Joe Saffold

A native of Savannah, Joseph C. Saffold graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Georgia in 1970. Later that year, he moved to Atlanta. There he built a successful commercial art business while marketing his fine art through several galleries in the area. In the 1980’s he was chosen by the High Museum to be a part of an exhibit honoring distinctive artists in Georgia.

Saffold returned to his hometown in the 90’s to embrace his connection to a place resonant with memory and meaning. At this point, he was able to concentrate exclusively on fine art. In Savannah, he began to explore several themes including an ongoing series of cloudscapes and open vistas across the marshes of Beaulieu and toward the open waters of Green Island Sound. Naturally, these themes continue to evolve and although subjects derived from the southern landscape continue to hold his interest, the dynamics of the human figure also remain an enduring point of focus.

“The direction of my work is a constantly shifting cycle which echoes life’s process of birth, growth, death and rebirth. In my art, I explore and venture out, then return to revisit sources of continual inspiration. My progress as a painter is reinforced by these cycles as they deliver new perspectives, continually sustaining my passion for painting.”