How do you find inspiration?
Jill Stefani Wagner: I’m lucky that inspiration comes easily to me. There are so many things I love to paint, and never enough time to do them all! Though I paint some portraits, I consider myself an oil and pastel landscape painter, both plein air and in studio. The subject that really flips my switch is Italy! I’m half Italian, and when I visit the country of my ancestors the juices begin to flow. The colors, shapes, atmosphere and gorgeous light seem to be embedded in my soul and flow easily from my brush. I just returned from giving a workshop in Tuscany and now have hundreds more Italian photos to inspire me!
How do you describe success?
Jill Stefani Wagner: When I started painting professionally 12 years ago, I thought success would be winning major awards and selling everything I created. But as I’ve matured as an artist I’ve realized that sales and accolades are fleeting. At this point in my career, I’ve come to understand that success (for me) is continuing to learn and improve my work. When I tackle a difficult subject and am happy with the results, I feel a deep feeling of accomplishment and gratitude for my art life.
To see more of Jill’s work, visit:
website
![pastel painting of orchard with house in distance; surrounded by mountains and trees](https://fineartconnoisseur.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2_Wagner_WP.jpg)
![oil painting of house in background, with trees and grasslands in foreground; mountains in distance](https://fineartconnoisseur.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/3_Wagner_WP.jpg)