Reviews and Commentary

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ARTIST: ED LETVEN
Spring 2003 Montgomery County Town & Country Living Page 91 Feature Story

Roadside Farmer's Market

BY JANE BIBERMAN

"I've never lost my passion for painting landscapes and seascapes in watercolor," Ed Letven confessed at the opening of his one man show at the University of the Arts. "For me, no other medium expresses the vibrancy, the beauty and the soul of the scene as a watercolor can. Because watercolors are transparent, they allow few mistakes. And unlike opaque media, such as gouaches, and oils, watercolor is often unforgiving.

"Though watercolors seem chaotic at times, the wonderful accidents that happen generate feelings of joy when things come out well."

Watercolor painting has always been the love of Ed Letven's life. Ever since he graduated from the University of the Arts in 1954 with a degree in advertising design, he has dreamed of spending his days outdoors with paper and a paint box. "But in those days," he recalls, "it was hard to make a living as a fine artist." Engaged to be married, Letven worked as an illustrator, photographer and designer before becoming an art director. In 1968, be founded an advertising and public relations firm, which became one of the ten largest in this area.

Over the course of three decades, he built a successful career, earning enough money to quit advertising in 1998 at the age of 64. His wife, Sheila, who helped him establish his advertising agency, is also a successful multimedia artist and printmaker. It was she who encouraged her husband to return to fine art. Today, they each have their own, separate studios in their Meadowbrook, Montgomery County home.

Review Two
Excerpted from commentary
Dr. Burton Wasserman
Professor of Art, Rowan University, July 2003

Letven’s gift for creative interpretation often comes alive in rural rather than urban venues. For him, the sight of a barn in a pastoral sett Bird's-eye view ing will trigger patterns of response that potentially come together in a soundly ordered image, sparkling with vitality in shape and texture as well as many variations of hue, tint and shade. Typically, the whole composition will be joined together in a state of unified wholeness and a solidly conceived feeling for balance.

Letven often shows pictures that recall vistas of land and space located against a waters edge. There are cmpositions of buildings and lighthouses that bring memories into focus for anyone who has, at one time or other, seen such details along a shore line, a clapboard-sided house, a horizontal drift of adjacent water stand witness to the sudden change in the weather.

Ultimately,of course, the true significance of Letven’s art consists of his remarkable ability to transform a sight seen withthe naked eye into a moving piece of heartfelt poetry

 

Ed Letven One of 8 Finalist in National Competition for  Cover

Watercolor Magazine Summer 2010

Last Updated on Tuesday, 09 April 2013 11:27

 

Upcoming Events

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Classes/Workshops

Private Instruction at Studio 1400 -

2013.. "Studio 1400 " Private Classes with Ed Letven in Meadowbrook PA.

If you are interested in small personal classes  limited to 4 or 5 artists ,this could be good for you.  Focused  on aqueous mediums,watercolor or acrylics,  representational work or abstract expressionist painting can be addressed. Email  "edletven@gmail.com"

or call 267 735 7233

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Artists of Yardley offers the following special workshop for April 27th 2013. Only a few openings left. Join today.

by Ed Letven'

www.artistsofyardley.com/adult workshops

Viisit " Classes and Workshops tab for details

Awards

Letven Wins Grand Prize, Cover painting for

" River Art" Susquehanna International Art Competition

Sponsored by Sunbury Press and West Shore Gallery.
Painting: " White Water at the lower fork"  can be seen in
the slide show to right on this page.