Leon Comstock. ‘One Evening in Monson’

(HILLSDALE, N.Y.) – Leon A. Comstock Jr. Paintings, a new solo exhibition of works by the Springfield, Mass.-based artist, opens at Neumann Fine Art on Saturday, May 2, 2015, with a reception at 5:30 pm. The show will remain on view through July 11, 2015.

Comstock received numerous awards in the 1970s and ’80s, including the Harriet Lumis Memorial Award at the Academic Artists Association’s 30th National Exhibition, as well as awards in the Association’s 31st and 33rd National Exhibitions. These honors, and first place prizes in regional exhibitions, brought his work to the attention of Presley Blake, founder of Friendly’s Ice Cream, who added Comstock’s work to his private collection and commissioned him to do additional works.

After a 29-year career as a graphic artist, Comstock returned to painting in 2010, winning awards at The Monson, Massachusetts Arts Council’s Annual Exhibitions in 2011 and 2014.

According to gallery owner Jeffrey Neumann, the current show is Comstock’s first in the region since his trompe l’oeil painting “Thank You Mr. Rockwell” was exhibited at the original Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass., in 1983 and 1984.

“Leon Comstock’s compelling work goes beyond mere virtuosity; opening a door to the artist’s intensely personal reality,” says Neumann.