Courtney Prahl is an artist who resides in Urbana, Maryland, with her husband and two sons. She studied art at both Clarion University of Pennsylvania and Marymount University. Her focus always on houses and trees, but now she paints a variety of subjects including birds, butterflies, fruits, etc. Trees and houses had special meaning to her. She believes that trees are unique and one-of-a-kind, and like people, each with their own story to tell. Courtney says that houses on the other hand are symbolic of home, and that home is anything — people, a place, a house or even a mountain. A house gives people peace and it is where they know who they are without judgment.
At the beginning, her focus was primarily on the 3 dimensional arts but later translated into her work in mixed media collage. Believing that art should be attainable to all, Courtney contributes art to local charities and teaches art to children at the local shelter. Color plays a big part in her work, and she loves the juxtaposition of new and old materials and always incorporates vintage paper. May viewers enjoy how well she uses various colors and papers, and they like to examine her paintings. They especially like the composition, the so many intricate details, and the way she uses texture. By studying her art, many upcoming artists are trying to learn her style for their own paintings and realize that it takes them time to get it right. Her art is a great start for the budding artist.
