We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful James & Leigh Ann Van Fossan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with James & Leigh Ann below.
Alright, James & Leigh Ann thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
James completed his largest work to-date in 2015. ‘Drama Magnifico’ (oil on linen, 77×100″) contained over 100 interwoven figures in a complex narrative. James spent 4000+ hours and over three years completing the work. He would work a “regular job” during the day to help support his family, while staying up to midnight or 1am working on the painting, sometimes precariously propped up on improvised scaffolding made of books and crates, to reach the highest corners of the canvas.
“I did it to affect people. Sometimes I’ve created paintings that take three months to paint, and viewers give them three seconds of their time. I wanted to make a painting that commands your attention.” James admits, “It terrified me. But I wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before, something that excited me. And even though the fear was there, I knew I could do it.”
‘Drama Magnifico’ debuted in a special exhibition in Manhattan, promoted by the international art supply giant Jerry’s Artarama. It then traveled to the Palm Beach Art Show and to the International Guild of Realism Salon in Denver, where it won the ‘Best of Figurative’ award. Later on, the painting sold to a private collector in the Chicago area.
As a self-taught painter, James had spent years practicing and improving his craft. ‘Drama’ was an idea that originally came to him on an airplane ride with his family, and the thought refused to leave his mind until he brought it to fruition. ‘Drama Magnifico’ and his prior painting, ‘Magnum Opus’, earned James international acclaim, and to this day he is thankful for the challenging and worthy experience of it all.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
We are husband & wife artists, but we do very different kinds of work. James is known for his figure/portrait paintings, incredibly detailed graphite drawings, and internationally collected “skyscape” paintings. Leigh Ann is a contemporary impressionist – often painting inspiring landscape scenes with thick vibrant oil paint. She also does large abstract works.
Leigh Ann majored in art for her undergrad, and James was self-taught. They met in an art gallery in Scottsdale. Leigh Ann was working at the gallery, and James was one of the artists. After a few years of focusing on the business side of art, Leigh Ann revisited painting again at the urging of her husband. For years now, they have both worked as full-time artists out of their home studio. They are represented by a handful of galleries, and also love to do special commissioned projects for clients. If you have a vision, or a big empty wall – this is the pair to help! “Between our two different styles, and our combined experience, we can basically create anything!”
We are passionate painters. We believe in the value of ORIGINAL fine art, hand-crafted, created with talent, technique, thoughtfulness, and integrity. We love our collectors and know we could not be what we are without them!
James Website
www.jamesvanfossan.com
Leigh Ann Website
www.lavfineart.com
Instagram
@vanfossanstudios
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
As parents first, and artists second, we are ALWAYS pivoting. As the art world ebbs and flows, we have learned to find other work when necessary to support our children, our family. James will do landscaping or property upkeep work, while Leigh Ann will find teaching positions. Sometimes we are blessed enough to do our art full-time – when paintings are selling and commissioned projects are flowing, we can be very busy in doing “just” art. But when things get slow, we know we need to step up and find other sources of income. We ALWAYS do art – no matter how busy life can get otherwise. It is our main career. It is our dream. It is who we are!
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
We feel like this is a risky question to choose to answer. But we speak of course, only for ourselves and our personal preferences. As traditional painters, who have long studied and appreciated the great original painters throughout history, we just can’t get excited about NFTs. Call us “hopeless romantics” if you will, when it comes to art. We believe paintings should be valued in their creation by the hands of the artist, touched by paint and brushes, (and sometimes sweat and tears :) ). A painting should be seen in-person, its texture and color beheld by the eyes of the viewer. Paintings are so remarkably special because they are individually created, one-of-a-kind, collectible works of art.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lavfineart.com & www.jamesvanfossan.com
- Instagram: vanfossanstudios
- Facebook: Van Fossan Studios