Art has been a passion for Walter Lee since he was a young boy growing up in South Korea. As a child he showed a natural affinity towards pencil sketching and watercolor, however, this took a backseat to his pursuit in the field of journalism. When moving to the United States, Walter applied to the University of Minnesota where he would earn his Master’s degree and Ph.D. courseworks in Mass Communication and Advertising. After abandonment of his doctoral degree, he found himself naturally gravitating back towards the art field. He briefly attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and developed a portfolio as an aspiring illustrator in the field of advertising. Just as before, life had other plans for him. He struggled to find work as an artist as an immigrant from Korea. He eventually found himself in real estate, where he went on to receive the Certified General Appraiser license. He opened his own commercial appraisal office which he worked at successfully until retiring.

Now with his appraisal work behind him, Walter has dedicated all his time to his original passion and talent. Although he has been painting throughout his life, it has really been the past 30 years where Walter has been able to hone his skills and creating his own take on “life in landscapes.” He has attended workshops taught by eminent oil painters whom he humbly considered mentors; including Kim English, John Cosby, Peggy-Kroll Roberts, Jennifer McChristian, and Kevin Macpherson.

His plein air oil paintings have been selected into many Juried Art Shows; 20 pieces of his artworks have been accepted in various juried exhibitions of California Art Club and Laguna Plein Air Painters Association in 2019 and 2020. His oil paintings titled “Backwater Reflection” and “Wet Ranch Alone” have been awarded prizes in the Hillcrest Festival of Arts in La Habra Heights in 2019 and 2020. His paintings titled “Idling Lunch Truck” and “Lobster Day Dream” have been selected into the Made-in-California Exhibitions (Brea Gallery) in 2017 and 2019, and had won Best of Show at Yorba Linda Art Show in 2018. He is an active exhibitor of Laguna Art-A-Fair in Laguna Beach, CA.

In 2017, Walter opened his own atelier in the City of Brea. His goal is to teach impressionistic techniques of oil painting in a simplified and value-guided manner. It also serves as a place to display his art in a non-intimidating environment for both novice and seasoned art lovers alike.

Walter Lee’s Artist Statement for Laguna Art-A-Fair of 2024

In recent years, the visceral power of artworks of Post-Impressionism and Fauvism has fascinated me. I have experimented with my plein air paintings, transforming impressionistic design into more expressionistic color rendering. I would like to liberate my aesthetic feeling be more impulsive, and without limit, so as to instill a greater feel into the subjects and objects I am painting.

My creative energy is centered around bold and complementary colors for eye-catching effect. I hope this evolution in my approach brings me closer to my audience, allowing them to see through my own eyes.

Walter Lee’s Artist Statement for Laguna Art-A-Fair of 2022

My drawing process starts with conceptual structure sketches of composition, which sets a road map for the painting. Soft pencils, markers, or ink pens are tools I rely upon to create initial sketches. I love to involve people in the landscape in plein air painting. Reference photo taking of the subject is routine. The sketch should be natural, similar to that of human movement. I prefer a rapid and continuous gesture drawing method so as not to lose tonal value in mind.

In the painting process, I use only brushes; preparing a gesture-styled mid-tone underpainting first, followed by dark and light grisaille value blocking.

A clear concept with simple tonal value structure, effective composition, and limited palette are essential in my works. Recently I have explored less traditional brushworks, often mixing in more spontaneous and expressive painting strokes that add energy and personality to the piece. I encourage viewers to compare my old and newer paintings, so that they may get a feel for the differences.

My creative process hinges heavily upon what I like to refer to as the “unlearning attempt,” meaning at times you have to let go of traditional textbook rules and allow sensational feelings to be the driving force. In order to achieve this goal I purposefully increase the pace in which I am painting. My strokes and hand react faster than my mind.

Picture creating does not always have to be a disciplined narrative illustration, but can be a totally unknown and novel creature in which we are the creators.

Walter Lee’s Artist Statement for Laguna Art-A-Fair 2021

My painting process presents itself when I come across a scene of interest. It could be either during a pre-planned plein air outing or a leisurely trip. I will typically walk around the surrounding area before beginning to sketch in hopes to instill the atmospheric feeling onto the canvas.

Plein air painting allows me to engage in my surroundings in an intuitive and spontaneous manner. I plan a composition looking for a basic design that interests me; preparing a dark and light grisaille value sketch. Then I start to put underlying paint to canvas.

A clear concept with simple value structure, effective composition, geometrical definition, limited palette are essential in each of my works.

The process could be trial and error; it is challenging but rewarding because I might discover energy and spirit embedded. Natural outdoor forces make me to look more creative and to do more with less.

Simplified painting is effective, for mass supports detail and allows the canvas to breathe.

Back in the studio, I gather any reference materials that pertain to the subject at hand. Most of the reference materials are sketches and photographs I have created, or studied from other sources.

The photos represent places and persons I have personally seen with my own eyes. I draw inspiration from these photographs and memories which tend to add a real complementary element to an otherwise boring subject matter.

I believe the paintings should have the following characteristics: Aesthetic appeal, Spontaneous brushwork, Authentic idea and Poignant milieu (ASAP). Utilizing ASAP is what elevates a piece of art and allows the artist to add their own unique signature to a piece.

He has taught aspiring painters not only how to paint but just as importantly to be creative, to entertain themselves and viewers by following these maxims: (1) Use your wit to amuse the viewers; (2) Be brave in picture making; (3) Listen carefully to any criticism; and (4) Make your art smile aesthetically.