Biography          
- Beginnings -

Born in 1980 into a family of rich artistic heritage, John Haag was surrounded by great art at an early age. His father, an accomplished oil painter in his own right, always had a studio in the home and some of John’s earliest memories are of watching his father painting and spending afternoons in galleries and museums.

Despite growing up amidst paint fumes and trips to galleries, Haag never tried his own hand at painting until after graduating from high school. "I never really felt any desire to draw or paint myself, but looking back I now realize that the process was fascinating to me and that I watched and listened intently form an early age.  Being immersed in that artistic process was the seed to my love of painting.”



      
 
 

Those seeds would later surface while working construction after finishing school. "I was working a long day alone and had been thinking a great deal about what I should pursue as a career. I was overcome by a strong impression that I should pursue art." John acted on that impression and purchased a set of charcoals on the way home that day and sketched his first portrait that night. "I had a great feeling of satisfaction come over me and began to look through my father’s art books and magazines. I came across a painting that immediately affected me in a profound way. The way that painting was able to capture and express mood and feeling seemed almost magical to me. I felt as if I was transported into the image itself. It was then that I knew that I wanted to be an artist."

 

  
         
 
- Career -

After serving a two year mission for his church, John returned home and pursued painting full time.
Immersing himself in the study of past and modern masters, Haag quickly received commissions and at the age of 22 had his first one-man show in Park City, Utah.

John Haag has since had one-man shows in Utah, Colorado, California, and Texas, and his paintings have been exhibited throughout the United States. He has received awards from the Springville Museum of Art, and is on permanent display at the Provo Art Center, in Provo Utah.

 Haag has received portrait and landscape commissions from prominent men and women throughout the United States.
   
 

-His Art -

By working extensively from life in plein air Haag strives to capture the atmosphere and essence of his subjects through bold and juicy brushwork.  “I feel there is a simpler, truer form of everything we see.  By striping away the detail and finding the raw essence of my subject I work to capture the feeling and subtle beauty of that fleeting moment.”
Haag draws inspiration from his passion for traveling to places off the beaten path and observing simpler ways of life.  Having traveled extensively through over 25 countries he has grown a connection to the architecture of Spain and the Spanish colonial Americas which greatly influence many of his works.

In a modern world where anything creative is praised as "art", John has focused his creative powers on creating work that "uplifts and enriches".  Setting aside the modern trends to rely upon technology, Haag has chosen to follow in the footsteps of the great masters of the 19th century by taking his canvas to the source itself, striving to powerfully capture the essence of his subjects. "I simply paint what moves me, life as it is and can become."

He adds, "Painting is more then a mere recording of something, it is an expression of the spirit of that person. For that brief moment, you are seeing more then just an image, you are seeing them."