Kris Lewis grew up in a family that gathered seven brothers and one sister, and, although his father provided the artistic genes, it was his mother who actually influenced his work as a painter. She taught him about the importance of working hard, as he watched her raise an entirely family, after his parents' separation.
She encouraged him to cherish her Latvian heritage and that is until today a major influence in his work. Her mother's struggle has had a great meaning for him, and is probably the reason why women are a constant theme in his paintings. Both strength and fragility of them inspire and influence him in his quest of being a better human being.
Kris Lewis, Baltic Sea
On the other hand, his beautiful artworks also include influences from Alfonse Bougereau art, and also from Andrew Wyeth, Hans Holbein, Albrecht Durer, Hieronymus Bosch, Gustav Klimt, Antonio Mancini, and Jules-Bastien LePage works. Kris Lewis paints mainly with oil on various supports (board, canvas, linen, wood panel) or with graphite on paper.
Kris Lewis, With the Wind
Furthermore, he always focuses on his characters' moods, gestures, and glances, as if his creative work is actually a dialog between him and his heroes or heroines. The symbolism of fire and ocean are also frequently used in his work, evoking classical sources like the Renaissance masterpieces.
Kris studied Illustration at the University of Arts in Philadelphia. Nowadays he lives and works in Los Angeles, having his works featured in galleries around the world, including L.A., San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Miami, London, and Hong Kong.
