Acclaimed artist Jennifer Vranes’ love of travel is a primary source of inspiration. She uses art to transport herself and viewers to peaceful places in nature. Her primary subjects are dreamy getaways such as sprawling poppy meadows in Tuscany and lavender fields in France. She’s also found particular joy in the Rocky Mountains, and paints towering groves of aspen and birch trees.

Meet artist Jennifer Vranes, pictured above, and view her abstract artwork at the Celebration of Fine Art

Vranes is internationally celebrated for her large-scale, acrylic landscape paintings. She was recently spotlighted by Art Business News, the art industry’s leading magazine, as one of the world’s top 50 landscape artists. But it’s not just what she paints - it’s also her unique method that garners attention.

“I think the hardest part with art is figuring out what your own style is and what you want to paint,” Vranes said. “And it’s taken me about 10 years to come to terms with my own personal process.”

Vranes eskews brushes and instead uses palette knives to sculpt layers and layers of thick paint against canvas. The resulting appearance is three dimensional, as if the viewer is stepping into the landscape. The trunks of Vranes’ birch trees look accurately rough and aged. The petals on her poppies stand out just enough, appearing as though they’d float away with a sudden breeze. The effect of her painting method feels so real, one can almost hear the sound of water trickling through creeks that wind their way through her canvas.

“I paint to bring joy to the lives and homes of others,” Vranes said. “I want my paintings to provide the viewer a momentary escape from reality. My landscapes carry that magic!”

That magic is exactly why collectors come from all over the world to meet her. Vranes also jumps at the chance to show at the Celebration of Fine Art. She’s been a part of the show for nearly a decade, every year looking forward to meeting Valley residents and interacting with the other artists.

“I love it here. I call it art camp,” she said. “To be surrounded by so many creative people…it’s just refreshing. I’m always sad when it’s over. It’s all about the relationships.”

Vranes and 99 other artists are showing at the Celebration of Fine Art now through March 26th.  Open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m, tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and military members, while children under 12 are free. Visit www.celebrateart.com for show details and information on participating artists.