8 Modern Surreal Paintings, Visionary Art and Dreamscapes

This post features surreal paintings, dreamscapes and visionary art from the talented artists of our artist spotlight.

“Visionary art is art that purports to transcend the physical world and portray a wider vision of awareness including spiritual or mystical themes, or is based in such experiences.” – Wikipedia

“Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for its visual artworks and writings. The aim was to "resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality." Artists painted unnerving, illogical scenes with photographic precision, created strange creatures from everyday objects and developed painting techniques that allowed the unconscious to express itself.” Wikipedia

Dreamscapes are paintings based on dreams or a dream-like world.

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Teresa Young

Nova Scotia, Canada

Style: Abstract expressionism, surreal

Influences:
Well, since I tend to use the avatar name dalifan quite a bit, I guess I will have to admit I like Salvidor Dali. Other influences include Emily Carr, aboriginal art such as Haida art, H.R.Giger, and Gervaso Gallardo. I was probably influenced by Dungeons & Dragons as well, since I played that in high school when it was done without computers...

In the last decade, like most people, I've been exposed to games on consoles and computers, and I think the graphics there are quite gorgeous is some cases, so that have probably reinforced my leaning towards vivid complementary colour schemes.
Hiroko Sakai

California, U.S.A.

Style: Contemporary Surreal, Visionary

Influences:
My Art is often compared with Salvador Dali's because of melting clock, but honestly, I have not seen Dali's work so much.... one of my true inspirations is from Frida Kahlo for her naked expression of her emotions in her life, also I like Norman Rockwell's way to express life in humorous and intellectual way. I feel the depth of life from his works while his painting surface are... what you call... easy going?
Dan Cope

Tennessee, USA

Styles: Abstract, Visionary

I am a sixty one year old carpenter who has painted all his life without any lessons.

I do abstracts, mainly in acrylic, don't use brushes, just bits of paper, rubber bands, feathers or anything else that strikes my fancy. I like to work flat and wet, allowing the paint to seek it's own course. I call my theme,"edge". I try to get it between abstract and concrete.
Tanielle Childers

Colorado, United States

Style: Abstracts, dreamscapes

Influences:
I have so many art influences that are ever-changing and revolving and certain artists speak to me at different times in my life. I've always been inspired by Picasso for his 'painting what he thinks instead of what he sees', as well as 'art washing away from the soul, the dust of everyday life' for the emotion aspect.

Georgia O'Keefe, for being able to 'say things with colors and shapes that I couldn't say any other way'.Salvador Dali for "The secret of my influence has always been that it remained secret.”

In essence, I'm inspired by all art and all colors that surround me, but my art is my own and is influenced by something within myself that I struggle to describe. It's built in and exists in the stillness of my mind; I feel it, I see it, I paint it.
Lana Grant

New York, USA

Styles: Figurative, visionary art

Majestic Communion
48” x 36” oil
© Lana Grant
“Beautiful example of everlasting connection and balance between Earth and Cosmos.
** The upper triangle- represent the Helix Nebula-closest to us.
** The bottom triangle-represent heart of our planet -expending Red Star.”
Ted Barr

Israel

I’m painting horizontally on canvas, I use tar as the main medium with variations of oil colors, acrylics and lacquer.

All my paintings are multi layered as up to 25 layers.
Tim Seaward

France

Styles: Surreal; abstract; linear

Primarily, my work is for myself. I consider it a personal privilege to be able to "look" towards the abstract, and then allow my humanity to "play" with the interpretation. Once that happens, the next privilege is for my interpretation, mixed with my imagination, to make manifest what is in fact an inadequate human response to the abstract ... but it is a start. If others respond to what I do in any way (hate it or love it) then that is great.
Mehriban Efendi

Azerbaijan

Style: Surrealism

I am an international award winning artist working in surrealistic style of work which is coming from not mind but from “a heart home” of a soul which has more knowledge than a human being.