Vincent van Gogh is one of the most influential artists of all time, inspiring countless of aspiring artists for many generations. His distinctive swirling patterns and his application of thick oil paint on canvas has become his signature painting technique. The iconic Dutch artist has created over 2,000 artworks but his Starry Night is undoubtedly the most famous of all. Even now, the Starry Night still serves as a great source of inspiration among artists and musicians alike. One of these artists is Aja Trier, a NYC-based artist who uses van Gogh’s style on her artworks. In fact, one of her paintings got mistaken for a van Gogh piece due to its thick swirls of paint. Now, she launches her Starry Night Dog Series inspired by van Gogh’s famous painting with an amusing twist.
Trier started her painting business Sagittarius Gallery in 2003 and has worked as a full-time artist since then. She recalls how she was fascinated by van Gogh’s paintings when she was young. Her admiration to van Gogh grew deeper when she finally saw one of his paintings in person during a college trip in 2001. Since then, she has been analyzing post-impressionism, particularly following van Gogh’s thick strokes and swirling patterns. She also puts her own style by adding more vivid colors to the painting.
In 2011, Trier painted a piece called “Seine” that featured the Eiffel Tower against a starry night sky. When she posted the image to sell it online, people began sharing the photo on Pinterest. Some people mistook the piece for a van Gogh original creation. And when they put the caption ‘Eiffel Tower by van Gogh’, the image quickly scattered throughout social media. The misapprehension grew to such an extent that even a French educational site has featured “Seine” as van Gogh’s authentic painting of Paris’ famous landmark.
Trier’s painting of the Eiffel Tower got mistaken for a van Gogh creation that photos of it rapidly spread over social media
Trier attempted to correct the misunderstanding by explaining that van Gogh could’ve never painted the Eiffel Tower.
“He (van Gogh) had moved to the south of France on February 20, 1888, well before the tower was completed. He never returned to Paris. The tower wasn’t completed until March 1, 1889.”, she explains.
In other words, van Gogh couldn’t possibly paint a tower that he never saw. However, the incident gave Trier a brilliant idea. And this paved way for her van Gogh Never series. This collection of paintings features things that van Gogh never saw. Using the Starry Night style, she adds whimsical characters such as Snoopy, Totoro, Simba, Winnie the Pooh, and more. And now, she introduces her Starry Night Dog Series that presents adorable dogs under a swirling starry night.
Here are some of the best pieces in the Starry Night Dog Series:
The good news is, you can actually buy these van Gogh-inspired paintings on the artist’s Etsy shop. If you love van Gogh and dogs, this Starry Night Dog Series is the ultimate piece of artwork for you.
Source: Starry Night Dogs | Etsy