Tuesday, February 1, 2022

An Artist Who Inspires- Leland Bell


In my current work in progress, I have been toying around with a bright window behind my protagonist. This is inspired by the great Leland Bell. ⁠
*I should note that there is another artist named Leland Bell who's work is inspired from his Native American heritage, and his work looks very different than the Leland Bell I am referring to. ⁠

 Leland Bell, Morning III 1985 Acrylic on canvas, 62x43
Leland Bell (September 17, 1922 – September 18, 1991) was an American painter, who was introduced to me as an art student at Queens College in NYC. (In fact, a may have even met him at an opening for his wife, artist Louisa Matthíasdóttir… it was so darn long ago, I can’t be sure!)
Leland Bell, Frank O'Brian, 1979, Acrylic on canvas, 24x32

Leland Bell, Morning II 1985 Acrylic on canvas, 74x58
Bell has been a guide and an inspiration for me for so many years, I find it surprising to see that there is an absolute dirge of information and images about him on the internet. I was always under the impression that he was famous.

Leland Bell, Skull and Plant, 1978, Acrylic on canvas 40x42

Leland Bell, Three Figures with Butterfly 1979-82, 52x102

Leland Bell, Ulla and Frank Playing Cards, 1975-78, Oil on canvas, 52x64
One of the things I share with Leland Bell is his obsessive repetition of certain themes, creating many versions of the same basic image. He also sometimes worked on one painting for many years. ⁠
I love the way he simplifies, his use of that heavy black line, and his compositions. I refer to him often as I am working on my art.⁠

Leland Bell, Morning V 1985 Acrylic on canvas 71x56


Ulla, Temma, and Frank, 1978, Oil on canvas, 72x66