Dennis Lewan
Dennis Patrick Lewan’s interest in art began at the age of five and drawing became one of this favorite activities. Never having much in the way of formal fine art classes, Dennis would find himself in trouble at school because of drawing instead of studying the regular subjects and also displayed a natural talent for music after taking some lessons on the accordion.
He began to compose his own music and after purchasing his first guitar he taught himself how to play and joined a rock band. Intrigued by the many pop-art posters being sold everywhere at that time, Dennis found another great adventure: designing his own original posters.
While in Chicago, he visited a major art museum and was in awe over the highly detailed paintings of the “Old Masters.” So impressed by these magnificent works of art, he would spend up to sixteen hours at a time experimenting with different styles and techniques of oil painting. Dennis had the opportunity to sell some of his paintings through an art gallery in Chicago and within about a year was discovered by many other art dealers and collectors. By 1982 he had to paint six days a week just to keep up with sales. By this time his work had attained a quality comparable to the “old Masters’ works that he had admired in museums.
Mr. Lewan has developed a style with unique qualities and has become “the modern day master of realism, romanticism and fantasy.” He says, “I concentrate on picking up where the “Old Masters” left off, by adding camouflaged images in many of my paintings. I like to have a painting tell a story and stimulate the imagination of everyone who views it. I like to create in each painting a special place that people want to ‘want and visit.’ ”
Dennis’ paintings have made their way into many countries and into the collections of many celebrities, corporations and banking institutions. Among the awards he has received, the one he seems most proud of is the 1997 Collector’s Edition Award of Excellence in the fine art print category. His winning painting titled “The Barrister’s Mansion” was chosen by popular vote from the many readers of Collector’s Edition Magazine all over North America.
Recalling a beautiful song by Paul McCartney titled “the Long and Winding Road”, Dennis relates: “I feel I have traveled that road and am still on it.”
