Award-winning artist Lee Radtke will have an exhibit featuring his maritime-focused oil paintings at the Door County Maritime Museum from March 9 through May 31. Paintings featured will include the winter fleet at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, as well as tugboats in Sturgeon Bay.
The exhibit will kick off with an artist’s reception at the museum on March 9, 5:30–8:30 pm, followed by a live painting demonstration on March 10 from 11 am –2 pm. The general public is encouraged to attend both of these free events. The reception will feature cold appetizers, wine, and an opportunity to meet Lee Radtke and view all of his recent maritime oil paintings.
Born in Chicago, IL, Radtke received a BS degree in Product Design at IIT Institute of Design in 1959. He began painting seriously after a successful career as a Product Designer and Retail Store Designer. Starting as a ‘plein air’ (outdoors) painter, Radtke says he honed his native skills and talent through workshops and by watching, reading and listening.
Radtke is known for his ability to paint fast and capture the energy of his subjects. What looks like a very detailed piece of painted art is in fact just a very loose interpretation of reality, he says. Whether working from a photo or real life, Radtke tries to avoid too much realism, not wanting to disappoint the viewer’s imagination. His objective is always to create a piece that evokes emotion.
Lee Radtke’s paintings have won many awards, the latest being a work that was accepted into the 2017 American Impressionist Society’s 18th Annual National Juried Exhibition in Park City, Utah. Another recent painting was accepted into the 2017 Oil Painters of America, Eastern Regional Exhibition of Traditional Oils in St. Simmons Island, Georgia.
The works featured at the DCMM exhibit will be the ships and freighters Radtke captured on one of his many visits to Sturgeon Bay over the past few years. To see examples of his work, visit www.radtkeart.com. All of Radtke’s oil paintings and prints are available for purchase and he will sign purchased prints and postcards on May 5th and 6 that the museum each day from 11 am–2 pm.
To view Lee Radtke’s work in person, visit the Door County Maritime Museum at 120 N. Madison Ave., Sturgeon Bay. The museum is open daily from 10 am–4 pm. For more information visit www.DCMM.org or call 920.743.5958.
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