CHARMED LIVES: Edward Lupper’s Enchanted Animal Kingdoms
Freshness and innocence combined with limitless imagination create a special Utopia in Edward Lupper’s enchanting animal paintings wherein all the beasts and birds of the realm live side-by-side in joyful harmony. A deep concern for nature and love of animals is the motivating force behind Mr. Lupper’s choice of subject matter.
With an apprenticeship under artist Wesley Lea (Frenchtown, New Jersey), he had his first one-man exhibit in the art colony of New Hope, Pennsylvania (Bucks County) at the age of seventeen. Studies include Parsons School of Design in New York, the Art Institute of San Francisco, College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California and San Francisco State College. Never one to be constrained to a formal art education, Edward always broke free from his studies to maintain a studio and follow his passions for painting in an intuitive direction.
In 1963, Mr. Lupper was able to achieve his goal to be a self-supporting artist when he was awarded a prestigious fellowship at the Huntington Hartford Foundation in California. With the support of the foundation in the Santa Monica Mountains, he was able to create a body of work to mount a large one-man exhibition at the Elayne Marquis Gallery in Miami, Florida. The exhibit sold out and Mr. Lupper has been working at his craft ever since.
This period is when his anthropomorphic animals (friendly, kindly beasts that take on humanistic qualities) came to life. Through a highly personal method of working, Edward has combined a multitude of influences such as folk art, surrealism, fantasy, realism and even Indian miniature paintings to form a distinctive style. To collectors and observers alike, it is a “Lupper” painting at first glimpse. Although he admires a number of contemporary artists, it was the nineteenth century French primitist Henri Rousseau who influenced the evolution to the style of Mr. Lupper’s signature alone. Some call it “sophisticated primitive,” but rich in complex detail and vibrant colors. It is anything but primitive. He was the first contemporary artist to paint an idyllic and innovative work of wild animal life which is now his dossier. Through a combination of the naďf and surreal and a love of animals, Edward developed his style of charm, taste and gentle humor.
It was said that “his paintings give enduring pleasure for those who own and enjoy them. It is the simplification of form and directness of vision that makes the artist’s work so appealing….fresh and innocent….irresistible.” (Bill Spink, the Naples Art Gallery, now DeBruyne Fine Arts).
An early review of his work said: “His viewpoint has the valuable quality of being independent. His originality prohibits him from running with the pack.” (Alexander Fried, San Francisco Examiner). To the point is: “Edward Lupper paints with the innocence of Grandma Moses and the sophistication of Rousseau, but with a sense of fun which is his own” (John Voorhees, Seattle Times). As if to sum it up, Suzanne DeBruyne (DeBruyne Fine Arts) wrote: “Keeping you amused, charmed and young at heart is what Edward does best. A soothing change from a tension-filled world, Edward Lupper’s paintings generate the ultimate masterpiece….a smile.”
Edward Lupper has been listed in Who ‘s Who in American Art for several decades and recently celebrated 49 years as a self-supporting artist in 2009. His fanciful menageries have found homes in many cities around the globe, in museums and private collections as well as government and corporate venues. He prides himself on his many loyal patrons, some having collected as many as 25, 50 to 75 of his paintings. His works have been done as posters, greeting cards, plates, needlepoint and jigsaw puzzles. Mr. Lupper has had numerous successful exhibits all over the world in his career, including San Francisco, New York, Beverly Hills, Seattle, Paris, Carmel, Houston, Dallas and Naples, Florida. He has had over eighteen successful shows at the Naples Art Gallery in Naples, Florida (now DeBruyne Fine Arts).
Because of the time-consuming technique Edward uses, his inventory of paintings is limited but he looks forward to creating his delightful artworks for years to come. A native of New Jersey, he made his home in San Francisco for 43 years but now lives in the Palm Springs, California are since 2000.
