Lee Spurling

Artist's Statement

My art is not about making pictures as such, or any one subject or place. I am not a regionalist. My focus is on the elemental beauty and drama of life itself through the art of painting. My goal is to create what I've already conceived or envisioned in my imagination, a composition of paint and color on canvas with its own physicality, energy, and beauty, all of which derives from a structural affinity with nature and the land through personal experience and observation.

My individual style is a unique mix of abstraction and realism evolving from an instinctive need to reconcile different or opposing perceptions, impulses, and feelings. The visual hallmarks I seek are clear pristine design, simplicity of detail, large visual scale and spatial emphasis, stability and order, technical range, coherence and unity, and the structural integration of color, light, and form.

Biography

(American, 1935 - 2005)

Born in Cincinnati, OH, Spurling is a lifelong artist and painter that comes from a unique background and experience. He focuses on the elemental beauty and drama of life through poignant portrayals of the American landscape. His work is inspired by his own encounters and personal impressions.

As a child, Spurling studied in the studio of painter Charles Sutton, who became his mentor. He continued his studies at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati DAAP program. Spurling continued to paint while teaching art and fly-fishing, in addition to freelancing in journalism, advertising, and retail design. He traveled extensively through the U.S. and Canada, drawing inspiration from his surroundings. Numerous private collectors and organizations have acquired and commissioned his work, including the Cincinnati Zoo, the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History, the Bone Creek Musuem of Agrarian Art, and the Margaree Museum in Nova Scotia. His artwork has also been published in several books, newspapers, and magazines.