Artist Statement: Hard times, difficult choices, unforeseen consequences; these are all woven into the fabric of our lives. Together with an array of other threads, they bind us together in the common cloth of human experience.
Artist Statement: The “Black Lives Matter” movement reminds us that people of color in this country face threats and dangers to which most people are not subjected. The counter to that is often to say, “All lives matter”, and of course that’s true, all lives do matter. It’s just that not all lives are so precarious, not all lives are equally endangered. Not all parents have to fear that their children could be detained, arrested, beaten, perhaps even killed simply because their skin is not the “right” color. Of course all lives matter, but the ugliness of racism and the damage it does to all of us won’t be eradicated from our hearts and our society until all lives matter equally. This painting is my prayer that such a time may one day arrive.
Artist Statement: From a trip to London and Paris to the inner sojourn of the spiritual quest, life is a journey, and we are all travelers.
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Jeff Chapman-Crane is a Southern Appalachian artist who lifts up the truth and integrity of the mountain experience with realistic images of people and places. He works in water-based media (watercolor, gouache, and egg tempera) and has been painting for over 30 years since being challenged and inspired by his high school art teacher, Don Hilton. Jeff’s work encompasses the highest principles of traditional representational art – fine drawing, balanced design, harmonious color and skillful craftsmanship. His work shares a strong identification with a particular region – conveying geographic features of the land and unique human, cultural and social characteristics.
His work has been featured in American Artist Magazine, and he is a four-time finalist in the Artists Magazine’s annual portrait competition. He was the illustrator for the children’s book, “Ragsale”, which won Best in Show at the 1995 New England Bookfair. Jeff’s work has been represented by the Phyllis J. Weston Art Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio and by the J.N. Bartfield Gallery in New York City.
Today he lives in Eolia, Kentucky and operates The Valley of the Winds Art Gallery with his wife, Sharman Chapman-Crane. “Come an’ set a spell” at the Valley of the Winds Art Gallery, 2356 Hwy. 806, Eolia, Ky 40826.