Check out Paula Wittner’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paula Wittner.

Paula, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
For me and my brother, drawing was where we went for a good time. We spent much of our childhood in Washington D.C. drawing on reams of white typing paper which our father brought home from work. My brother’s artistic ability and endless visits to the National Gallery of Art inspired me to attend Rhode Island School of Design where, in an ill-advised effort to be practical, I decided to major in graphic design. It was very constricting, and it became obvious that I didn’t care about typefaces. A short photography class during winter session taught me that few things are as beautiful as a well observed, well printed, black and white image and I quickly changed my major. Senior year was an Honors program in Rome where I spent much of my time in the darkroom, but it was the glorious paintings of Piero Della Francesco, Michelangelo, Fra Angelico and the van Eycks’ Ghent Altarpiece in Bruges which inspired me for life.

Upon graduation, I went to the school’s career office to find a photo job and was handed the yellow pages. It was a rude awakening going from the world’s greatest art to the prospect of small random jobs photographing bicycles and rather than prostitute my art, I became a waitress and worked in a bookstore. That was 1972. Fortunately, a school friend had gone to Arcosanti and got me a job there as a cook. Being outside in Arizona was wonderful and working in a darkroom seemed unimaginable but, after six months of not doing art, I quit the cook’s job and went home to figure out my life. I started painting, and my friend George Stavrinos arranged for a show at the Janet Fleisher Gallery in Philadelphia. It was well received, but I missed Arizona so much. So, buoyed by the show’s success, I headed west and moved to Prescott where the rent was only 35 dollars a month! I painted all day, every day, selling one painting at a time. My life as an artist had begun! 46 years later and I’m still at it. I’ve been lucky!

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do? Why? And what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I am intuitive in my work and hope people find my paintings thought-provoking and humorous. Generally, I start a painting with a doodle, and I see where it takes me. I work in gouache and oil, and my paintings vary from miniature to wall-sized. Some comment on the human condition, some are homages to people and their various occupations, and others make reference to the history of art and to themes that have inspired artists over the ages. I paint my life in allegory.

Artists face many challenges, but what do you feel is the most pressing among them?
Confronted with the Internet’s constant flood of pictures, it’s difficult for people to spend time looking and thinking about original art. Making money from art has never been a logical path.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
The adventuresome should contact me and arrange to visit my studio in Patagonia.

Although it’s not a substitute for seeing the original works, an easier way is the video I presented in conjunction with “El Mundo de Paula Wittner,” my 2018 show at the University of Sonora in Hermosillo, Mexico. It’s available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/9Tmly9DC884.

Announcements of upcoming shows and events can be found at PaulaWittner.painter on Facebook as well as additional examples of my work.

Contact Info:

• Email: paulawittner.painter@gmail.com
• Facebook: PaulaWittner.painter on Facebook
• Other: https://youtu.be/9Tmly9DC884 “El Mundo de Paula Wittner”

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