Justin T. Worrell is a Virginia-based Tonalist landscape artist.
Justin T. Worrell at a glance
- Nationality: American
- Based in: Springfield, Virginia
- Known for: Moody, atmospheric Tonalist landscapes
- Medium: Oil painting, using thin paint and a dry brush
- Training: Art League in Alexandria, Virginia, from about 2014, with Mike Francis
- Influences: George Inness, J.M.W. Turner and Dennis Sheehan
- Memberships: Signature artist with the American Tonalist Society
- Website: justintworrell.com
“I do not paint landscapes. I paint compromise between the temporal and eternal. I work to this effect through atmospheric, moody, and sublime images that are typically derived from my imagination.”
Justin T. Worrell applies paint thinly and uses a dry brush technique to create dreamy atmospheric contemporary Tonalist works, seeking to find compromise between the temporal and eternal realms in hopes of arriving at a heightened spiritual existence.
Justin T. Worrell’s interest in art began early in his life, and he fondly recalls sitting beside his grandmother in her home studio asking questions and observing the craft firsthand, though he largely painted as a hoby when time would allow.
Justin T. Worrell began more formal training as an oil painter around 2014 at the Art League in Alexandria, VA with local artists under the tutelage of Mike Francis, and he quickly found inspiration from Dennis Sheehan, attending workshops and study sessions with the Tonalist Master in Manchester, NH.
Justin T. Worrell’s primary artistic influences include George Inness, J.M.W. Turner, and Dennis Sheehan, and he works toward a picture’s resolution by conjuring amorphous and semi-abstract forms constituted by intense light, which acts as a causeway between the temporal and the eternal spirit.
Justin T. Worrell is a juried member of the Oil Painters of America and an Exhibiting Member with the Art League, and his work is exhibited and collected both nationally and regionally in the Mid-Atlantic area, recieving several awards recognizing the merit of his work.
- Based in Virginia.
- Based in Springfield, Virginia.
- His style is contemporary Tonalism.
- Influenced by George Inness and Dennis Sheehan.
- Juried member of Oil Painters of America.
Justin T. Worrell’s pictures represent a modern expressive school of Tonalism, frequently finished in one sitting, though occasionally a revisit is required to fully resolve the picture, and his work is often described as atmospheric, moody, and sublime, offering a spiritual experience to the viewer.
Justin T. Worrell lives in Springfield, VA with his wife Janessa, their two children Arden and Turner, dog Pinot, and cat Sadie, and he also deeply enjoys Seattle Seahawk football, anything having to do with French history and culture, and has a fine collection of American comic books.
Art Category Fact: Tonalism is an American art movement that emerged in the late 19th century, characterized by atmospheric landscapes with a limited palette of soft, muted colors to evoke mood and emotion, with George Inness and James McNeill Whistler being key figures, and it laid the groundwork for later abstract movements.
“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” Edgar Degas
Justin T. Worrell shares more of his tonalist landscapes on his own website, justintworrell.com.