Andrew Faulkner is a California-based artist whose abstract landscapes fuse bold color, shifting light, and layered texture to evoke a sense of place. A former graphic designer and lifelong painter, Andrew blends structure and spontaneity in works inspired by coastal scenes, wooded preserves, and open spaces from Maine to Marin County. “I’m really all about using color to define space,” he says. “It’s experimentation after experimentation to get that kind of richness to happen.” Born into a creative lineage—his great-grandfather was a professional painter, and his father, grandfather, and brother were all architects—Andrew grew up in Washington, D.C. and studied painting at Trinity College, where he was mentored by colorist George Chapman, a student of Josef Albers. His early influences include Matisse, Diebenkorn, and Hockney, whose vibrant palettes and compositional play helped shape Andrew’s artistic voice. Before committing full-time to painting, Andrew ran a successful design studio in the San Francisco Bay Area. During that time, his illustrations appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and Marin Magazine. He later transitioned into fine art after a pivotal workshop reignited his passion for color and abstraction. Working primarily in oil and cold wax, Andrew builds layered compositions on canvas using brush and palette knife. He often paints multiple pieces at once, developing series like Pastoral Light and Electric Landscape that explore the boundary between realism and abstraction. His studio is located in the historic ICB building in Sausalito, where he works alongside 50 other artists. A Portland Art Gallery artist since 2020, Andrew frequently returns to Maine to visit family and stay connected to the region’s artistic energy. “Even on the quietest days,” he says, “light has a way of finding you.” Learn more about Andrew’s creative evolution and coastal inspirations on Radio Maine.