Saturday, July 28, 2007

Watercolor Impressionism: Lee Erickson


Lee Erickson painting


Interview with Lee Erickson

Artist: Lee Erickson
Medium: Water color
Location: Union Square West and 16th St. outside Coffee Bar

Lee Erickson – painter, psychic, biker – paints in the street because he likes New York. That is, he likes the subject matter “I just paint from life and the city works for me.” Although he was born (and the emphasis is on born) in Bridgeport, CT, Lee is a self-avowed city person and now lives on the outskirts of New York.

The son of an illustrator and a graduate of Silvermine College for fine arts, Lee now goes all around the city painting on location and from life. But you won’t see him painting hackneyed images of Times Square. “I got a list of places I go, 42nd St. ain’t on the list…Central Park is definitely not on the list.” Instead, you might catch him at 11th and 6th, Ave, 18th and Irving or Perry and W. 4th. “I’ve got about 50 places I go.”

Lee will also go where people send him on commission “if it falls within the kind of painting I do, I do it.” Lee doesn’t do portraits and really hates doing paintings of places without people and cars (although he’s open to the job) – “as far as I’m concerned it’s stupid, how you gonna paint NY without the people?” However, Lee admits that he does like painting horses and he’s happy to do a picture of a scene without people and cars as long as it’s true to life.

Lee has been painting in water color and oils for 35 years and says the street treats him pretty well. To compare, over an eight month period during which Lee went to Louisiana, he sold 52 paintings on the street while a gallery featuring some of his work sold none. But “that’s how it works” he explains, “people like to see…performing artists. They come on the way to work, they come back and see it’s finished and they buy it.”

Like what you see? Check out
Lee’s influences – Degas, Manet, Monet, Morceau, Delecroix

Really like what you see? Commission a painting
917-923-8832

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10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, Lee the Luddite finally has a cyberpresence! Hopefully this will be his bridge across the digital divide. I understand the genuine artist's obligation to staying pure, but this guy has too much to offer to be shuttered from the Internet community. Be seen and heard, Lee! Your old neighbor in Beacon is happy you're online.

PS - I found the spare, thanks.

Anonymous said...

I really like when people are expressing their opinion and thought. So I like the way you are writing

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This guy has too much to offer to be shuttered from the Internet community. Be seen and heard, Lee! Your old neighbor in Beacon is happy you're online.

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steve johnstone said...

a word on lee i had the privelage of meeting him in tel aviv israel and watch him work on a corner doing what he does best paint i found him very personable easy to talk to and just hangout with a nice guy he is not an alchoholic or drug addict he likes coffee hes an adventurer and character and i would like to call friend all the best lee steve johnstone

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P. Lucas said...

Does anyone know how much a commissioned water color would be?