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Married Artist Duo Paint Verdant Plants That Look Real Enough to Touch

By Margherita Cole on January 11, 2022

In our day-to-day lives, we don't often get a chance to take in the beauty of nature. However, by taking a look at one of Jelena and Aleksandar Paunković's paintings, you will quickly feel immersed in the beautiful leaves of a forest floor. The married couple—who are known professionally under the name JA Paunković—work together as an artist duo, finding inspiration in their natural surroundings in Serbia.

Jelena and Aleksandar studied together at the Faculty of Arts in Belgrade, where they both received an MA in Applied Arts. Afterward, the couple moved to the mountain Kosmaj to be closer to the wilderness and opened a studio. Their photorealistic oil paintings are based on the plants they find during their outdoor excursions. “Connecting with nature is an important part of our personality [as artists],” Jelena and Aleksandar explain to My Modern Met.

“Each hiking tour on a mountain and each visit to a new environment becomes material that will later serve us in the studio as a sketch for a new painting,” the couple continues. “We have found a way to bring nature to a home or gallery and hang it on the wall to serve as a reminder that we need to think more about how our modern lifestyle affects the environment.” In addition to creating a variety of exquisite renditions of forest floors, Jelena and Aleksandar have incorporated sustainable and environmentally friendly practices into their lifestyle, including using reusable bags, establishing a garden, and composting leftover food.

You can purchase original paintings and limited edition prints via Paunković's website, and keep up to date with the couple's latest art by following them on Instagram.