Local best selling author and watercolor artist Jeff Hagen in his downtown studio in Nashville.
The Brown County Democrat and award-winning author and artist Jeff Hagen are partnering to bring the readers Uptown, Downtown, All Around Brown — a series that will highlight Nashville’s rich artistic heritage as told in a way that only an artist could.
Hagen is a watercolor artist in the Brown County Art Guild and The Art Farm and a best-selling author of six books. His book Hiawatha Passing was recognized by the New York Times in the top 10 children’s books of the year.
Hagen was also a teacher for 32 years. He taught art for people in kindergarten through college and currently volunteers teaching art at an impoverished small mountain school in Appalachia Kentucky.
Hagen has been painting with watercolor for 50 years. He said he loves doing watercolor but it is a very difficult medium to work with because you cannot cover up mistakes with watercolor like you can in oil paintings.
“It initially frustrated me with its perfidious nature,” Hagen said. “But, I decided to approach this ‘wildness’ aspect of watercolor like a surfer riding a big wave and ride with it instead of trying to control it. That works for me. I enjoy the adventure, I enjoy the ride.”
Hagen’s artistic influences are rooted in the Midwestern Regional School of the 1930s.
“Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton and other creatives during that era, Frank Lloyd Wright, Walt Disney. Locally, Gustav Bauman. All extraordinary influences to The American Art scene.”
Hagen said that Brown County was the destination for many prominent artists because of its beauty and remoteness much like other famous art colonies of America.
“Simply Put: I want to keep the ‘Arts Alive’ in this creative settlement and remind people of both our town’s heritage and the ongoing flow of creative artists who currently reside in this corner of the world.” Hagen said. He added, “There is a very old and wise saying that goes. ‘Life is Short, ART is long’.”
Each installment of Uptown, Downtown, All Around Brown will highlight past, present and future legends from the Brown County artistic scene. It was important to Hagen not just to highlight notable legends like T.C. Steele, but also to highlight the people who are making their name today.
“If I was to leave one major legacy to young artists,” Hagen said. “It would be, believe in yourself, believe in your own unique style, NEVER give up.”
