Connecting With Your Subject Matter in Art

 Connecting With Your Subject Matter

Painting By Andrew Wyeth – American Master Artist  (1917-2009)

Written by Jill Saur

The best way to connect with others through your art, is if you're connected to what you're expressing.  

Andrew Wyeth was the quintessential example of a true American artistic genius. He was my favorite American Artist.  Andrew’s disciplined artistic journey began as a young boy. His respect for the human spirit never wavered.  Andrew Wyeth once said, “I search for the realness, the real feeling of a subject, all the texture around it, I always want to see the third dimension of something.  I want to come alive with the object.” Wyeth's desire was to capture a moment, not a frozen moment, but a fleeting moment. 

Obviously, the best way to capture a fleeting moment is to paint en plein air (the act of painting outdoors with the artist's subject in full view), setting up a still-life, or working with a live model.  For the sake of convenience, many artists work from a photograph.

When you're painting from a photograph, it's important to know the difference between a frozen moment and a fleeting moment. It's the fleeting moment that exudes feeling!  As an artist, if you're going to paint from a photo, try to paint from your own photo.  If you were compelled to pick up your camera, it's because something grabbed you that you wanted to remember and share with others.  If you take a photo of a sunrise over the ocean, you're going to remember the smell of the saltwater and the warmth of the sun on your face.  The feelings you experience in those fleeting moments are going to translate into your work as long as you stay connected to those feelings.  

On rare occasions, if I don't have a photo of something I want to paint, I use a copyright free image.  I only do that if I'm deeply connected with the subject matter and I'm not able to take the photo myself.   People can spot a phony a mile away and don't be mistaken, people can tell the difference between a painting that's wrought with feeling and a painting that's manufactured.  If I'm presenting my feelings to the world through my art, I better have feelings and they better be translatable through every stroke and nuance of color.

If you're interested in taking art classes with me in Roswell, Ga., please check out my website to see what my classes are all about.  www.JillSaurFineArt.com

Commission A Painting Atlanta, GA.

 

©1990-2023 Aspen by Jill Saur, all rights reserved

                                              BUY ORIGINAL ART

You walk into a gallery or browse through an artist's website, and all of a sudden, amidst the host of paintings, your attention is turned to just one.  Then, in the quietness of your observation, this image that has no literal voice, begins to speak to you, uplift your spirit, move your heart and make you smile.

The number one reason to buy an original work of art is because of how much you love it, and how it makes you feel.  People who buy original art have a lot to smile about!

A great painting inspirits the right hemisphere of our brains, stimulating ideas, and ideas are the root of creativity.  If you surround yourself with art that inspires, you will be inspired!

Studies in work environments have shown that the productivity of an employee is elevated by as much as 25% when they are exposed to original art in their everyday jobs. This doesn’t surprise me.  Art that makes us feel good can uplift our moods and give us a greater sense of well-being.  My patrons tell me that my art inspires them and the more they look at my work, the more they see.  The greatest two compliments I get are that my paintings exude ‘joy’ and that they're  displayed in a prominent place.

When you buy an original painting from me, your painting will become a family heirloom and be able to be passed down to subsequent generations. 

Original art also has aesthetic value.  It can either blend in with the natural décor of a room, or as many collectors prefer, it can stand out from everything else and be the focal point.  Because my art is vibrant,  full of life, and luminous,  most of my clients purchase my art to become the focal point of their room. 

When you buy a painting from me, you can continue to follow my work through my website and  blog.  I have a solid record of selling to collectors for the past twenty-nine years.  Read what my happy patrons have to say about collecting my work.  PATRONS COMMENTS

When you collect art from local and national artists who have spent years developing their style, technique, creativity and expertise, you become the impetus that keeps the renaissance of talented contemporary artists alive. - Jill Saur  

My website:  www.JillSaurFineArt.com

Corporate Art Atlanta, Ga.

 

©1990-2023 Aspen Art by Jill Saur, all rights reserved

Glowing with the light of the moon, these two 36"x 48" aspen tree paintings, "Circle of Quiet One" and "Circle of Quiet Two" were purchased by one of my collector's.

My oversized paintings are usually purchased to be the focal point of a big room.  It's also interesting to note that a larger work of art can actually make a smaller room appear to be much bigger than it actually is.  

My artwork hangs in both homes and corporations.  Please visit my website to see what my patrons have to say about purchasing my art and also read what they say about commissioning their own original with me.   CLICK HERE