one session), so I am always working with wet-on-wet paint giving me freedom to move and manipulate the medium. 

Hartig received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from Kendall College of Art and Design. She studied at the Studio Art Centers International in Florence Italy.