Pawley's Island Painting by Jill Saur

The smell of the ocean breeze and the lush inland marshes are what I love about Pawleys Island in South Carolina. This is a fairly new oil palette knife painting that I rendered in cobalt and turquoise blues.

"Symphony In Blue" is 14"x11"x.5" and is available to purchase by contacting me through my website.  www.JillSaurFineArt.com

©1990-2012 Marsh painting by Jill Saur, all rights reserved

Apple Still Life Painting by Jill Saur

This is my brand new 8"x10" oil palette knife painting, "Apple Appeal", that was inspired by spring shining forth its beauty here in Atlanta, GA.  This painting is all about joy, new endeavors, and seems to sing its own song right on the canvas.

This painting is available to purchase buy contacting me through my website.  I would love for you to become a collector and experience the joy of owning original artwork that uplifts and inspires the soul.  CLICK HERE

©1990-2012 Apple Still LIfe Painting by Jill Saur, all rights reserved

Lionfish

Creatures that are both breathtakingly beautiful and deadly at the same time intrigue me. The lionfish, with its long flamboyant pectoral fins and dazzling red-orange and white striped body, is one of those creatures. Second to the stingray, its sting is one of the most venomous fish in the ocean.

Although I've seen these fish in the wild, there’s a stunning exhibit of them in the Gatlinburg Aquarium, one of my favorite aquariums in the United States!

This 40"x30" oil painting on a wide border canvas, "Lion In Blue", has been in my private collection, but is now available on my website. www.JillSaurFineArt.com

©1990-2012 lionfish painting by Jill Saur, all rights reserved

The Giant Pacific Octopus

The Giant Pacific Octopus - This is a four foot by four foot acrylic painting on canvas and it represents my love for the sea and all the creatures therein! There would be no painting, if not for the permission to use a photo by dive instructor and photographer, Greg Dombowski, for reference. Thank you, Greg!  By the way, this painting can hang three different directions!  It has a wild ambiance at night with its warm glow.

I grew up by the ocean and have a strong love for the sea. My favorite reef that I've snorkeled was off Yasawa, Island in Fiji, truly paradise!  The ocean and all its creatures are a great gift!

This painting is available for purchase by contacting me through my website at www.JillSaurFineArt.com.  Thank you for viewing!  -  Jill Saur

©1990-2012 Giant Pacific Octopus by Jill Saur, all rights reserved

Frog Painting, In Memory Of My Friend

When I was a little girl, my best friend (who lived across the street) was hit by a car and killed instantly. Every day thereafter, when I came home from school, I sat out back by the edge of our pond. While my heart grieved, I listened to nature sing it's song, as if just to me.

There was this frog, this one little frog who appeared every day. Every time I spoke, he answered. I found him so amusing and in a way comforting. God used one of His little creatures to help me find my smile again.

My painting, "Little Blue Frog" will always remain dear to my heart as it reminds me not to miss the unexpected surprises to be found in nature.

www.JillSaurFineArt.com

©2006 Frog Painting by Jill Saur, all rights reserved

Rembrandt Laughing

Do you recognize this man?  It's Rembrandt!  He painted this self portrait, which was only discovered several years ago.  This painting only measures about 6"x8".  It's a little BIG work.

Rembrandt, a seventeenth century artist, brilliantly conveys the outward facial features of his laugh. Today, science has learned so much about what is actually going on in our brain when we laugh.

Rembrandt Laughing by Rembrandt

LAUGHTER TRULY IS THE BEST MEDICINE!  Laughter is the end result of the entire brain processing what's funny. Many functions of the brain only utilize one area, but laughter is sparked from every area of our brain! Follow the yellow brick road through this article and discover why "Laughter truly is the best medicine"!

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/human-biology/laughter4.htm

My tagline is "joy on canvas".   I can't help but paint the joy around me and I think it shows in my work.  We live in a world that is growing darker by the day.  But, the light still shines and that is where I put my focus.  And, I think I'll spend a little more time laughing!

www.JillSaurfineArt.com

Floral Still Life

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way, things I had no words for".  - Georgia O'Keeffe This is "Joyful Encounter".  This vibrant floral still life is an acrylic painting on canvas that measures 36"x36".  This piece has an abundant amount of texture because aside from my brush, I've used my palette knife to apply thick paint. I have been deeply inspired from the masters of the past who used rich brushstrokes to portray their art.  Paul Cezanne and Vincent Van Gogh are two of the masters that come to mind whose work I  admire. This painting is available to purchase by either contacting me through my website or visiting Matilda's Art Gallery in Historic Roswell, GA.  Thank you for viewing! - Jill Saur My website:  CLICK HERE

©199-2012 Floral Art by Jill Saur, all rights reserved

Trees In Art

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see."

Edgar Degas

"Sequestered Dreams" is a big painting with a lot of imagination.  It's playful in an elegant way.

The eyes on the birch and aspen trees have a way of mesmerizing the viewer.  I love aspen and birch trees because they symbolize giving, strength, reaching for the light, and connection.

This 36"x48" acrylic on canvas painting is available to purchase by contacting my through my website.

I would love for you to become a collector and experience the joy of owning artwork that uplifts and inspires your soul!  My website:  CLICK HERE

©1990-2012 Trees In Art by Jill Saur, all rights reserved

Apple Art

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." - Aristotle "Apple A'Day", is my new 8"x10"x.5" oil palette knife painting on canvas.  There is no doubt about it, this painting is cheerful, playful, and full of color.  It's available for purchase by contacting my through my website. www.JillSaurFineArt.com This little painting was inspired by my love for the simple things in life.  Apples are crisp, full of flavor, and really don't need anything else to make them any more special than they already are! -  My website:  CLICK HERE

©1990-2012 Apple Art by Jill Saur, all rights reserved

Butterfly Painting

"Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you". - Nathaniel Hawthorne

My 8"x10" acrylic butterfly on canvas painting, "The Feast", was inspired by a photography trip to the hills of Tennessee. I usually follow the butterflies, but this one seemed to follow me.

This butterfly painting is available on my website.  Thank you - Jill Saur

My website:  CLICK HERE

©1990-2012 Butterfly Art by Jill Saur, all rights reserved

"Never, never, never give up"! - Winston Churchill

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for". – Georgia O’Keeffe

This commission, “Hawaiian Splendor” is a 36”x48” acrylic on canvas.  I re-painted the ocean at least three times before I was happy with the results.

For me, there are three types of paintings that turn out well.

1.  The first type is the painting that flows effortlessly like a fine tuned symphony producing beautiful music.  I suppose it's like catching that "perfect wave" and riding it all the way to the shore.  I never give up!

2.  The second painting is the one that I wrestle with, painting certain areas again and again.  Actually, the ones I struggle with lead to new discoveries and results that surprise me.  They afford an opportunity for growth.  This struggle reminds me of the grain of sand in the oyster.  The oyster takes the discomfort and spins a beautiful pearl.  I never give up!

3.  The third painting is the one that I have no idea how to do.  I pray, asking God, the ultimate Creator, to show me what to do and to guide my brushes.  The exhilarating part is getting the answer and finding myself doing things with the paint that I've never done before. That’s why I never turn down commissions, they throw me out of my “comfort zone” and that’s where the magic happens!  I never give up!

Sometimes, I think I must be related to Winston Churchill because for better or worse,  I never, never, never give up! -  © 2012 Jill Saur

My website:  CLICK HERE

©1990-2012 Hawaiian Painting by Jill Saur, all rights reserved

Trees In Art

"If you reveal your secrets to the wind, you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees." 
- Khalil Gibran

My new 8"10".5" oil palette knife and brush painting, "Relinquished", is richly textured on the trees, revealing their "bone structure" against the value tones of winter. The title suggests that place in life where we relinquish ourselves and open up our hearts and minds to fresh inspiration and new possibilities.

I love aspens in winter. Their beautiful white trunks and dark branches mingle with the dark shadows cast upon the white snow, creating a profound beauty that is best experienced in silence.

This painting is available to purchase by contacting me through my website.  CLICK HERE

©2012, Trees In Art by Jill Saur, all rights reserved

Eliot O'Hara

Eliot O'Hara (1890-1961), Maine Seaside Town in Early Morning Fog, 1927, watercolor

My mother, Sandra Pope, had the opportunity to study with American Watercolorist,  Eliot O'Hara before he passed away in 1961.  He had a tremendous influence on her style and love for painting.  As I study this tree painting by Mr. O'Hara, I can't help but wonder if her soulful tree renderings were inspired by Eliot O'Hara himself!  It's more than likely that his influence on my mother has indirectly impacted my rendering of trees through watching my mother paint!  

"O'Hara was one of America's most widely respected watercolorists and teachers. In addition to an extensive exhibition record, he wrote eight books and produced more than 20 films on watercolor technique. His work can be found in more than 60 public collections, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Academy of Design, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the OMAA". - The Ogunquit Museum of American Art website:  

Eliot O'Hara (1890-1961), Maine Seaside Town in Early Morning Fog, 1927, watercolor

I suppose that we never truly know the ripples that our lives,  create in the life of another person.  To see my work, please visit my website.  CLICK HERE

Still Life Art by Jill Saur

Fresh off the easel, this is my new 8"x10"x1.5" palette knife pear painting. It's loaded with texture and drenched in soft, light hues. I've named it, "Gentle Touch".  It was inspired by something totally unrelated, Vincent Van Gogh's, "Sunflowers".

To buy this painting, or see more of my work, please visit my website:  CLICK HERE

©1990-2012 Pear Art by Jill Saur, all rights reserved

Pear Still LIfe Painting by Jill Saur

Fresh off the easel, my 6"x8"x1.5" palette knife oil painting, "Solitude", is textured vibrant, and full of movement.  I think that Vincent Van Gogh would agree that the shape of the pear is similar to the shape of the human figure.  When I render them, I pay attention to the nuance of the hues reflecting the light in the room and the subtle shape and curvature of line that defines it's own unique presentation.

I would love for you to become a collector of my art and experience the joy of owning original artwork that uplifts and inspires your soul!

  My website:  CLICK HERE

©1990-2012 Pear Still Life Painting by Jill Saur, all rights reserved

Abstract Trees In Art

Today, I reflected back on my 16"x20" acrylic abstract tree painting, "Fire and Water".  While painting this deeply emotional piece, I watched it emerge before my eyes as if I wasn't painting it, it was painting me!  

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and flame will not scorch you". Isaiah 43:2 

My website: CLICK HERE

©1990-2012 Trees In Art by Jill Saur, all rights reserved

Trees In Art

"A tree against the sky possesses the same interest, the same character, the same expression as the figure of a human." - Georges Rouault (French Painter) 1872-1958

Fresh off the easel, my 11"×14"x1" acrylic palette knife painting "Delightful Encounter",  has loads of texture. This painting was inspired by one of my "special trees" that I like to photograph down at the Chattahoochee River.

This painting is available to be purchased by contacting me through my website.

www.JillSaurFineArt.com

©1990-2012 Trees In Art byJill Saur, all rights reserved

Trees In Art

Trees in art, my favorite subject to paint!  What's the allure?  Since the beginning of time, in fact since Genesis, trees have been and continue to be used to teach us great lessons in life.  In art, I've been inspired by Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh's renderings of trees. 

However, the single painting that influenced my love for telling stories by rendering trees was one painting that I saw when I was a teenager.  In fact, I watched every stroke being applied as the soulful rendering of this one tree came to life.  The artist was my mother.  It was sort of a fantasy painting with a light that emanated deep inside the forest, where a little cabin rested comfortably in the woods.  It wasn't until years after my mother passed away that I heard my Uncle relate what he thought my mother was portraying in this painting.  It was the only time I ever saw my Uncle cry.  

We move so quickly in this world.  I hope as a people we don't forget to slow down and stop to enjoy the beauty and the meaning in our everyday lives! 

These two 36"x48" acrylic paintings on canvas are both for sale.  Although they are two separate works of art, they are meant to go together.  Separate, they stand alone, together, they complete one another!    www.JillSaurFineArt.com

©1990-2012 Trees In Art by Jill Saur, all rights reserved