Audra Ziegel

About the Artist

I am a mostly self-taught artist and professional flutist. I began painting with oils in 2002 as a high school art class project and have been painting ever since. My formal training is as a flutist--I earned my Master’s degree in flute performance from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. My work has been shown at numerous events including the Boneyard Arts Festival, the Indi Go Gallery in Champaign, Il, the Salt Fork River Art Festival, the Champaign Downtown Festival of the Arts, Secolari, and the Towson Arts Collective. I am also a freelance flutist and private flute teacher in Baltimore, Maryland.

Artist's Statement

In my life, I crave color as sustenance. A self-taught artist, my style is influenced by both impressionism and expressionism. Primarily a painter of landscapes, I am fascinated by nature’s endless spectrum of color and how it is affected by the interaction of light, shape, and atmosphere. This focus results in paintings that are filled with bright and saturated hues, expressionistic texture, and a sense of movement. Especially when viewed up close, the distinct, directional brush strokes and individual dabs of pigment are prominent characteristics. Backing away, the paintings become more realistic, as the texture softens and the strokes of color meld. By surrounding myself with color, I bring joy to my own life. By expressing myself through color, I translate joy not simply into a tangible object—the painting itself—but also into an emotional experience for the viewer. My art is direct and unambiguous—no hidden messages or subtext implied; I let the beauty of the earth speak for itself.