Elliot Appel

Elliot Appel was born in New York City in 1952 and has been painting for over 30 years. A self-taught artist, he was fascinated by film and frequently sketched pictures of the celebrities he admired to see if he could capture a likeness. Mr. Appel continued sketching in this way through high school.

 

Subsequently, Mr. Appel enrolled in New York’s City College, registering for a degree in liberal arts but left college after one year to travel in Israel. In between jobs, Mr. Appel spent the next few years traveling through Europe, fortifying the education he’d begun with trips to museums in Paris, Geneva, Florence, Milan, Venice, Rome and Athens. He spent time in public squares, sketching the scenes around him, preparing the groundwork for future projects and developing his distinctive style.

 

Mr. Appel’s cityscapes and storefronts call to mind the iconic images of American artists like John Sloan or Edward Hopper, who were influenced by film, and whose crisp, light-flooded takes on modern realistic street scenes inspired American film sets for decades. Appel’s images of old New York City storefronts, with their graffiti-covered doorways, city grime and sharp perspective both confront and draw the viewer into the vital, cinematic-like worlds that he creates. He has often said that he tries to capture “details of everyday life that people may not notice or take for granted as they rush from place to place.”

 

Mr. Appel has exhibited his work at The Painting Center in Chelsea, Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island, the Monmouth Museum and the Ridgewood Art League. In recent years, he has had one person shows at the Hoboken Historical Museum and the Watchung Arts Center in New Jersey. His work has been selected for exhibit by the National Oil And Acrylics Painters Society and Manhattan Arts International, among others. Mr. Appel is currently an exhibiting member of Pro Arts Jersey City. He is the recipient of several awards and has developed a small but loyal following within the tri-state area. 

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elliotappelpaints.com

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