Jack Bair

Artist Statement

The open spaces are rapidly vanishing and I'm trying to preserve some of them on canvas before they're gone. I try to convey a sense of freedom and simplicity. My work has not been encumbered by a heavy burden of ideology or philosophy. My concern is more that the viewer's spirit is nourished in some way. Beauty is always, and unapologetically, the goal.

Naturalism would best describe my art. I paint things the way they naturally appear. I'm influenced by past and present artists such as Valazquez, Sorolla, Monet, Zorn, Sargent, Chase, Richard Schmid, Romel de la Torre, and Clayton Beck III .

This artist works directly from life. The act of painting is both exhilirating and exhausting. On location I carefully observe the scene, measure its placement, and draw with paint, block in areas of tones, buildling up brush strokes, thick over thin, fat over lean. I'll keep returning at the same time and weather until I've captured what compelled me to paint it in the first place. The painting will then return to the studio for a time as I consider a touch here or there.

When the viewer is moved by the work, we've made a connection - that's an important part of the whole process.