Jack G. Brauer Born and raised in Wisconsin, the heartlands of our nation are my inspiration for my art. Raised during the depression years I realize how difficult survival was compared to modern times. My art pieces usually have a story to tell if you analyze the art, bringing back many fond memories and experiences that I had being raised during tough times. Recently my pen and ink sketches with some watercolor added for highlight has become very popular. This work is done on 9 x 12 paper, which also keeps the cost for a buyer at affordable prices. A lot of my paintings reflect life in rural America, away from large cities. I work to expresses how I feel about the people I have met and the places I have traveled while publisher of an outdoor magazine. Specifically, I am inspired by the people who live and work on small family farms and the rich history of our countryside. When I paint I do so with a strong connection to my subject matter. I smell the pine trees and freshly plowed fields. I feel the chill of winter upon my face and I am struck by the beauty of autumn leaves. I see the satisfaction for a job well done on the faces of the community of craftsman who constructed the barn now faded by a century of exposure. A lot of my work can be seen as tribute to the small family farm. In doing so, I try to capture the seemingly endless shades of color on a faded cedar barn and the sculptural beauty of the retired tractor that rests prominently along the fence line. My landscapes reflect those nostalgic times and I’ll continue to paint them as long as those cherished memories are not forgotten. At age 78, there are times when I feel older than those old barn boards on farm buildings. I always had an interest in art, mainly drawing sketches. My education about art is self taught, reading a lot of books and using the internet. When health problems prevented mobility at age 68 I couldn’t partake in my outdoor activities and other hobbies anymore. I was an owner of Deer & Deer Hunting magazine at the time. At age 52 I sold the magazine and retired which allowed me to spend a lot of time roaming around on back roads with my camera. Photography was my new interest learning how to compose photos along with patience waiting for the right light conditions. Appreciating the color, tones, hues, composition of photography may have lead me back to a stronger interest in drawing and painting art. I did a lot of pen & ink work, and as years went by I decided to add some color to my work. That was the start of my love for watercolors. I didn’t realize that watercolor was a difficult medium to learn. I used the internet to learn about painting with watercolors. As years passed I discovered that my art was enjoyed by folks who were one or two generations from the great depression years. I guess there is a little bit of love for nostalgic memories in all of us. I’m thankful for all the wonderful comments received about my art over the years by fellow artists and people who have purchased my art. Some of these comments are shown below. To contact me, my email address is [email protected]. Comments I think your art triggers in our minds memories of our early lives, like being able to, just for a moment, go back to a kinder time, rich with family, tradition, and “The way we were”. Kris S. Atlanta, GA Many, many of your pieces show “Nostalgia” an uncomplicated time in our lives. Arthur M. Midland, MI “Jack, Your art displays ‘Nostalgia’ that triggers in us memories of yesterday. And, just for a moment, we are able to travel back to a kinder time, rich with family, tradition, and ‘the way we were’. “ Lavonne H, Tucson, AZ ”Mr. Brauer, Your style is simple, non-cluttered but rich in color that evokes smells, feelings of a gentler time. Yet there remains a sense of mystery, the ‘hidden’, there but not seen, surrounding all of us if we just take the time to be still and inhale.” C. Stedl, Rice Lake, WI “Your art touches people with the real, the tangible and, at the same time, stirs in the viewer a sense of beauty, of nature, of memories. of things gone by. NOSTALGIA. You, Jack, paint from the heart what you have felt, seen and experienced and share that with us.” S. Smithland, Omro, WI Your style is simple, non-cluttered but rich in colors, evokes smells, feelings, a gentler time....and yet has a certain sense of mystery, the “hidden”...there but not seen... not in an abstract way...but what is real and tangible, surrounding all of us if we just take the time to be still and inhale! G. Schotzke, Ames, IA Your art touches people with the real, the tangible and yet stirs in the viewer a sense of beauty, nature, memories of what was, what could have been and is yet to come. You paint from the heart...things you have experienced, things you have felt and seen. I miss the heartland. Linda M. Phoenix, AZ
