Rod Chase

Landscape
Artwork

Rod Chase is known to his collectors for painting photo realism at its finest. He takes hundreds of photographs of each of his subjects, combining them with historical photographs, to produce a timeless quality in each of his works.  "Being a photo-realist, I am dependent on finding accurate reference material for each painting."

Rod Chase spent a week photographing Washington's landmarks, including The White House, The Capital and the Supreme Court building among others.  Rising early each day, he photographed the dramatic light of sunrise, and late in the day he revisited several sites to capture the soft, moody glow of twilight.  The resulting paintings are a combination of his research and the artist's unique ability to lend drama & simple elegance to his subjects.  The Foundations of Freedom series was created in this manner over the past year & a half.

While the painting is based on a single black and white photo, hundreds of additional photographs are used to help determine color and create additional detail.

Rod Chase divides the painting into small sections, bringing each area to a finish before proceeding to the next. The acrylic paint is applied in thin layers so as to leave no visible brushstrokes. Occasionally, he uses an Iwata airbrush to soften the sky.  Each painting usually takes two months of full time work to complete.

Born and raised in Canada. After marrying a native Texan, he moved to the United States. He and his wife, Debbie, have five children. The family recently moved from the Houston area to the Texas Hill Country. In 1999, he became a United States citizen.