Artists Represented

Jeff Spicer was born in Detroit, Michigan, and has made his home in Western Kentucky since 1971. He has pursued artistic interests from earliest childhood. After completing training in medical illustration at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. He later studied theology at Logos Bible College earning an Associates Degree.

Spicer graduated Sigma Cum Laud from Murray State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in education and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting and sculpture. In addition to this training he has studied with and taught numerous artists in both figurative art and portraiture. An award-winning artist, Spicer’s paintings are included in both private and corporate collections nationally and internationally.

After spending several years as a freelance artist and illustrator he established Wolf Studios, his professional fine art portraiture studio in 1992, where he has enjoyed great success as a commissioned portrait painter. Trained in the traditions of the realistic masters, Spicer is adept at rendering accurate, soulful images. With a childlike wonder and a personal philosophy founded in a theological and Native American background, Spicer is not content until every until every image reaches its artistic apex

Artist Statement
Though born in Michigan, I was raised in the lakes area of western Kentucky, and while the physical landscape was inspiring, the social surroundings were far harsher for a budding artist, much less a gay one. Having been raised in a blue collar climate where farming or jobs at one of the nearby industrial plants was the norm, announcing that I wanted to be an artist was met with almost the same enthusiasm as announcing I was gay. Just to complicate things further this area is also located in the middle of America’s Bible Belt, where strict protestant beliefs are not confined to the four walls of the church but are part of the cloth of the society itself. So, in an environment that was less than gay-friendly to the artistically inclined how I became a painter of the male nude isn’t just the story of my life but the heart of my work.

Even stranger to some is the fact that I am in much the same as those in my community, I share the same work ethics, many of the same values, and the same core beliefs. It’s from this soil that my art grows, I find no contradictions in being gay and Christian anymore than I find conflict in seeing the nude male body as a form of God’s created beauty, man after all was the crowning touch of creation itself.

For the past fifteen years I’ve been a successful portrait artist and though it’s work I enjoy doing I always find myself returning to explore the mystery of the male form and these are the fruit of my most recent labors. This body of work is peppered with various motivators, some are inspired by the scenic beauty of southern California and my native Kentucky, some by my love of music, some are a combination of my spiritual beliefs Christian and Native American, but throughout the central focus is always the male form.

I work from photographs and life, combining the figures and landscapes I begin each painting with a detailed pencil sketch followed by watercolor under paintings to achieve better dark values, then I proceed to work up the values working from dark to light using both hard and soft pastels, gradually building up to six layers and fixing in between all but the last two layers. In which I do not apply any fixative to keep my dark and mid-tone values from shifting and maintain the integrity of the highlights. I work on heavy archer acid free hot press watercolor paper and use only the highest quality pigmented pastels
to insure that these works will last for generations.

Commission a Portrait

The first step in commissioning a portrait is a planning consultation held at the client’s home or office. At this time a date, time and place for the photo session is set. Next, the artist begins the portrait by spending some time, with the subject to gather information concerning the personality, physical characteristics, and interests of the subject. The artist then travels to the client's location for the photo session and begins around 9:00 to 10:00 am with a meeting to discuss the general poses of the portrait. During the sitting, a 35mm camera is used to record a variety of poses and expressions, eliminating the need for time consuming preliminary sketches. Between 100 and 150 pictures are usually taken. After this, there is a break for lunch (The film is processed at a one-hour processor). When the prints are ready, the artist and the client sit down and review the expression and pose and choose the ones that are most like the sitter. If any retakes are required they are done at this time.

The artist usually requires two and a half hours in the morning for photography and about one and a half hours in the afternoon to review the photos. Every effort is made to keep the session relaxed and pleasurable. The artist returns to his studio and begins the portrait with the information gained from the reference material. If needed, the artist returns to the portrait setting and works directly from life. If this is necessary, the subject holds the pose for twenty minute intervals with five minute breaks. Each session lasts approximately one hour. Finishing touches are applied , resulting in what the artist and client considers a successful portrait - a well designed work of art reflecting the unique beauty and personality of the individual. Arrangement is made for delivery of the finished portrait.

Planing Your Portrait
Having a portrait painted is a special event in one's life. In most cases, the artist travels to your location and stays anywhere from one to several days. Travel and accommodation fees are extra. A deposit of one half is normally due at the initial preparation or sitting. The portrait is planned with a meeting at the client's home to discuss the size and sitting, (formal, inform, indoor, outdoors, and with or without background). Dimensions are taken of the area where the portrait will be displayed. The portrait frame is an integral part of any work of art. It is also discussed and specific recommendations are made in regard to size, color, shape, etc. What to wear for a portrait varies with individuals and type of portrait commissioned: Neutral tones such as, brown, white, cream, burgundy, and beige will not be tiring to the eye. Choosing clothes with a classic style will insure that your portrait will not look dated in later-years.

When choosing a lifestyle to portray: Formal or Informal? Consider your lifestyle and where the portrait will hang in making the choice of a formal or informal look. Traditionally, outdoor portraits are considered less formal and indoor portraits more formal. However, an indoor portrait could be quite casual and vice versa. Using a combination of factors including clothing, setting, and character of the sitter or subject, the portrait can be tailored to each individual's tastes

Levi

Jazz 

Recycled

Winged One  

On the Edge

Ablution