Fav Color Combo: Blue & Peach

I've been super into navy blue, orange, and all hues in between! This new piece "Conception" is a funky abstract incorporating this fresh palette. Acrylic on canvas, 30" x 40". Happy Friday!

My Palette: Turqouise Deep, Prussian Blue, Gold, Transparent Orange, Indigo, Payne's Grey, Cadmium Orange, Neutral Grey

Just Peachy, acrylic on canvas, 24" x 24".
Available at www.annmariecoolick.com

See more blue and orange inspiration at House of Jade's Blog:6th Street Design School.

Lake Fuschl, Austria Painting Commission

Sweeping views of the Salzkammergut Mountains, emerald green glacial waters, deep green pine trees.. this is the perfect commission! I was asked to paint the view from Schloss Fuschl, a castle on Lake Fuschl in Salzburg, on the west side of Austria, to commemorate a special couple's honeymoon.

Color Palette: Clockwise from top left: Payne's Grey, Sap Green, Prussian Blue, Hansa Yellow Medium, Pthalo Green, Turquoise Deep.

Final Painting, 24"x48", acrylic on canvas.

Interested in a commission? Email me at amcoolick@gmail.com! I can work with almost any price range and size.

Wintry Mix

Brr it's cold out! My work is inspired by the changing seasons from the cool hues of winter to the earthy and warm tones of spring. On this cold and snowy wintry night, I'm sharing some of my favorite winter-themed paintings from Arlington, VA to Washington, DC to Seward, Alaska. Enjoy and keep warm!

Bull Run Trail, oil on canvas, 12" x 12". In private collection.

Prints available.

Gravelly December, oil on canvas. In private collection. Prints available.

Forsythia Trail, oil on canvas. In private collection. Prints available.

Harding Icefield No. 2. Oil on canvas, 10" x 10". Original available.Prints available.

Potomac Heritage, acrylic on canvas. Original available.

Capitol Christmas, oil on canvas. In private collection. Prints available. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Love is in the Air

Love has been one of the most popular themes in art for ages, from Gustav Klimt's The Kiss to Robert Indiana's famed LOVE sculpture in Philadelphia. Romance has manifested itself in my work through dreamy florals, flirty abstractions, and playful colors. Some of my favorite commissions involve surprises for Valentine's Day, birthdays, and weddings. Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, below are three of my favorite little valentines with some of my favorite romantic pieces.

My Valentine Loves:

Floral Fields No. 3, acrylic on canvas, 18" x 18". Available for sale at annmariecoolick.com

Flutter Kisses, acrylic on canvas, 16" x 16". Available for sale on annmariecoolick.com

Amoebic Flow No. 1, acrylic on canvas, 24" x 18". Available for sale at Covet

Kwanzan Cherry, 24" x 24", acrylic on canvas. Available for sale at the Cooley Gallery

Wedding gift depicting the landscape of Airlie Gardens in Wilmington, NC, a popular Southern garden with more than 100,000 azaleas and the 467-year-old Airlie Oak.

The Southern Live Oak

I've been working on a commission of a live oak tree on the marshes of Beaufort, South Carolina. This tree has special meaning to my client as it remains standing strong on land once owned by his family (land which has since been redeveloped). I LOVE painting trees, especially those with ancestral ties, so I was thrilled to take on this commission.

Live oaks are icons of the south, remaining green throughout the winter and focusing their energy on growing out, not up. They shed leaves once a year and only after new leaves have formed, hence it is always “live.” The oldest live oaks in the country are estimated to be between several hundred to over a thousand years old. (National Wildlife Federation, Southern Live Oak)

For this painting I'm focusing my palette on Cryla and Liquitex sap green, terra verte, prussian blue, burnt umber, teal, and pthalo green. These paints have strong pigment for added richness and vibrancy, and a thick, buttery consistency which lends itself well to my impasto palette knife technique.

Tools of my trade:

Painting Round 1:

Painting Round 2:

Final painting is complete!

Prints available for sale here.

See coastal artwork on Fine Art America: coastal paintings

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Knife Cleaning Day!

Every month or so I soak my knives in water and peel off layers and layers of acrylic paint buildup, revealing gleaming and polished stainless steel blades. Paint remains caked on the messy knife grips, a visual reminder of my history as an artist. I continually wonder how I can preserve these beautiful peeled remnants, each showing the evolution of my color palette. Until then, here's to my clean, shiny knives.

Check out some of my palette knife canvas prints at Fine Art America. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Thank you Fresh Paint Magazine!

Thank you Fresh Paint Magazine for the awesome shout out on your blog!
Fresh Paint Magazine Blog December 30, 2014

New Year's Thanks

This year I’m thankful for: My three little playdough artists. Your affection and energy inspires me. Thank you for leaving me with just enough gas in the tank to paint at night! My husband the budding arborist, whose love of trees has inspired so many of my new paintings. Thank you for being my greatest art critic and supporter! My friends and sisters near and far who like to share a bottle of wine and slice of cheesecake, and cut loose like we’re 19 again. My parents in Sandbridge aka my unpaid art agents: thank you for delivering my work all over Virginia, for setting up commissions, and for giving me your awesome leftover cameras! Thank you to all my fans and supporters who have purchased, commissioned, and/or shared my work with others. It has made a difference! This year I have painted 70 new works and counting. Here’s to health, happiness, and an artsy 2015!