Storm sea, 2011

April Gornik is an American artist, known for her Western Romantic paintings, though she considers herself a Conceptual artist. April Gornik is most famous for her landscapes, and in addition to oil painting on canvas, she also uses charcoal and does lithographs. One of her lithographs, and most successful pieces, Blue Moonlight, was the result of a commission by the Smithsonian Art Collectors Program. The piece, printed primarily in blue, shows a moon reflected in a river valley or bay, and highlights the dreamy, or imaginary aspects prominent in many of her landscapes. Another of April Gornik’s most famous works, Storm and Fires, is a landscape piece in charcoal and pastel on paper, and depicts a field fire and a far off storm. April Gornik's work draws heavily upon the American luminists, with their landscapes featuring tranquil waters and soft skies. However, she often alters those scenes with such additions as waterspouts or the aforementioned fire to lend a dream-like or imaginary quality to her efforts. (Artist website)