My work is driven by a desire to evoke the mood and drama of the natural wilderness. Through expressive brushwork and intentional color, I aim to fill a space with the emotional atmosphere of a fleeting moment outdoors—whether it’s the eerie stillness of a misty winter morning, the golden blaze of autumn light, or the hopeful energy of early spring.

Water is my muse—the place where movement, light, and life intersect. Rivers, waterfalls, swamps, and lakes are recurring subjects in my work, offering an ever-changing surface that reflects both nature and emotion. I see the water as the protagonist in each scene, with trees, grasses, and wind acting as a supporting cast, dancing around the current and shifting with each moment.

My process is divided between working outdoors en plein air when inspiration strikes in real time and collecting reference photographs—either ones I’ve taken myself or found through the AllTrails website—for places I haven’t visited. These images explore diverse terrains across the country, all connected by a common thread: the presence of a body of water. This approach has led to an ambitious, ongoing series—painting landscapes from all 50 states—to create a unified body of work that celebrates the breadth and variety of the American wilderness.

I am equally invested in both large-scale canvases and intimate, jewel-like studies. The smaller works compress the immensity of a place into a concentrated composition, while the larger pieces unfold expansively, offering viewers a sense of immersion and grandeur. Together, these two modes of working balance intimacy with monumentality, mirroring the dual experience of encountering the natural world: the awe of vast panoramas and the quiet poetry of small, fleeting details.

My artistic lineage is grounded in the bold design and expressive color of Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven, whose radical approach to the Canadian landscape continues to resonate in my work. I also draw inspiration from William Wendt and the California Impressionists, whose structural approach to composition deeply influences how I construct space within my paintings.

With a background in illustration, I approach painting as visual storytelling. My goal is not simply to represent a scene but to transform it into an experience—one that invites the viewer to pause, breathe, and feel the rhythm of the land and water. Ultimately, my work is an exploration of beauty that uplifts and stirs the spirit, carrying forward the long tradition of landscape painting while pushing it into new, personal territory.

Bio.

Olivia Perreault is a contemporary landscape painter whose work captures the movement, light, and emotional atmosphere of the natural world. Born in central Massachusetts, she began creating at a young age and further developed her talent through county and national art competitions during her youth in Upstate New York. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Illustration from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2016 and was awarded the Brandon Fellowship at the Greenville Center for Creative Arts in 2017–2018, an experience that marked the beginning of her professional career.

Olivia works in heavy-body acrylic on wood, mixed media art boards, linen, and paper. Impressionistic in style, her paintings employ expressive brushwork, layered color, bold lines, and fluid compositions to create dynamic landscapes. Her work ranges from intimate studies to expansive canvases.

She has received recognition including “Best Weather Drama” at the 2023 Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival and multiple honors from the Metropolitan Arts Council. Olivia has exhibited nationally and regionally, with solo, duo, and group shows at venues such as Art & Light Gallery, Greenville Metropolitan Arts Council, Falls Tower Gallery, The Abney House, Greenville Center for Creative Arts, The Woodlands, The Art Cellar, The Haywood Mall, Hartness, Westys Antiques, Capello Salon, Lake Conestee Nature Preserve, Spartanburg’s Spruce Interiors, McCormick Community Center, South Carolina Arts Foundation, Metropolitan Gallery and Art Consultancy in Austin, Anne Irwin Fine Art in Atlanta, The Charlotte Art Salon, and in Marion, Indiana at 1920 Gallery, The Abbey Coffee Shop, Main Street Marion Pop-up and Marion General Hospital. Her work has also been featured in Belle Magazine, the Greenville Journal, and Greenville Art Buzz.

Based in Greenville, South Carolina, Olivia draws inspiration from her local environments while pursuing a nationwide series of landscapes inspired by a variety of scenes across America. Since 2017, she has continued to explore and celebrate the breadth, beauty, and emotive power of the natural wilderness.