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Meet this month's featured artist, Jill Haack! We are constantly blown away by the beautiful nature scenes Jill captures through her art. She always seems to be on some exciting adventure outdoors. Check her out on Instagram and Facebook for regular inspiration.
From Jill: "My name is Jill Haack and I am an Artist and Art Instructor. I love spending time in my Garden Studio located in North Georgia. My work is inspired by the simple, majestic beauty found in nature. Vincent Van Gogh said “if you love nature, you will find beauty everywhere”. Painting is the way in which I express my creative visions, one brush stroke at a time. My Instagram page is filled with daily posts capturing the tranquility of nature found all around me, bringing forth new visions for my brushes to interpret. I enjoy working in all kinds of mediums which allows me to reach deeper into my creative side. Royal & Langnickel brushes are so versatile and they allow me to easily switch from watercolor to acrylic."
A: I have always enjoyed the arts and began creating in multiple mediums for as long as I can remember. Art is very much a part of my soul. My career began in Home and Garden Publishing where I held the role of Art Director. As my two children grew and became more independent, I became more focused on my love of Art and started teaching in my Garden Studio.
A: The first person to inspire me was Phyllis Moeller. Phyllis was a wonderful mentor who taught me how to paint when I was in Elementary School. I loved going to her home after school where I was able to express my creativity in a safe, warm and supportive environment. Phyllis' nurturing character inspired my dream to teach and share my passion for art by inspiring others to reach deep within themselves to sharing their gifts with others. I am so very blessed to be able to do what I do! Those who attend my classes or visit my studio find the environment to be one that invokes both creativity and peacefulness. My students learn so much more than just creativity in my classes, they learn about art history and some of the masters who have inspired my love for color such as Vincent Van Gogh, Georgia O'Keeffe and Dale Chihuly.
A: Royal & Langnickel's Synthetic Sable brushes are at the top of my favorites list as they are so versatile. I find that I am regularly working on multiple pieces at the same time using several different mediums. The brushes allow me to switch from one medium to another quickly. I find these brushes to be the best fit in my studio where I keep an inventory of them on hand for my students. I also favor the Zen brushes when painting "en plein air" (which is a phrase borrowed from the French meaning "painting in the open air") with my acrylic and oil paints. Gold Taklon brushes are another favorite as the stiffness of the brushes work wonderfully when I need to create sharp lines.
A: I have enjoyed working in many different mediums throughout my career. I particularly enjoy working with mixed media. Mixed media art refers to a visual art form that combines a variety of media contributing to a single piece. For example, layering color pencils and watercolors or pastels and acrylic paint. Many effects can be achieved by using mixed media. I enjoy layering media manipulating them to do what they do best!
A: Nature inspires my creativity on a daily basis. Whether I am painting at the garden, on the beach, or in the forest, nature provides a simple, humbling beauty like no other. I enjoy taking photographs which I use as a reference when I am painting. I am a member of a photography group in which photographers share their images with artists. Sometimes these images speak to my soul asking me to pick up a brush and paint them. My painting entitled 'Love at First Sight in the Garden', a 36 x 28 acrylic painting was inspired by a photograph taken by the talented Rod Rolt. I have also collaborated with the talents of Dick Kaplan, Russ Bridges, Rod Rolt, Shannon Egendoerfer, Deb Frank, Pat Brandon, Robert Richardson, John Frost, Pete Howell, Moyra Turton, Katie Horrocks, Michael Gibbons, and Valentine Chicks to produce some of my pieces.
A: I have always known that I wanted to use my creativity to make a living. Art is a part of who and what I am. I enjoy reaching within my own self to share the beauty of this world, through my own visions and the marriage between my hands and a paintbrush as they make their way to the canvas. I am able to do this by sharing my love of the arts with others making this chapter of my life my favorite. Life is too short to not find a way to use your passions to spread light to others.
Royal & Langnickel - Art & Craft
