Reflection in the Fields
oil on canvas, 48x72
2004
Artist John Torina
From the collection of Dr. and Mrs. Danny Weiss
John Torina is a Memphis native, where he completed a Bachelors of Fine Arts at the Memphis Art Academy (now Memphis College of Art). He is a devoted admirer of the great Asian, European, and American landscape painting traditions, and has traveled the world seeking out new natural settings, where he paints directly from life, in the en plein air method. In his words, "I find the challenge in painting is to materialize a state of intense pantheistic awareness. In this raw attention to nature, painting is a physical, mental, and spiritual struggle that leads to a deep level of contemplation."
Reflection in the Fields (2004) is redolent with the atmospheric perspective and nuanced treatment of light that have come to be seen as signatures of the artist's approach. The vastness of the sky with its illuminated clouds reflecting upon the meadow beneath conveys a near divine presence. An otherworldly energy seems to pervade the entire scene.
