About the Artist

Liliana Thelander started her art career with stained glass. She had the desire to improve her ability to design and draw her own patterns. While taking drawing classes, she discovered a whole new side of art. Drawing lead to painting, opening up a whole new world of color and observation.

Liliana was born in Caracas, Venezuela where she studied Computer Science at Nueva Esparta University.  She went into the banking industry and needed to learn English, which brought her to Virginia Beach. Here she met her soon to be husband Edwin Thelander, a Navy SEAL. In 2006, Liliana relocated with her husband and three young children to Mid Coast Maine.

Liliana’s contemporary realistic style of painting strives to build form and create mood by emphasizing atmosphere with a dramatic use of light. Her paintings are meant to be enjoyed at a distance and close up where they are filled with nuances. She uses oils to make her paintings come to life, with a natural eye for detail, and a keen observation of light and color. Her subjects are inspired by moments in family life, weathered objects like bottles, toys, marbles or old boxes with lots of texture, the Maine scenery and animals, either birds, pets or in the wild. She does commissioned work and her favorite genre is still life and animal portraits.

Some of the places where her work has been exhibited are Mast Cove Galleries, the Kefauver Studio & Gallery in Damariscotta, Summer Island Studio in Brunswick, the Maine Art Gallery in Wiscasset, the Boothbay Region Art Foundation, the Tidemark Gallery in Waldoboro, the TIME Gallery in Portland, River Arts in Damariscotta, the Damariscotta River Grill, the National Audubon Society’s Project Puffin and Landing Gallery in Rockland. She is represented by Lincolnville Fine Art Gallery in Lincolnville, Pemaquid Art Gallery in New Harbor, and in Gifts at 136 in Damariscotta, ME. She is a member of Oil Painters of America.

She was awarded Outstanding Acrylic by the FAV 15% BoldBrush Competition for the month of April 2013, and FAV 15% for the month of July 2014. and January 2015.