Welcome to my work.
I am a California landscape painter, interpreting and painting all over the state for more than 20 years. I primarily work in oils using a limited color pallet of bright colors. I don’t paint with black and often use the transparency of the canvas to create a more luminous effect. I create many works in Plein air as I feel that my work is more activated when created on location. Working out in nature means dealing with the elements; wind, bright lights or fog, floating bugs and sounds, all of it – at once contributes to the painting because nature is constantly changing and alive. It reminds me as I paint to be fluid, flexible, and ever-changing. I am drawn to the coastal hills and majestic oaks and have spent a lot of time out in Point Reyes over the pandemic.
Paths are more recently becoming a recurring theme because we choose them and who knows where we will end up. Paths convey a sense of adventure and a willingness to explore.
The acceleration of our changing landscape is a constant confrontation. I hope to express our collective connection to an ever-changing and altering earth.
Another aspect of my work is finding mystery and whimsy in the daily world. I often paint animals, birds, and people finding moments in reflection or at play.
The more whimsical works draw from inspiring moments of insight found in the relationship between humans and nature. There are constant resources for inspiration in nature and I can see the steepness of a cliff, the curve of a branch, or a community of wintering birds notable for a canvas.
Painting on location in Zion National Park
Works can be seen at Marin Open Studios, online, and by appointment.
30+ years of oil painting,
LeeAnne Chappell graduated in fine art from the University of California, Davis
and studied under Wayne Theibaud.