Preview The Book
Jan Keith Lipes...
The Artist/Physician Behind the Cover
by Doris Brandes
Jan Keith Lipes
is a visionary Bucks County painter who appears to be a reincarnation of the
renowned artists who lived in and around New Hope a hundred years ago. He
does not replicate the style of any artists who preceded him, but he was
emotionally drawn into the impressionism when he began his painting career
in 1991. That is an important part of the story. Although flirting with the
arts in his youth, and later as a serious college student, it wasn’t until
long after medical school when he was well established as an emergency
physician at Doylestown Hospital that his life took on a whole new
direction. He had been diagnosed eight years earlier with multiple sclerosis
and now it had become apparent that this was the time he had to seriously
re-prioritize his life.
The fact that he
had minored in art history and majored in literature while he did his
pre-med work at the City College of New York is testimony to the capacity
for learning this talented man possesses. He even found the time—or made
the time—to do a summer workshop at the Art Students League in Woodstock
while he was a med student at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in
New York. The affinity and love for art was in his make up. So was his
desire to be engaged in meaningful work. “It is important for me to be
involved. To have something inside of me interacting with something
outside,” Jan Keith Lipes says thoughtfully. “Artists are looking for a
way of getting a relationship going with the outside world. The process of
creation helps one forge that union. I
consider myselflucky. Art is
central to my existence.” It turns out that Dr. Lipes has become an
important contributing member of the ‘river art’ community…and beyond.
As Jan Keith
Lipes turned his life from medical science to becoming a painter, his own
philosophy fueled his mission to develop the needed skills. He worked with a
passion to become one with his subjects. Because of the disease, his life
went through a dramatic change, even learning to use his non-dominant hand
to hold a brush and mix the paints. He studied color, and brush techniques
then plunged wholeheartedly into his work using his rich knowledge of art.
He literally trained himself to paint upon the canvas the way he saw the
world before him. Going out on location in Bucks County, he selected places
that had special appeal to him where he set up an easel to paint on
location. There were some difficult moments dealing with the terrain and
soon he began to paint from the comfort of his van and take photos for
reference. Working now in his ‘state of the art’ studio he produces his
award winning work with fervor and satisfaction.
Today he
occupies a unique place among painters in the river region. A recent award,
from the historic Phillips’ Mill 72nd annual Juried Exhibition, was given
to Jan Keith Lipes for “First Place In the Style of the New Hope
School.” Juries have frequently chosen his work for the Phillips’ Mill
Annual exhibits. This past April (2002) his work was selected by the
venerable Newman Gallery in Philadelphia www.newmangalleries1865.comto be the featured artist in a special exhibit. A few months earlier he
was the recipient of the First Place Award at the Fox Chase Cancer Center
Art Exhibit. To repeat that oft used phrase, Jan Lipes awards are literally
too numerous to mention. They do testify as to the innate ability of a very
special person who, working from the depths of his soul, uses his talent to
create precious works of art.
On the local
scene he is featured at the Gratz Gallery and Conservation Studio www.gratzgallery.com,
which is located right in the heart of New Hope, on Bridge Street, adjacent
to the New Hope Railroad Station. It was there that a very special painting
by Jan Keith Lipes was auctioned as a fundraiser for the 2002
Lambertville-New Hope Winter Festival. His painting, “Free Bridge
Lambertville/New Hope,” was used as a theme for the entire event and
brought in top dollar for the cause.
As you travel
around the river region many galleries , includingVillage Artworks Gallery in Peddler’s Village, Michelyn Galleries,
Ltd. in New Britain, and Canal Frame Crafts in Washington Crossing, will now
have Jan Keith Lipes prints for sale. It is quite an innovation for this
artist to have used the talents of a fine-art printer to offer his most
desirable images, signed and numbered, on conservation quality paper, for
sale at affordable prices. He is also represented on the website www.theartscolony.com,
and in the newly published book, Artists
of the River Towns..
Jan Keith Lipes
is a visionary Bucks County painter who appears to be a reincarnation of the
renowned artists who lived in and around New Hope a hundred years ago. He
does not replicate the style of any artists who preceded him, but he was
emotionally drawn into the impressionism when he began his painting career
in 1991. That is an important part of the story. Although flirting with the
arts in his youth, and later as a serious college student, it wasn’t until
long after medical school when he was well established as an emergency
physician at Doylestown Hospital that his life took on a whole new
direction. He had been diagnosed eight years earlier with multiple sclerosis
and now it had become apparent that this was the time he had to seriously
re-prioritize his life.
The fact that he
had minored in art history and majored in literature while he did his
pre-med work at the City College of New York is testimony to the capacity
for learning this talented man possesses. He even found the time—or made
the time—to do a summer workshop at the Art Students League in Woodstock
while he was a med student at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in
New York. The affinity and love for art was in his make up. So was his
desire to be engaged in meaningful work. “It is important for me to be
involved. To have something inside of me interacting with something
outside,” Jan Keith Lipes says thoughtfully. “Artists are looking for a
way of getting a relationship going with the outside world. The process of
creation helps one forge that union. I
consider myself lucky. Art is
central to my existence.” It turns out that Dr. Lipes has become an
important contributing member of the ‘river art’ community…and beyond.
As Jan Keith
Lipes turned his life from medical science to becoming a painter, his own
philosophy fueled his mission to develop the needed skills. He worked with a
passion to become one with his subjects. Because of the disease, his life
went through a dramatic change, even learning to use his non-dominant hand
to hold a brush and mix the paints. He studied color, and brush techniques
then plunged wholeheartedly into his work using his rich knowledge of art.
He literally trained himself to paint upon the canvas the way he saw the
world before him. Going out on location in Bucks County, he selected places
that had special appeal to him where he set up an easel to paint on
location. There were some difficult moments dealing with the terrain and
soon he began to paint from the comfort of his van and take photos for
reference. Working now in his ‘state of the art’ studio he produces his
award winning work with fervor and satisfaction.
Today he
occupies a unique place among painters in the river region. A recent award,
from the historic Phillips’ Mill 72nd annual Juried Exhibition, was given
to Jan Keith Lipes for “First Place In the Style of the New Hope
School.” Juries have frequently chosen his work for the Phillips’ Mill
Annual exhibits. This past April (2002) his work was selected by the
venerable Newman Gallery in Philadelphia 
As you travel
around the river region many galleries , including