Artist Statement

“ My realistic landscape and figurative paintings feature a harmony of vivid colors that represent the unique light and mood of a scene. While they almost look like a photograph from a distance, one could still see visible brushstrokes of details when seeing them up close.

   To achieve this, I work with traditional oil paints on smooth surface panels. First, I capture and edit my own photos, inspired by my surroundings, then I proceed to create a pencil drawing to compose the overall design. Once I have a vision and feeling in mind, I work in multiple layers from top to button, incrementally improving the values, colors, and highlights until they accurately compose the feeling of the painting.

   Being in harmony with my surroundings is a core memory of my childhood that I aim to carry in every painting. For me, realism serves as an anchor in a precise moment, allowing me to fully immerse in positive emotions and making them last forever. I see each of my paintings as a conversation: they capture the attention from a distance with an interesting subject and they become a captivating intimate conversation when approaching. “

Artist Bio

Adriana Eftimie is a Romanian American oil painter residing on Martha’s Vineyard, MA. Her work centers around figurative art, including landscapes inspired by her surroundings and animal portraits.

  Born and raised in Romania, Adriana grew up in a family of creators, with her mother being a dressmaker and her grandfather a tailor. After first inclinations with drawing, her passion for the arts expanded to theater play when moving to Bucharest at the age of 14. Next to her involvement in the theater troupe “Catharsis”, she would also organize theater festivals and contribute as drawing educator for summer schools.

  Moving to Martha’s Vineyard (MA) in 2016, Adriana started to paint in oils, joined by intense studies of literature to expand her artistic knowledge and skills. Working together with the renowned portrait painter Elizabeth Whelan as her art mentor, she became a full-time artist in 2021. 

  Adriana Eftimie is an award-winning artist; her work has been exhibited in both commercial galleries and institutions such as the Vineyard Haven Public Library. Her work can be found in many private collections around the world. She also created illustrations for the children’s book "Men of Snow” written by Michael Grant.

  Together with Whelan, she is creating and hosting the TV Show called “Art Adventures”, which airs on MVTV channel 6 every Thursday at 6pm. You can find more about the TV show and watch episodes at https://www.artadventures-tv.com.

Photo credit: Larisa Stinga Photography

Special Recognitions and Awards:

• 1st Place Award In The Oil Category Of Pet Portrait Contest By Trekell Art Supplies

• Creativity Award, Romania's Education Secretary