Original Art by Leroy Neiman – One of America’s Greatest Sports Artists
Leroy Neiman is known around the world for his brilliant, energetic depictions of sports and leisure activities. Some of his original artwork can command prices of over $100,000. In fact one his best original art pieces, Stretch Stampede, sold for a half a million dollars. This is a very large painting from 1975 and it highlights the Kentucky Derby. Gross sales of serigraphs are over ten million dollars each year.
Leroy Neiman was born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1921. His father left the family while Neiman was still very young and he started drawing to bring in extra money to help his family survive. In 1942, he enlisted in the United States Army and eventually returned to St. Paul to get his high school diploma. He was hired as an illustrator for Carson, Pirie, Scott, & Co, where he met Hugh Hefner. The Playboy founder was only a copywriter then and the friendship developed here would last a lifetime.
Leroy Neiman went to work for Playboy, creating “Femlin,” the character that appeared on the joke pages of the monthly magazine. Many people feel that his success as an artist is due in large part to his friendship with Hefner. Some of the original art, such as sketches and drawings, from his days at Playboy fetch thousands of dollars.
Leroy Neiman uses a number of different mediums, including oil, watercolor, pencil drawings, pastels and enamels. His work can be found at galleries around the world, at auction houses, and through online art brokers. Many people have several of his original art pieces in their private collections, including five presidents.
While his main area of inspiration is certainly sports and leisure, he also produces a number of animal pieces, which are also in high demand. He’s traveled to Kenya to sketch animals while on safari and these original art pieces are quite outstanding. The Portrait of the Lion, The Portrait of the Tiger, and the Portrait of the Elephant are some of the most popular prints today.
He’s been married for over fifty years to his wife, Jane and has lived in the same place in New York City for over thirty years. The building is the Hotel des Artists and it was originally intended for painters, as it offers a beautiful view of Central Park. His penthouse is on the top floor.
If you are looking to buy original art by Leroy Neiman, there are several options that await you. It’s a great investment, as his work continues to rise in value. Many of the todays other artists, such as Peter Max and Romero Britto, are also popular with those who like Neiman’s work. The easiest way to get your hands on one of his original art pieces is through an online art broker. Not only will you have a large selection of paintings to choose from, the prices are much less than you will pay in a gallery or from most private sellers.
If you want to purchase Leroy Neiman artwork, visit Original Art Broker. You’ll find a wide selection of his original art for very affordable prices.
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