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Jill Stefani Wagner: Moment or Dream?

Moment or Dream?

Jill Stefani Wagner

Whatever I paint, my primary focus is always the light and how it affects the landscape or cityscape scene I’m trying to capture. Working in pastel and oil, I approach my paintings as a sculptor would, carving out nuances of light and shadow. Color, composition and above all, value, structure my pieces and help me create special moments in time. My paintings are not filled with aggressive content nor calls to action. Rather, through painterly realism, I seek to celebrate the beauty around us… which is so often taken for granted. I’m a devoted plein air artist, painting yearly in Italy and in plein air festivals around the United States. I was recently named Master Pastelist by the Pastel Society of America and my work is seen frequently in Pastel Journal. Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine highlighted my work and one of my paintings appeared on the cover of Plein Air Magazine last year. I was honored to be on the faculty of the Plein Air Convention in 2016 and 2017. A life-long Michigander with a BFA from The U of M School of Art, I owned an award-winning design firm before “seeing the light” and becoming a full-time artist.