Brush with Art: World traveler transforms nature into vibrant landscapes

The captivating paintings of Carlsbad artist Rosemary Valente leave a lasting impression. 

With an artistic style shaped by a life of world travel, she is best known for expressionist landscape paintings which awaken in the viewer a sense of enchantment along with a desire to experience these unspoiled locations firsthand.

Valente states, “My travels to distant lands, especially Tuscany and Provence, have greatly influenced my works. Their lush countryside evokes feelings of peace and harmony within my soul and I often turn to them for my subject matter.”

Six of her idealized, somewhat surreal landscapes based on experiences in Tuscany and Provence are currently on display in “A Foreign Affair” at L Street Fine Art in San Diego.

Absorbing the essence of idyllic settings as she personally experiences them, Valente paints primarily from impressions stored in her subconscious, which she expresses on canvas in vibrant colors and simplified shapes.

One critic states, “Valente’s paintings do not replicate nature; they transform it.

Her application of color emphasizes form, creates harmony in non-harmonious subjects, evokes emotions, and intensifies the images she creates.”

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Valente often heard her Italian grandparents speaking the native dialect of their small village in southern Italy.

This early impression in no small way contributed to her awareness of distant lands that lay waiting to be experienced, later resulting in a life long journey of exploration.

After receiving her Master of Arts degree from the University of Hawaii, Valente continued to study art in stimulating locations including Atelier 17 in Paris and the Athens Studio in Athens, Greece, as well as Atelier Dumans and the Art Students League in New York.

Much of Valente’s work reveals the influence of German Expressionists acquired during time spent in Munich. She says, however, “Often the landscapes will leave the realm of Expressionism and deal with color, shape and design. Thus they become abstract… Music without words.”

“I knew early on that realism was a starting point for me and then I had to transform the colors and style to suit me, which I’ve always called my own style of Expressionism.”

Valente has been recipient of numerous awards during her nearly 40 years as a professional artist. Her abstract piece entitled “Mexican Romance” was selected for the honor of cover art of the San Diego ArtWalk catalog in 2006, while her paintings continue to be held in the private and corporate collections including Wavetec Corporation in San Diego, the Pfizer Corporate Offices in La Jolla, and the Sunrise Design Center in La Quinta, Calif.

Valente is a board member of the Del Mar Art Center in Del Mar where she regularly exhibits her paintings, in addition to showing in the Village Gallery in Maui, Hawaii.

She will be displaying a select group of artworks at the Omni La Costa Resort Sept. 7 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Kay Colvin is director of the L Street Fine Art Gallery in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, serves as an arts commissioner for the City of Encinitas, and specializes in promoting emerging and mid-career artists. Contact her at [email protected].