The American Impressionist: A Look at Artist Warren Knapp
The great Pablo Picasso once said, “The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place; from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider’s web.” Warren Knapp probably knows this quote well because his paintings show a love for everything and nothing is off limits for the artist. For over two decades, he has been producing some of the most exciting work on the west coast and has made a name for himself both in commercial and residential arenas. A diverse artist, he has the ability to create everything from mosaic abstracts and grand landscapes to simple fruit bowls and pet portraits. As a businessman, Knapp’s marketing skills are world-class and the results are apparent as he owns and operates two highly successful studios – Seattle and San Francisco – in which he sells his work exclusively.
Warren Knapp, like many artists, knew he wanted to be a painter from a very young age, “I started painting at age 5 with a tiny 6 color paint set and a small brush,” said Knapp. “It was an amazing moment that I can still remember 41 years later.”
His interest in art grew as he did, “I really became interested in art in High School and College taking art history courses. History really teaches you about different groups of people down through the ages,” explained the Seattle-based artist. “To this day, I think about cave man paintings and Egyptian paintings and on and on.”
Knapp calls himself the American impressionist because of his draw to great impressionist painters through out history and this definitely shows in his work. There are shades of Monet, Renoir and Cezanne in every piece he produces. “I am most inspired to be an artist by the artists that have gone before me,” explains Knapp. “I feel that I am building on their work.”
Knapp first sale was a painting of a water landscape and sail boat to his brother, “I knew then that I wanted to take painting to the next level because I saw how a painting could truly transform an environment,” said Knapp.
The west coast painter gained international fame after the Discovery Channel’s Trading Spaces featured a segment on Knapp’s 80 inch tulip paintings, “The next day, we received hundreds of e-mails from people wanting the large affordable tulip paintings,” said Knapp. “People saw the paintings on the show and had to have them. To this day, the tulips are one of our best sellers.”
It was while in college that Knapp began to become interested in the marketing side of the art world as well as painting and drawing. For over 15 years, he designed for corporate museums and interiors, but saw a void in the corporate art arena, “I knew that I someday wanted to leave the design world and open a gallery that provides large original paintings for under $1000,” said Knapp.
He and his business partner, Erik Marquez, opened their first gallery in Seattle 5 years ago. The success of this ventured inspired the two to open a second gallery in San Francisco a year later, “I found that with selling original art, people wanted to meet the
artist. So we decided to open galleries that would only carry Warren Knapp original paintings,” explained Knapp. “It has been a good decision people love it. I believe that the trend now is to have the artist’s own their own gallery. Collectors love buying the original works directly from the artist.”
For Knapp, marketing his own work is as exciting as creating the work itself. And he works very hard at keeping original art affordable. One area which is exploding is his Big Art for Big Walls business, “With architects building larger and larger homes, large and affordable art is a huge part of our business. It is no secret that designers love us,” said Knapp.
Warren Knapp is an artist for the 21st century – part artist and part business man. He has seized upon an untapped market and found success in doing so. For more on Warren Knapp, visit www.warrenknapp.com
>Written by d/visible contributor Tony Engelhart.
