Artist John Wieser
John Wieser is a self taught Austrian artist who became a Finalist in the 3rd Edition of the Boynes Emerging Artist Award. Wieser started his professional career in 1993. Fascinated by the smallest details of nature, he delights in the entire process, from empty canvas to a thought provoking painting perfectly executed. Not satisfied with just reflecting nature with colors or pencil, he incorporates aesthetic harmony. The pencil as "equipment of the first hour" offers very many possibilities of the organization to him. From the sketch up to photo-realistic elaboration, high-contrast or only tenderly, from the running to the completely distinguished picture, of combined representations up to the finest detail is everything possible.
Particularly for commission-work, like Portraits and nude-artwork he recommends the pencil. No color, no brush reaches the exactness of a fine pencil point. A large advantage he sees also in the grey tones of Graphite, which permit the viewer to look more deeply into the character depicted, without being diverted from colours.
“Angel” (Winning Work)
By John Wieser (Finalist 3rd Edition)
Graphite on Art Paper
“The basic idea behind the drawing "angel" was to show women in all their beauty, vulnerability and innocence. Embedded in a soft feather boa, which creates a nice contrast through the black tips, the picture should radiate a pleasant calm. Although "angel" is a nude artwork, the viewer does not focus on nudity, but on aesthetics and harmony, paired with a perfect finish in graphite.”
What inspired you to start creating art?
From youth on I was fascinated and inspired by nature. No matter, if it was the reflection in an eye or the colours of a butterfly, I wanted to catch it on paper!
Is That What inspires your work now?
Inspiration is still by nature, - as an artist you will never get to an end, you can just try to borrow some parts of what nature shows in perfection already… the challenge is, to add some special to the motive – a soul…
“Natural Beauty”
By John Wieser
Gouache
What mediums do you work in and experiment with?
I’m working with pencil, charcoal, different colour-pencils, watercolours, aquarells, gouache, acrylics and much more.
Are there any particular brands of art supplies you prefer using (if so why)?
For the drawing section I prefer the supplies of Cretacolor – an Austrian producer of art supplies in highest quality. I tried a lot different and I liked this one most, so I never changed but I’m sure, there are many other producers with equal supplies.
“Tiger Rest”
By John Wieser
Pencil on Paper
Do you have any particular ways that you work through a creative block?
I never had a problem with a creative block, there is more the problem to having not enough time, to draw or paint everything in my mind, because working that exactly takes a lot of time.
“Lonesome”
By John Wieser
Pencil on Paper
Can you give any advice to your fellow artists on what you have learned while you practiced your craft?
The only advice I can give to fellow artists - go for your OWN style, paint or draw, what YOU want and don’t care about the market or others – the only person who’s satisfaction matters is YOU.
“Yours”
By John Wieser
Pencil on Paper
How do you manage the need for perfection within your work?
As an artist, you will never reach perfection, that’s nature’s part, but we can try to take a piece of it and give some of our own personality and our soul to the image. For me, it was always important to show some harmony and aesthetics in my works beside a technical high-end level.
“Lost In Dreams”
By John Wieser
Pencil on Paper
How do you process/come to terms with other people's opinion of your work?
The opinion of someone else is surely important, but it is not guiding me! In the artworld there will always be space for all opinions, whether people like my work or not … people, who like my work will follow me, others don’t. Only when the artist is satisfied with his work – the customer will also be.
Who are the artists who inspire you?
When I was young, I really admired the works of Gottfried Helnwein and Robert Bateman (naturalist), over the years I met so many great artists, that I don’t even want to make a decision.
To view more of John Wieser’s work