Athena Billias
I am fortunate in that I live in the depths of the Catskill Mountains. Hiking the hills has been a long time passion for me which has translated into the aesthetic exercise of recording the experience through painting. I hope my work communicates not only some of the familiar locations painted by the Hudson River School, but their love for nature in it's wild and pristene state.
Most of my paintings are influenced by the Hudson River School artists, but painted mostly on the
spot (not much studio work) and have the direct quick-dry effect of sketches. Some studio work employs the glazing methods of the old school masters. Outdoors, the thrill of watching the changes of the natural world, the light, the waterfalls, the weather, the seasons, is often augmented by feeling the presence of those famous artists of the past who climbed these very hills and stood at these very pinnacles to create their works. I know my art cannot reproduce what they did, but I hope to at least continue in their spirit.
