Maria Calandra’s vibrant acrylic landscapes bring an extraordinary sense of movement and energy to the genre of landscape painting. Drawing from her journeys across terrains as varied as Maine’s coastal cliffs and the serene fields of Southern France, Calandra transforms natural scenes into pulsating compositions that are rooted in memory and emotion. Her studio practice allows her to reinterpret these experiences, blending reality with the abstract, and channeling the essence of the environment through her distinctive artistic style.
Calandra’s method, which she calls “automatic painting”, emphasizes fluidity and spontaneity. Using organic forms and bold brushstrokes, her work conveys an almost meditative stream of consciousness. Saturated colors dominate her canvases, creating dynamic contrasts that oscillate between realism and dream-like abstraction. These pieces are not merely landscapes but explorations of human connection to nature, each stroke of the brush reflecting a sense of wonder and transcendence.
Recent works such as “Mont Sainte-Victoire”, “Red Light over Weir Island 2”, and “Chasin’ the Sun” highlight her ability to capture the unique atmospheres of diverse locations. Scheduled exhibitions at Half Gallery in New York and Los Angeles are set to feature these paintings, further establishing her as a significant figure in contemporary landscape art. Through her innovative approach, Calandra redefines the boundaries of the genre, breathing new life into the interplay between memory, emotion, and the natural world.
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