by Courtney Butler
Acrylic on Canvas
14'“ x 11”
$750
Moo-ve! Get out the way! came from a place of needing a little lightness. Those moments when life starts to feel a bit heavy, but something small and obscure will make you laugh anyway. There is a tenderness in the cow's expression behind those big goggles, as if she's trying to understand the world while still choosing to find the excitement and joy within it all. I wanted the colors to feel warm, alive, and unapologetically cheerful. A quiet reminder that softness, humor, and wonder can be their own kind of strength.
Artist Biography:
Courtney Butler is an emerging fine artist based in Southern California whose work blends atmospheric realism with a Mystical Surrealism sensibility. Drawing on a long career in marketing and advertising, she brings a sharp eye for narrative, composition, and mood to every piece she creates. Working primarily in acrylics on canvas and wood, Courtney is drawn to cinematic lighting, reflective surfaces, and quiet, in between moments that feel both familiar and slightly otherworldly. Her paintings often suggest a story just outside the frame, inviting viewers to linger in the tension between reality and imagination. Originally from Poughkeepsie, New York, Courtney studied in Boston before relocating to North County San Diego, where she continues to build her studio practice alongside her role in casino and entertainment marketing. This dual path informs her disciplined approach to craft and her strategic focus on exhibition opportunities and collector relationships. Courtney actively participates in regional art walks, gallery shows, and juried exhibitions, viewing each presentation as both a creative milestone and a chance to connect directly with audiences. As her body of work evolves, she remains committed to exploring the emotional weight of light, shadow, and color, using them as tools to capture small, charged moments that feel like fragments of a larger dream.
Artist Statement:
My work lives in the space between the real world and the one we only visit in memory, dreams, and déjà vu. I'm drawn to scenes that feel like you've just arrived a moment too late or a moment too early... wet streets after the storm, quiet corners, and liminal spaces charged with possibility.
Working primarily in acrylic on canvas and wood, I build up layers of transparent and matte color to create depth, glow, and atmosphere. I'm especially interested in how light carves out emotion: a cold blue shadow, a warm streetlamp, or a reflection in a puddle can shift a scene from comforting to unsettling in an instant.
My background in advertising and marketing trained me to think in stories, and that instinct is at the heart of my painting practice. Each piece begins with a mood first...a feeling of anticipation, solitude, or quiet magic... and then I construct the visual world around that emotional core. I want viewers to step into the painting and sense their own narrative unfolding, as if the image were a still from a film they recognize but can't quite place.
Ultimately, my goal is to create work that feels intimate and cinematic at the same time: personal, yet open enough for others to find themselves in it. If a viewer pauses, leans in, and has the sense that they've "been here before," I know the painting has done its job.
by Courtney Butler
Acrylic on Canvas
14'“ x 11”
$750
Moo-ve! Get out the way! came from a place of needing a little lightness. Those moments when life starts to feel a bit heavy, but something small and obscure will make you laugh anyway. There is a tenderness in the cow's expression behind those big goggles, as if she's trying to understand the world while still choosing to find the excitement and joy within it all. I wanted the colors to feel warm, alive, and unapologetically cheerful. A quiet reminder that softness, humor, and wonder can be their own kind of strength.
Artist Biography:
Courtney Butler is an emerging fine artist based in Southern California whose work blends atmospheric realism with a Mystical Surrealism sensibility. Drawing on a long career in marketing and advertising, she brings a sharp eye for narrative, composition, and mood to every piece she creates. Working primarily in acrylics on canvas and wood, Courtney is drawn to cinematic lighting, reflective surfaces, and quiet, in between moments that feel both familiar and slightly otherworldly. Her paintings often suggest a story just outside the frame, inviting viewers to linger in the tension between reality and imagination. Originally from Poughkeepsie, New York, Courtney studied in Boston before relocating to North County San Diego, where she continues to build her studio practice alongside her role in casino and entertainment marketing. This dual path informs her disciplined approach to craft and her strategic focus on exhibition opportunities and collector relationships. Courtney actively participates in regional art walks, gallery shows, and juried exhibitions, viewing each presentation as both a creative milestone and a chance to connect directly with audiences. As her body of work evolves, she remains committed to exploring the emotional weight of light, shadow, and color, using them as tools to capture small, charged moments that feel like fragments of a larger dream.
Artist Statement:
My work lives in the space between the real world and the one we only visit in memory, dreams, and déjà vu. I'm drawn to scenes that feel like you've just arrived a moment too late or a moment too early... wet streets after the storm, quiet corners, and liminal spaces charged with possibility.
Working primarily in acrylic on canvas and wood, I build up layers of transparent and matte color to create depth, glow, and atmosphere. I'm especially interested in how light carves out emotion: a cold blue shadow, a warm streetlamp, or a reflection in a puddle can shift a scene from comforting to unsettling in an instant.
My background in advertising and marketing trained me to think in stories, and that instinct is at the heart of my painting practice. Each piece begins with a mood first...a feeling of anticipation, solitude, or quiet magic... and then I construct the visual world around that emotional core. I want viewers to step into the painting and sense their own narrative unfolding, as if the image were a still from a film they recognize but can't quite place.
Ultimately, my goal is to create work that feels intimate and cinematic at the same time: personal, yet open enough for others to find themselves in it. If a viewer pauses, leans in, and has the sense that they've "been here before," I know the painting has done its job.
