Joan Colomer Valls - Landscape with Workers

"I'd like to have Beruete's touch, Sorolla's light, Hopper's balance, Corot's gracefulness, Daubighny's vision, Monet's colour, Vermeer's mystery, Mauve's atmosphere, and Velazquez's knowledge" - Joan Colomer Valls

Joan Colomer Valls was born in San Feliu De Pallerols, Catalonia in 1965, surrounded by the rich countryside of the region and a family of artists. After graduating from his degree in philosophy and liberal arts, the young Colomer relocated to Madrid, spending much time travelling to educate himself in the techniques of the master painters. The artist's remarkable talent and work speaks for itself as undeniable evidence that he was destined to paint.

Colomer is known for his outstanding depictions of texture and depth, with the highly respected ability to create paintings which are incredibly true to life. Often painting scenes at sunset or with clouded moody skies, he imbues the landscape with atmosphere and emotion, having been quoted that for him, the sky is the most important part of the piece, setting the overall tone for the work - "Slowly, one colour calls another; it's nearly a question of obedience. I can't force the harmonies. They just flow from my hand."

In this piece, Colomer depicts a rural scene of two women working hard as the day draws to a close, with the dazzling sky projecting across the water. The immense harmony of his work gives the sense that he is orchestrating the landscape, with his paintbrush like a conductor's baton.

"I live to paint [...] If I paint a landscape, it is because it has brought to my mind some remembrances and associations that I have to express urgently. I never know which way the painting will go while I'm working because sometimes the painting comes to life and develops its own destiny"

"The roots of my artistic expression are both deeply cerebral and emotional. I realized this one morning, looking at my father, who was about to start a new work. He stood there, looking at a blank canvas for a long time. I tried to feel what was happening in those moments, an impulse, and urgent necessity of self-expression. Having everything ready, his hand started to form. At that time I realized that Leonardo was right: painting is a mental act".

Artist Name:Joan Colomer Valls (1965)