Jeff Chapman-Crane is a full-time professional artist from the southern Appalachian Mountains, where he has lived and practiced his art since the early 1970s. His art focuses on the culture of Appalachia, with an emphasis on portraits of mountain people.

Jeff has been painting for over forty years since being challenged and inspired by his high school art teacher, Don Hilton. Following the tenets of the American Society of Classical Realism, Jeff's work encompasses the highest principles of traditional representational art - fine drawing, balanced design, harmonious color, and skillful craftsmanship. While not in the stylized realism of American Regionalism, his work shares a strong identification with a particular region - conveying geographic features of the land and unique human, cultural, and social characteristics.

“I work primarily in water-based paints, including watercolor, gouache, and egg tempera.

Watercolor is the traditional transparent medium. It is done on paper, and light colors are achieved by allowing the white paper to show through thin washes of color. White areas in a watercolor painting are simply unpainted, with the paper itself actually providing the "color."

Gouache (pronounced gwash -- rhymes with squash) is an opaque, water-based medium, meaning that lighter colors can be painted over darker colors. Unlike transparent watercolor, the whites and lighter colors in a gouache painting are actually applied with the paint itself, often over darker undertones. Gouache is a much thicker paint than watercolor.

Egg tempera is also an opaque, water-based medium, but, unlike gouache, it does not have to be framed under glass. I use this medium rather than oil paint, which I have never particularly liked. I prefer egg tempera for portraits (although I paint portraits in all three media in which I work). Tempera paintings are done on acid-free hardboard panels, coated with a pH neutral ground called gesso. When finished, the paintings are sealed with a satin-finish acrylic varnish to further protect them.

I use only lightfast colors, regardless of the medium. The colors will not fade over time (although the paintings should still be protected from sunlight). All watercolor and gouache paintings are done only on acid-free papers, assuring that the works will not deteriorate over time.

All works are framed using the finest materials available. Watercolor and gouache paintings are matted using museum quality (acid-free) mattes, often with a gold fillet (pronounced fill-it) as an accent. Since I use lightfast colors, I don't ordinarily use UV filter glass, but that could be included upon request. (There would be an additional cost for this.) Frames are hand-finished using gold leaf, ranging in color from burnished gold to white gold. Gouache and watercolors ordinarily are in frames 1" - 2" wide, depending on the size of the painting. Egg temperas usually require wider frames, ordinarily ranging from 2.5" - 6" wide.

I do most of the gold leafing myself. I prefer to do this as it allows me to custom finish the frame so that it matches the painting perfectly. By using only the highest quality materials available, both for the paintings themselves and in the framing, these works of art will be able to be enjoyed for generations to come.”