Poland
Damian Lechoszest, Winter Twilight, oil, 30 x 24.
FOR POLISH artist Damian Lechoszest, the key to finding inspiration is simple: Just slow down and pay attention to life around him. And he does. “The man in today’s world runs through life too fast, ignoring not only beautiful views, but also being unaware of where he is going and why,” says Lechoszest. It was by slowing down, after all, that the artist spotted the star of his winning entry, WINTER TWILIGHT.
Lechoszest was driving in his car one day when he noticed a man smoking a pipe outside his house. His instincts as a figurative painter kicked in, and he stopped to ask the man if he would model for him. “I made an appointment with this gentleman to paint a sketch from life,” he says. Lechoszest completed a plein-air study of his model, who posed holding a pipe and a small halogen bulb to simulate the bright flash of a lit match in the dimming twilight. The artist used his sketches, photographs, and even a short film study to complete his final studio painting.
“Each painting is an adventure for me,” says the artist, who studied oil painting with artist Marek Czechowicz, among other teachers. “I feel like a movie director. I usually arrange whole scenes in my studio, with integrated walls, furniture, and full equipment. Later, models come and dress up in clothes that a seamstress sews for me.”
People frequently tell the artist that his paintings “look more real than reality.” But Lechoszest urges viewers to take a closer look. “The closer we approach, the greater impressionism and abstraction we can observe,” he says. Find the artist’s work at InSight Gallery, Fredericksburg, TX. —Kim Agricola
This story was featured in the December 2019/January 2020 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art December 2019/January 2020 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
MORE RESOURCES FOR ART COLLECTORS & ENTHUSIASTS
• Subscribe to Southwest Art magazine
• Learn how to paint & how to draw with downloads, books, videos & more from North Light Shop
• Sign up for your Southwest Art email newsletter & download a FREE ebook