Helen Keller

Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan

What inspires you to paint?  How do you learn to listen to that still small voice inside when applying your brushstrokes or pencil marks?  This is a personal matter, but one of great importance.

This week I watched a very old video of one of my favorite people of all time, Helen Keller.  I was moved deeply and related what I saw to my own experience of listening to God with my spirit and translating what I hear from him into words with my brush, palette knife and paint.

The younger students of mine may not know who Helen Keller.  Helen became deaf, blind, and mute as a very young toddler and lost touch with the outside world.  Her teacher, who you will see in the video, was Anne Sullivan.  She found a way to reach young Helen, and the rest is history.

Please enjoy this video.  I encourage you to place your own fingers in the same position in the video and and experience what Helen did.  Think of the intimacy that you would feel if you had to place your fingers on another persons lips, vocal chords, and nose, in order to understand what they were saying.  Think of having that same intimacy with God in all that you do.  - Jill Saur

VIDEO

Painting Class Roswell, GA

"No amount of skillful invention can replace the essential element of imagination." - Edward Hopper

Please enjoy these new photos of my students with their new works of art.  Also, Pat had a great showing and sale of her work this past weekend.  The second and third photos are of her with her work.

Please send me an email if you are interested in taking drawing or painting classes with me. CLICK HERE.  If you would like to see more of my students work or learn about my art classes, please visit my website.  CLICK HERE.

Painting Class - Roswell, GA

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes.  Art is knowing which ones to keep." - Scott Adams

Please enjoy these beautiful works of art by my illustrious students.  I'm so proud of your accomplishments!

The following is a quote that I read to my class today regarding values in painting.  As most of you know, I'm always stressing the importance of using tonal values (light and shade) in your work.  Camille Corot, the artist and teacher, instructed Pissaro: "You are an artist, you don't need any advice save this:  You must study value above all."

Values are tones; different tonalities are achieved by the effects of light and shade.  By portraying highlights, transitional lights, core of the shadow, reflected light, and cast shadows, you are able to emulate the third dimension in your artwork.  

Happy Painting! - Jill

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