When Arcadia Contemporary owner, Steve Diamont revealed to my husband and I last Fall (it was on the last day of the Brad Kunkle exhibit) that he would be dedicating an entire show to Jeremy Lipking in March 2017, I put it on the calendar.

Having missed the January 2017 LA Art Show due to a family emergency, and Arcadia Contemporary not hosting anything in February due to their showing at the Palm Springs Art Show, I was going through withdrawal at not having been to an Arcadia Contemporary exhibit since their December 2016 “12 x 12 in 12” Show.

Attending Jeremy Lipking’s solo show was the infusion of masterful fine art my soul was craving. Why am I such a die hard Arcadia fan? There are many great galleries in Los Angeles. None of them have Steve Diamont’s eye for talent. He only exhibits virtuoso realist paintings, drawings and sculpture by artists who are creating genuinely unique and timeless works. Their work sets a high standard. As an art teacher and perennial student myself, I learn so much just by gazing at these masterpieces in person. Jeremy Lipking is no exception.

His skin tones, Zørn palette, use of black as a color and attention to detail such as the colors of the light and reflections on surfaces, never ceases to amaze me. My husband was dumbfounded by the way Jeremy painted the hair on the models, too. Just enough detail to capture the light without becoming tedious. Below are close-ups of our favorite works on display that night. I hope you find them as inspiring as I did. Please be sure to notice the colors used on the shadows of cheekbones and hair. Gah!

Here’s something even more amazing – I overheard that Jeremy Lipking’s studio is near the San Fernando Valley! This gave me an idea…..

After bravely weaving my way through a tightly packed crowd, I was able to catch Jeremy for a few lovely moments. When I introduced myself, he said he remembered me from the Brad Kunkle show last Fall. (Trying not to pass out from the excitement). I blurted out, “Your work is masterful. Do you happen to host workshops?” To my delight, he said he does and invited me to contact him through his website. (Trying not to squeal.) I quickly mentioned how much I admired how he used black in his paintings. I boldly asked, “What black do you use?” “Ivory Black”, he replied. (That’s what I prefer to use, too.) I snuck in one final question before his fans descended on his space, “Your skin tones are luminous. May I ask what you use?” “Everything on my palette”, he revealed. That made my night. Jeremy was gracious and warm. Nothing artificial about him. He’s an artist on the order of John Singer Sargent, Joaquin Sorolla and Anders Zorn, but keeps it real and down to earth. It was an honor to attend his show and chat with him.

Needless to say, before the night was over, a majority of his works were already sold. I may not be able to afford to purchase a Jeremy Lipking right now, but while I’m saving up, I’m going to look into studying with him at his next workshop. Stay tuned!

Missed the gallery opening? Don’t worry. The exhibition will be on display through April 2, 2017. Don’t feel like battling the freeways? Here is the link to the complete online catalogue. Be sure to check it out!

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