Artist John Haag

Born in 1980 into a family of rich artistic heritage, John Haag was surrounded by great art at an early age. His father, an accomplished oil painter in his own right, always had a studio in the home and some of Johns earliest memories are of watching his father painting and spending afternoons in galleries and museums. Despite growing up amidst paint fumes and trips to galleries, Haag never tried his own hand at painting until after graduating from high school. I never really felt any desire to draw or paint myself, but looking back I now realize that the process was fascinating to me and that I watched and listened intently form an early age. Being immersed in that artistic process was the seed to my love of painting, says John. Working extensively from life, Haag has chosen to follow in the footsteps of the great masters of the 19th century. By taking his canvas to the source itself, he powerfully captures the essence of his subjects. I strive to capture the subtle beauty of that fleeting moment in my subjects. By stripping away the details and finding the raw essence I seek to create a simpler, truer form of what I see, says John. By using a wide variety of surface textures and applications, Haag seeks to create a visual tapestry that transports the viewer into a space of beauty and intimacy. I seek to focus my creative powers on creating work that uplifts and enriches. My work is the result of an ongoing personal artistic journey that began with my love of the impressionist and classical representational painters of the late 19th century, says John. Influenced by 1870s French figurative master Jules Bastien-Lepage, my work is a fusion of these two artistic movements. I believe we have an innate need for beauty. We seek after it. We are drawn toward it. Whether through music, literature or visual design, it brings us closer to a place we long to be. It is my desire that people experience this through my art.