Len Chmiel – An Authentic Nature
Author: Amy Scott
Len Chmiel has become one of my favorite artists. I first met Len in 2018 when I attended the Plein Air Painters of America workshop at the Booth Museum in Cartersville, Georgia. His lecture on composition was mind-blowing. Len is a painter’s painter. The rules he follows are his own. From that time on, I knew Len was an artist I needed to get to know better. While attending that workshop, Matt Smith and Ralph Oberg told me about Len’s book – Len Chmiel - An Authentic Nature. I ordered from my mobile phone while standing next to Matt and Ralph while we were out in the field painting! Several days later I received my copy which Len had signed. This book is a gem. I have read it several times – it never gets old.
The book is large measuring 12 1/4” high by 11 1/2” wide. Its 197+ pages are packed with 150 gorgeous color plates. It’s obvious Len put a lot of care into laying out this book and ensuring that the colors closely matched that of his original paintings (at least as close as you can get in printing).
Here’s the publisher's information:
Len Chmiel: An Authentic Nature is written by Amy Scott, Ph.D., with an introduction by Jean Stern. Featuring lush reproductions of the landscapes of American artist Len Chmiel, this book depicts four decades of the artist's melodic, evocative, and often abstracted depictions of the land. Amy Scott contributes a fine essay discussing Chmiel's formative years as an illustrator in LA through his subsequent move to Colorado where he turned from illustration and dove into fine art exclusively.
Today, I’m fortunate to live near Len’s home in Colorado. I cherish our conversations. I truly learn something from him every time we talk, email, or text. I recorded two Artful Painter podcasts with him, preserving his thoughts on painting. I am fortunate to have one of Len Chmiel’s beautiful paintings in my personal art collection. I find myself peering into that painting every day.
The best place to order a copy of An Authentic Nature is directly from Len’s website. The price for the book is $80 (at the time of my writing this). That’s much better than what you can get on Amazon or eBay. When you order a copy, please let Len know you learned about his book here on The Artful Painter.
Artist Len Chmiel holding his painting Trail to the View (2024).
Listen to my podcast episodes featuring Len Chmiel:
Episode 42 of The Artful Painter: Len Chmiel – Making It His Own
Here’s a brief preview of what is on the inside of Len’s beautiful book:
