Jerry Fresia

"Escaping With You" – Impressionist landscape painting, oil on canvas, plein air

2020

Jerry Fresia is an American plein-air painter, teacher, and writer living on Lake Como, Italy. His primary medium is oil on canvas and he’s committed to working directly from nature, even on large canvases, as did the French Impressionists. Fresia decries literal or descriptive work. For him the subject is merely a prompt, something he needs to push past. He does this with an extraordinary emphasis on color and atmospheric harmony. With authoritative brushstrokes, Fresia both attacks and caresses the canvas. Brushstrokes that are lush and seductive meld into slashing brushstrokes that punctuate at others. His formal study of painting began in the studio of William Schultz when he was 16. Schultz taught a method derived from the sensibilities of late 19th century Paris. Fresia has also studied and written extensively on the philosophy and practices of the French Impressionists themselves. His work is expressive of what he terms “authentic Impressionism.” However, his approach is not without contemporary influences such as those of Wolf Kahn, with whom he also studied. He has sold well over 1,500 paintings worldwide. One collector of his is Alan Howard, who is among the Top 200 Art Collectors Worldwide (ARTnews). His work has been featured in Landscape Painting by Mitchel Albala and in American Artist and International Artist Magazine as well. Born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Fresia received a PhD in political science from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) and taught at numerous US universities. He has published two books on American political economy as well as numerous articles. He has also written widely on painting, French Impressionism in particular. In 1990, however, he left academia and moved to San Francisco, California, to pursue a career in painting. While there he also worked as executive director of outdoor art exhibition groups. Since moving to Italy in 2004, he has opened an art gallery in Bellagio and held yearly painting workshops. WHAT EXPERTS SAY ABOUT HIM: Fresia is by far the best contemporary painter of Lake Como and the Lombard Prealps. Marco Ausenda Deputy Chairman, Mondadori Electa, Milan President & CEO, Rizzoli Int’l. Publications, NY Few artists have captured the enchantment of Lake Como. Jerry Fresia has perfectly succeeded and has given to me, someone who has known and loved this lake my entire life, an entirely new emotion. Rachele Zagnoli Guicciardi Independent Consultant Christie’s Auction House, Genoa Fresia is an internationally recognized master of plein-air painting . We work with artists all over the world and there is no one I know of today who captures light and emotion with consistent passion and extraordinary results as he does. Fresia’s work represents the best of contemporary Impressionists. Timothy Blonkvist Founding Principal, Overland Partners, San Antonio, TX Former Senior Designer, I.M. Pei Architects, New York City Fresia is a wonderful high key artist like Turner and Lloyd Rees. There are only a few artists who are able to paint like this. Sir Richard Mordaunt Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Australia/UK