Why does art move us in ways that nothing else can?
BY JEREMY & JAMIE WELLS
On a recent trip to study the Italian landscape for our paintings, my wife and I traveled for three weeks taking thousands of photos and meeting many different local artists. During our time in Italy, we experienced the delicate tastes and illustrious light that bathes that land with ethereal colors. We made our way from Rome,
exploring every tiny village road connecting Umbria to Tuscany, finally arriving in Florence. This city is a treasure chest of art and architecture. It is truly one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. In Florence
(and every other town) we immediately sought out the great art we had traveled so far to see. The locals we met along the way had as much character as the land in which they lived. They were warm and generous, always pointing us in the right direction to see whatever beautiful art that particular town had hidden within its ancient walls.
We saw one awe-inspiring piece after another—exquisite Trompe L’oiel (some even tricked our eyes!), ancient Frescos, infamous paintings, and infamous artist’s work we had never seen. To say it was inspiring does not begin to capture what was happening in our minds and hearts.
Our arrival in Rome was, at best, frantic. We participated in a circus act of chasing, catching, and changing planes only to arrive and be told that our luggage was still in America. But who cares when you’re at an airport named Aeroporto Leonardo da Vinci. At that point we were just happy to be on solid Italian ground. Our hotel had arranged for a driver to pick us up. He appeared to be a nice man - in a mafia sort of way - until the click of our seat belts. We squealed out into traffic as if we were in a mob shoot-out chase scene. Convinced our driver had another passenger in the trunk and we were being chased by the Policia, I thought to myself, “Now this is the way to see Rome!” We brushed up on our Italian while our driver screamed out a barrage of friendly Italian words for each car we passed or almost hit. Before we knew it, we had arrived at the Hotel Renaissance, a little white knuckled but happy to be there.
Several hours later we emerged from our hotel room to have a romantic dinner near the Pantheon. We dined and drank several glasses of aged wine to recover from the adventures of the day and then returned to the haven of our hotel with, of course, another exciting cab ride.
With a little jet lag and a good night’s sleep, we were awake and on our way quite early. As we walked quietly toward St. Peters Square, the dew on the cobble stone streets was glistening like a thousand still mountain
lakes. The city seemed to be asleep. What a transition from the craziness and crowds of the day before! As we approached St. Peters we were stunned by the stillness of the square. What was a line a mile long the day before, was now a few pieces of trash and some devout pigeons. We noticed several locals scurrying inside St. Peters apparently trying to make morning mass. Curious as to where they were going, we followed them inside the
great cathedral.
Walking inside St. Peters Basilica was indescribable. Stepping inside the huge bas-reliefs bronze doors designed by Filarete and Simone Baldi, our eyes slowly adjusted to the expansive interior stretching upward beyond what seemed humanly possible. The vast architectural spaces dressed with sculptures, paintings, mosaics, and reliefs were all bathed in warm morning light flooding in through the windows of Michelangelo’s wondrous dome and reflecting off the patterned marble floor. We solemnly proceeded forward with our eyes exploring all the richness and creativity of the culmination of different artists life’s works.
The interior of the cathedral alone is a work of art, speaking to its visitors through its visual stimulation. It’s truly amazing to be moved by art and architecture. Henry James’ reflection of St. Peters as a work of art captures what we were feeling in that moment of awe. In his book, Italian Hours, he states: “Few great works of art last longer to the curiosity, to the perpetually transcendent attention. You think you have taken the whole thing in, but it expands, it rises sublime again and leaves your measure itself poor. You have only to stroll and stroll and gaze and gaze; its colossal embroidered contortions, like a temple within a temple, and feel yourself, at the bottom of an abysmal shaft of the dome, dwindle to a crawling dot. This is a building that goes beyond the foundational purpose of providing shelter and shows you your place in the universe.”
After a time of reflection, we were drawn to a large painting hanging above an inner alter. A closer inspection revealed this was not a painting but a mosaic formed from thousands of tiny colorful glass cubes! We sat down completely mesmerized by the amount of work that had gone into this mosaic. The colors, the composition, the
subjects, all connected to emotions deep within, and without realizing it we were soon moved to tears. The painting depicted a man sinking into violent waters and another man reaching down to rescue him. Somehow this painting, several centuries old, was stretching space-time boundaries to capture the drowning feeling of the cur-
rent events in our lives. The pressure from unexpected cards dealt us, dealing with family sicknesses had been suffocating. Here we were trying to escape from the chaos of the past few months, and this painting brought us right back to what we thought we had left back home. This painting spoke to us, and we came away from it with a feeling of hope that hadn’t been there before. If only this artist knew while composing this intricate masterwork that his work would be touching our two souls hundreds of years later. This is the beauty of art: its ability to touch, speak, connect and inspire regardless of time and its restrictions. Art cares not your age, race, gender, occupation, or the breadth of your knowledge of itself. It has the ability to evoke emotions in a way that only fine art can.
This is our personal passion with art: to continue in the legacy of the great masters and to create great works of art that tell stories and take others to distant places they have been or would like to be. Whether it’s a serene Tuscan landscape letting someone feel the warmth of the magical Italian light, or a more contemporary urban landscape, the notion is the same---create works of art that move people. As artists, we find no greater pleasure than to create a painting, mural, or faux finish which takes mundane, ordinary spaces and transforms them into awe inspiring surroundings.
Commissioning a custom mural, faux finish or fine art was once reserved for select patron families and nobilities. Now it has become much more accessible with many offering such services. When considering buying any artwork or commissioning a mural or decorative painting, do some research and look for an artistic style that captivates you. Don’t be afraid to call and have us meet with you. We welcome the opportunity to meet with anyone who is seriously considering our work. Our showroom and studio are open to the public by appointment. We have found it is extremely valuable for our clients to see the faux finishes on an actual wall in our studio (not just a sample board) as well as being able to see their mural in progress and original artwork in our gallery. Murals are constantly gaining popularity, especially in the new home market. Many custom homes are being built with numerous art niches, expansive domes, and gallery-like walls. Homeowners are finding this to be a wonderful opportunity to commission custom fit murals. While it can be an intrusive undertaking to have an artist in your home for an extended period, this is not the only option. Murals can be painted on canvas and installed in your home to custom fit any desired space. This is our preferred method. Murals painted on canvas have many advantages, such as the ability to be moved if relocation should occur. Canvas is much more archival than sheetrock, and the mural can be created in the artist’s studio where the environment is more conducive to creating art. One of the biggest advantages is the convenience to the client. For instance, a large mural may take weeks to paint, but is sometimes installed in a matter of hours!
From the rolling hills of Tuscany to your home in Houston – commissioning works of art can be a very exciting process. The world has so much beauty to offer, and though we cannot see it all at once, we can create works of art that take us there and speak to us in a foreign language called the soul.
Follow us!