Artist Elaine Kurie Conveys Serenity In Still-Life Paintings

Her Luminous Paintings Reflect Timeless Beauty and Harmony

Elaine Kurie is a Contemporary Realist oil painter from Sparta, New Jersey, whose artwork conveys a sense of quiet simplicity and serenity. Common place inanimate objects are elevated to a place of timeless beauty and sophisticated elegance.

Silver Vase, oil on linen, 22” x 28”

The artist’s subdued minimalist compositions reflect her interests in balance, order, and harmony. She purposely distills the objects to their essential forms and uses smooth almost undetected brushstrokes.

She states, “I avoid extraneous details or flourishes. In this way, images emerge that reflect the stillness of the moment and the subject’s inherent strength.”

Turquoise Vase with Lemon, oil on board, 30” x 24″

Instead of merely replicating what she observes in the physical realm, Kurie creates a transcendent experience for the viewer which she carefully plans and masterfully executes.

“When I begin to set up the objects in a still life arrangement, I often think of an abstract concept such as ‘growth’ or ‘connections’ or perhaps ‘support’ and I keep that in mind as I change the positions of the objects until the arrangement suggests one of my initial concepts.”

Peony, oil on canvas, 22” x  28”

She works under natural, ambient light and exercises restraint in selecting her color palette.

“I paint not so much a collection of objects as such, but rather the surrounding atmosphere and the mood evoked by certain lighting conditions on the still life set-ups in my studio. To that end, light forms the basis of my work and it not only defines the subjects that I paint, it often becomes the subject itself as the interplay of light patterns and shadows become compositional elements of their own.”

Green Apple, oil on canvas, 30″ x 40″

One of Kurie’s oil paintings titled “Green Apple” was recently selected for the Manhattan Arts International “Celebrate The Healing Power of Art” 2014 competition and exhibition juried by Lilly Wei, an art critic for Art in America magazine, and independent curator, from New York, NY.

On this subject, Kurie states, “Tranquil images can calm us, reduce stress, and improve our well-being. My paintings celebrate the healing power of art by inviting us into a quiet stillness that leads our minds to a place of rest, renewal, and healing.”

Magnolia, oil on linen, 30” x 24”

Elaine Kurie’s paintings are in numerous private collections and have been shown in many exhibitions, including those at the prestigious Forum Gallery and National Arts Club, in New York, NY, and the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, in NJ. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including those from Grumbacher, Dynasty Brush, Manhattan Arts International and Allied Artists of America.

According to The Artist’s Magazine that presented her with an important award: “Subtlety is an art form in Elaine Kurie’s minimalist still lifes. Hard edges recede into diffused lines and whites and grays make seamless transitions in temperature. Simple objects become precious in their isolation.”

Still Life with Wheat, oil on linen, 30” x 40”

About her work, art critic Marion Filler of the New Jersey Herald writes: “The stillness of the moment and the ephemeral light that defines it are subjects that challenge Elaine Kurie. If the subject sounds difficult, it is. But this artist makes it look easy. Working in a realistic style, she takes great care in the selection and arrangement of subjects, composing still lifes and portraits of exceptional beauty and luminosity.”

Deer Skull, oil on board, 30” x 24”

Elaine Kurie is also a teacher on the faculty of The Center For Contemporary Art, Bedminster, NJ, and finds it extremely satisfying. “My greatest reward in teaching is being thanked by my students for pushing them beyond what they thought they could accomplish.”

In addition to her fine art career, she provides anatomical illustrations for the medical field. Her illustrations have appeared on the covers of many medical journals and healthcare publications, such as Neurosurgery and Women’s Health in Primary Care.

To view more of Elaine Kurie’s art work, visit her website at www.elainekuriestudio.com