John Haddad

Around the turn of the 21st century I picked up a pencil and started sketching to relax at the end of my day.  I gradually introduced color into my drawings using color pencils and eventually watercolors.  Even though I found watercolors to be difficult in the beginning I had a lot of admiration for those artists who could direct the medium to render light and forms into beautifully vibrant images and so I continued my struggle as I became happier with my studies.  I’m always fascinated by the works of the great masters and soon discovered an appreciation for modern contemporary realist art.  This appreciation led me to begin my education into traditional studio practices and oil painting.  I now take a sketch book wherever I go to help me slow down and appreciate the beauty around me. There is so much visual information in the scenes that surround us that the challenge is to simplify and focus on what I want to capture and share through a visual narrative. Today, I am spending more time painting landscapes and nature journaling.  Nature journaling is a great daily practice to slow down, observe, and connect with the natural beauty that surrounds us. If you're interested in learning more about nature journaling I highly recommend you check out the Wild Wonder Foundation and John Muir Laws websites.