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Connection with The Viewer

Connection with The Viewer

By 10/09/2025September 7th, 2026No Comments

Connection with The Viewer

What makes a great painting?

by Alana Knuff  |  Jan 25, 2016

As artists we strive to create a new perspective with our paintings, not merely a technical copy of what is before us. All our tools – medium, composition, values, hues, shapes, lines, brushwork etcetera – are called into play. We instinctively sense whether the finished piece is noteworthy, not by the technical aspect, but rather with our emotions. For me, a great painting emotionally connects the subject of the painting with the viewer of the painting.

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Professional award winning artist focusing on portraiture, marine art and fine art. My work focuses on 'the moment' - an event, a personality revealed, a memory recalled. I work from life and my photos. My style of painting falls between impressionism and realism. At age eight I won second place in a national art contest. My art career began in 2008. I studied portraiture at the Florence Academy of Art; with a scholarship at The Scottsdale Art Academy; and in a workshop taught by Michael Shane Neal. My paintings have received awards and have hung in exhibits. The American Society of Marine Artists honored me with Signature status. The Art Renewal Center honored me with ARC Associate Living Master. And in 2024, I received membership into Salmagundi Club of NYC and in 2026 became an elected associate member of the American Artist Professional League.