52
A
native of east Tennessee, Jeff
Chapman-Crane currently finds him-
self living among the coal fields of eastern
Kentucky. Chapman-Crane paints portraits
of the Appalachian people, showing them
with dignity and compassion. His land-
scapes capture the beauty of the region. He
seeks to present a more accurate picture of
the Appalachian way of life, while encour-
aging the people to see themselves in a
better light. According to Chapman-Crane,
Appalachia is exploited "both the land and
the people...for the coal and other resources
found in abundance here. My art addresses
all of these situations."
An activist, Chapman-Crane also does
some work that is overtly political, includ-
ing a recently completed three-dimensional
piece about mining. The sculpture is a
life-size figure representing Mother Nature,
whose body is a mountain range being strip-
mined of its valuable resources.
Chapman-Crane had minimal formal art
training. His primary teacher was his high
school art instructor, Don Hilton one of
those rare people who not only taught but
also challenged and inspired his students to
reach their full potential. Chapman-Crane
gives Don "a great deal of credit for what-
ever success I have achieved in the arts."
One of the most significant awards he has
received was Best In Show at the 1995 New
England Bookfair for the children's book
"Ragsale," which he illustrated. The book
was also chosen as one of the best illustrated
books of 1995 by the Society of Illustrators in
New York City, and one of the originals was
included in their annual exhibit for that year.
Chapman-Crane works in a style that is
sometimes called photorealism. However the
label doesn't accurately describe his style
while he works from his own photographs,
he often makes significant changes from the
photographic image to the painted image.
The photo is "simply a reference tool, some-
thing that simplifies the painting process,
especially when doing portraits."
He works in water-based media, specifi-
cally watercolor, gouache and egg tempera.
Says Chapman-Crane, "I like the fact that
these paints dry quickly, allowing steady
progress to be made on a painting without
having a prolonged drying period. I also
like the finish of these paints, especially egg
tempera, which is my favorite medium for
portraits. The matte finish of egg tempera
more closely simulates the effects of light
and shadow, and I like the depth of color
possible with this medium, especially in the
darker, shaded areas of the painting.
For watercolor paintings I like using
Waterford 300 lb. cold pressed watercolor
paper, and I prefer the hot pressed surface
when working in gouache. Egg tempera
generally requires a more rigid surface, and
my preference here is the Claybord® panel
in the smooth finish. Rowney makes an
excellent pre-mixed egg tempera. Whichever
painting medium I use, I always buy only
the pure colors. I don't use such colors as
burnt sienna, yellow ochre, Hooker s green,
and Venetian red. Having all the pure colors
of the spectrum on my palette allows me to
mix whatever hue I need...."
He says, "I choose to paint realistically be-
cause I want there to be no doubt about the
things I value.
In a time when
there is much
confusion,
contradiction,
and moral and
ethical ambigu-
ity, I think
it is vitally
important for
artists to clearly
articulate a
vision about
the things that
really matter in
life."
Despite his completely dissimilar style,
Chapman-Crane's favorite artist is Vincent
Van Gogh. "It is his life as an artist that has
especially influenced me. The passion he
had for painting, his constant desire to grow
and improve, and his ability to produce
great works of art in the face of complete re-
jection and constant self-doubt have always
been a source of inspiration to me, as they
should be to all artists."
"Promise of the New Day, " Jeff Chapman-Crane, Egg Tempera on Claybord, 15" x 19"
Jeff Chapman-Crane
From the Southern Appalachian Mountains
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS
what's inside
watercolor &
multi-media brushes--
daniel smith, da vinci
robert simmons
travel brushes
oil & acrylic
brushes--
daniel smith, da vinci
foam rollers & swab-its
colour shapers
niji waterbrush
paint & palette knives
sumi supplies & brushes
brushes
