For Bay Area painter Ali Hall, the California coastline is both subject and sanctuary. Working in atmospheric abstract realism, she transforms ocean horizons and shifting skies into softened, immersive memories shaped by light and emotion. What began as a personal return to painting during a period of recovery has evolved into a deeply intentional practice centered on restoration, reflection, and connection. In this conversation, Hall shares how acrylic layering, intuitive mark-making, and creative wellness workshops all stem from a desire to create moments of stillness in a fast-moving world.

Under vast prairie skies and shimmering northern lights, Nicki Ault finds her deepest sense of belonging. Based in Saskatoon, the contemporary Canadian painter creates luminous landscapes that act as visual love letters to the Earth. Guided by intuition, memory, and a profound emotional connection to the natural world, Ault translates late afternoon light, boreal forests, and endless grasslands into paintings filled with warmth and humanity. In this heartfelt conversation, she reflects on discovering her identity as a Highly Sensitive Person, embracing spontaneity in the studio, and reaching major milestones that affirmed her path as a full-time artist.

In her luminous paintings of smoke, shifting light, and dense Pacific Northwest forests, Kendra Larson invites viewers into a space where landscape becomes both emotional mirror and living system. Based in Portland, Oregon, Larson reflects on awe, folklore, environmental consciousness, and the thin boundary between the visible and invisible. In this thoughtful conversation, she shares how residencies, teaching, and gallery leadership inform a practice grounded in presence, wonder, and the quiet intelligence of place.

Presented by Create! Magazine and Visionary Art Collective, Of Land & Longing is a curated virtual exhibition showcasing contemporary artists from around the world who explore landscape as muse and metaphor. Through traditional and abstract interpretations, this show reflects on themes of place, identity, and our connection to the natural world. Featuring a digital catalog and global visibility, the exhibition honors the power of nature and memory in contemporary art.

Discover the finalists and special mentions for Of Land & Longing, a global virtual exhibition celebrating contemporary landscape art, curated by Create! Magazine and Visionary Art Collective.

Painter Claire Elliott reflects on her deep connection to gardens, the concept of plant blindness, and the tension between nature and control. In this interview, she shares the evolution of her practice, the inspiration behind her striking botanical paintings, and how she captures the wild, overlooked, and mysterious life of plants.

Discover how Sacramento-based artist Jennifer Peart blends nature, mid-century design, and sci-fi influences into her visionary landscapes. In this Art & Cocktails podcast episode, she shares her creative journey, inspirations, and tips for artists looking to find their voice and visual language.

Jennifer Peart’s work bridges the worlds of nature and science fiction, blending mid-century architecture, landscape painting history, and imaginative world-building. Through unconventional colors, textures, and spatial inversions, her paintings serve as portals to alternative realities, inviting viewers to rethink our relationship with the environment and the future of our planet.

Discover how Emily Jeffords, an abstract impressionist painter, built a thriving art career outside traditional galleries. Learn her tips on pricing, marketing, eco-friendly art practices, and creating a fulfilling creative process in this inspiring Art & Cocktails podcast episode.