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Wesley
James Drake is a traditional representational painter. He has a strong love of travel
and experiencing other places and cultures. These experiences are usually
translated onto canvas after he has had the opportunity to observe the interaction
of light and color, and to have the emotional connection with the subject that
painting from life (plein air painting) creates.
Drake was born
in New York , but began traveling at an early age, which could explain his
current love of travel and wanderlust. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with honors, and then went on to
attend the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine art in Chicago, the city where he now
resides. Major influences on Wes' work include the traditional styles of
John Singer Sargeant, William Trost Richards, George Inness, and William
Merritt Chase.
Wes is a master of many subjects from cityscapes to maritime paintings to
gorgeous landscapes from all over the world. He periodically likes to
break a few rules of painting, and his results are even better for it! Both
carmen's Solomons and New Orleans galleries had the honor of hosting Wesley Drake on his
visits to come and paint our cities. The paintings from these visits have long
ago found homes, but Drake is prolific and loves what he does, so expect
many more paintings from this multi-talented artist!
When Wes is not painting in some far corner of the world, he can be found
relaxing at home with his wife, Leesa, his newborn son, Adam, and a myriad of animals
. Or, then again, he may be running
marathons and performing in iron man competitions. Quite a well rounded
and wonderful man Wesley James Drake is!
Look for our gallery show
for Wesley James Drake in November, 2011. The paintings for
that show will be a travelogue of the places that Wesley has visited
throughout the world.
The oil paintings shown
below give you an idea of the Drake's style. We have
some beautiful paintings in the gallery, but they don't last long!! |
