New Hampshire Home November-December 2024 - 48

INFORM & INSPIRE Create
Arts in painting from the New York Academy
of Art. " I was starting to establish
myself in New York City as a landscape
painter, but I wanted to move somewhere
where I could be more in nature, " says
Koeppel. " I was deciding between the
Hudson Valley, where I had spent a lot of
time painting the Catskills, and coming
home to New Hampshire. " Ultimately,
he realized he liked the New England
landscape better. " I decided to come home
to Jackson and put myself near whatever
landscape I wanted to express. And I've
never regretted that choice. "
Harkening back to a traditional style
while managing a modern artist's life is
something Koeppel finds intriguing. " I
went to RISD, where modernism was very
much encouraged, and the pursuit of this
direction would be more discouraged, "
he says. " It was also challenging to learn
when I first started, because very few
people teach this painting style. "
There are various approaches to landscape
painting, and Koeppel feels he is the
most historically focused of his contemporaries.
" There is a lot of traditionally
influenced artwork being made and a lot
of revival of interest in historical methods,
but as far as people making artwork that
is philosophically very similar without any
sort of modern element - I would say I'm
fairly unique in what I'm doing. "
He senses a solid connection to the
past and feels he is conversing with the
old masters, whether visiting museums
and observing their brilliant ideas or
working in his preferred medium, oil. " It is
very time-tested, has technical advantages,
and has a magical quality of romanticism
and depth.
" Philosophically, I feel if a painting
was relevant 150 years ago and seems to
be still speaking to people today, then
perhaps my work will also resonate in the
future. " He especially hopes that capturing
the essence of a wild landscape could lead
to preservation efforts. " There is a signifi46
New Hampshire Home
" The Old Man of the Mountain, " 18 x 14 inches, Oil on archival panel, 2024, private collection.
cant conservation element in historical
painting, " says Koeppel. " Artists were
among the first to say maybe we need to
protect these incredible landscapes. "
Koeppel and his wife, a traditional
harpist, are new parents, and saving the
land for future generations resonates with
him. " Connecting with the environment
is fundamental to everyone, " he says.
" I believe everybody gets the beauty of
landscapes. It is one of the most universal
concepts. "
Koeppel sells his work through various
galleries in New York, Boston and
New Hampshire and does commissioned
paintings. " I've been making my living as
a painter for 15 years now, and so I have a
lot of connections to people who buy and
sell paintings all over the country and,
in some cases, internationally. " Locally,
he is honored to have several pieces at
the Museum of White Mountain Art at
the Jackson Historical Society, including
a large-scale and eye-catching painting
called " Autumn in the White Mountains. "
He hopes that people who see this
and more of his New Hampshire-inspired
work will venture into those natural
environments for themselves. " I believe
that experiencing the beauty of this
magnificent landscape is among the best
ways to happiness, " he says. " And my
intention as an artist is to share that with
others. " NHH
For more information, visit erikkoeppel.com.
PHOTO OF PAINTING BY MIKE DUVAL

http://www.erikkoeppel.com

New Hampshire Home November-December 2024

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