YSA Monthly Meeting and Demo with Hannelore Fischer
06/18/2022
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Hannelore Fischer, M.F.A.
Biography:
Hannelore Fischer was born and raised in Stuttgart, Germany. Currently she lives and paints in
Mariposa, California. She is best known for her bold, gestural and colorful abstract paintings in
acrylic on canvas inspired by nature. In recent years she has honed her technique into
a neo-impressionistic approach reminiscent of pointillism. Her not so evenly applied dots, circles and
marks synthesize into a symphony of colors and shapes, in her own authentic style.
In 1973, she began making and exhibiting her art in Munich, Germany as a member of “Gruppe
J’73” with the late Fritz Baumgartner as mentor. In 1978, she emigrated to the USA and continued
her career in graphic design, as an illustrator and fine artist.
In 1998, she earned her BFA in Fine Arts at UC Davis. In 2000, she began graduate studies in
Transformative Arts, Department of Arts & Consciousness at John F. Kennedy University, Berkeley
and completed her MFA in Studio Arts in 2004.
She taught Art & Design classes at the Napa Community College (2005-2006) as well as her own
series of “Art & Soul Journeys” (until 2007). A short video, “Walks In Nature” (2006), documents
her transformative painting process and her intuitive, visionary and explorative way of working.
Hannelore has exhibited her art in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Texas and Montana
and has won numerous awards. She paints in her newly built octagonal studio and is active in the
local and national art scene. She is represented by local galleries in Mariposa and Oakhurst, CA,
and by Riverstone Gallery in Ennis, MT. In addition to painting she is fond of clay and enjoys pit
firing her hand-built ceramics.
Artist’s Statement:
My paintings are inspired and conceived by my sensory and visionary experiences in
nature. When I bring my fresh impressions into the studio, I aim to be present in the
moment, silent and receptive to let inspiration tell me how to best translate my vision
into form and create a vantage point of sight and insight that goes beyond everyday
seeing. To bring this about I work with acrylic paint pre-mixed with clear acrylic medium
which I apply onto a smooth canvas.
When painting abstract, landscapes, or figuratively, I look for the essence and trust my
intuition to guide me. I begin by sketching the composition with fluid, gestural brush
strokes often in primary colors. Then I apply sprayed, dabbed or stippled dots and
circles that gradually become smaller and denser layer by layer. My reductive method of
wiping some of the paint away before it is dry preserves and accentuates the outlines of
my brush marks which I keep non-uniform for freshness and aliveness. I use many vivid
colors to create complex hues to compel the eye to blur the image together, similar to
pointillism.
My method of stippling and reductive wiping results in a semi-translucent tapestry where
edges blur and previous layers are partially revealed. This weaving of layers, marks and
shapes echoes what I know about the world, that everything in our universe is made up
of small, energetically charged particles, that everything is interconnected, empty in
nature and in constant flux. With my painting process I attempt to replicate that
understanding. When my vision takes on form, the illusionary and real come together in
imaginary space.
My paintings are meant to engage the viewer and evoke a dialog. They invite
participation by looking closer, awaken curiosity to look at reality with new eyes and
inspire a mental shift towards openness with their soulful and universal nature
www.artsouljourneys.com
https://www.facebook.com/artsouljourneys
hannelorefischer@gmail.com