California Coast Vista (Montecito Peak) oil on canvas
Summer Sunset oil on canvas
T HOMAS VAN STEIN


Painting landscapes is a way for me to attune to nature. When I am painting, I try to remain receptive towards the environment, to be still, and see how everything comes together. I want to slow my eye down, in order to identify, then paint in a harmonious way, all the various relationships I see. Once the painting process begins, I strive to get out of the way, so the painting can paint itself.

My goal is to get to the configuration of my subject; for me it is more important to paint what the subject "feels" like rather than what it looks like, and when I no longer know what to state or edit out, then the painting is finished. I then say a prayer that the painting will take on a long life of its own.


Born in Pasadena, California, August 25, 1961

Education: MA, California State College, Northridge;

Pasadena Art Center


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