Winston S. Churchill
"Success is not final; failure is not fatal:
It is the courage to continue that counts."
ARTIST OVERVIEW
Who is Gwen E. Harper?
I'm a self taught artist who explores the boundaries between realism and expressionism. I seek a harmonious balance between the two by rendering subjects closely to their true visual forms with deliberate abandon in color or dramatic line flair to evoke an impression of being.
That place is not achieved through a specific formula. I employ different approaches. Sometimes it is within a single medium like acrylic in which a beloved pet's eyes are captured with a life-like twinkle while the background is left suggestive to keep the focus where it belongs. Sometimes I work in mixed media - with the nature of two different tools being the source of the counter positioning. I love exploring the precision of fine India ink pen drawings with loose, flowing watery brush strokes or soft and silky powdered pastel markings. Sometimes unexpected rich color defies an otherwise traditional rendering.
The subjects to which I regularly return are those that bring me joy. Fascinated and engaged by personal connection - with humans, with pets, I find portraiture a favorite. But, I work with subjects beyond the figurative. Romantic floral still life, landscape, images and places that fill me with happiness and contentment are those I love to paint and draw. These are the works that I wish to fill my surroundings, and offer you the same.
Art, for me, is not and should not be defined as some esoteric genre, so I work to create original, affordable pieces for the modern home and everyday art collector.
I'm proud to have my artwork grace well appointed homes across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Thomas Jefferson
"I find the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
MY STORY
Life with a Brush and a Bea
In 2015, I picked up a paint brush for the first time since high school. After creating one too many excel pivot tables as a VP of sales in fashion, I had had it! The kid voted Most Artistic in high school ended up studying philosophy at Colgate University and then spent her adult career on the the periphery of design selling beautiful products others were creating.
How did that happen? I’m a creative. I’m a visual artist, performer and writer. When some of my sales team gushed that I was “so good with the numbers, so analytical,” I literally craned my neck around the room searching for the person they were describing. Me? It was in that moment I realized I needed to get back to my identity. I went home that night, dug deep in a closet to find brushes and paint I had been threatening to use for years and I did a quick paint sketch of (what else?) my dog. It felt good!
And, it wasn’t bad…In fact, I surprised myself not being as rusty as I anticipated. That painting lead to another, a drawing or two, and another painting - mostly of my dog or other family pets with a human or two thrown in for good measure. I got the courage to post my work on social media, and with the first incredulous questions of, "Who did that?!" from friends who met me after high school, I started fielding some questions of, “Will you take a commission? Will you paint my dog?” And, so, it began... With my Pomeranian Beatrix as an muse and my eyes exploring more than Excel sheets today, I have since made art creation a priority in my life. Happily, I now follow my once forgotten passion and welcome the opportunity to share it with you.
And, as I have found my way back to my passion, it's clearly not without the encouragement of friends and art lovers with whom I connect. Please take a look and see if something strikes you from the custom structures or any images found in gallery scrolls of selected past works. Come back every so often to see what's new. I'll be adding some collections as I'm inspired and time permits around commissions. But as much of my creative time is dedicated to commission work, I welcome ideas with which you’d like me to experiment. Let's collaborate and make it just ours.
Find my work with the hashtag #abrushandabea!
George Bernard Shaw
"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."