Pinon Real Estate Group hosts Lynn Van de Water.
Lynn Van De Water
Artist Statement
A Colorado native, I have lived in Salida for nearly three decades, where I maintain a home studio practice rooted in daily observation and disciplined inquiry. I paint realistic observations of nature in oil, drawn to the quiet resonance between flowers, trees, sky and animals. These objects — humble and familiar — become active participants in a visual dialogue shaped by proximity, tension, and balance.
Light is both subject and structure within my work. It moves across surfaces, dissolves edges, and gathers in shadow, revealing form gradually and inviting sustained contemplation. I am attentive to the subtle interplay of warm and cool color, allowing temperature shifts to create depth, atmosphere, and emotional nuance. Through layered oil surfaces and deliberate composition, I seek a harmony that feels both intimate and expansive.
The relationships between objects guide each painting: the curve of a stem, the color of a cloud, softness of fur, answering the arc of a petal, the weight of shadow and the complexity of a forest floor. These arrangements are not incidental; they are meditations on presence, time, and the quiet poetry of everyday forms found in nature.
I received my undergraduate education at Colorado College and continued my studies at School of the Art Institute of Chicago. For over thirty years, I taught art and art history in K–12 education, an experience that deepened my reverence for tradition, close looking, and the enduring language of painting.
My work is represented by Acosta Strong Fine Arts in Santa Fe and Claggett/Rey Gallery in the Vail Valley.
