Winter Park’s Big Show, Winter Park Magazine, March 2010

WHERE THE SIDEWALK BLENDS… ART, MUSIC, FOOD AND FUN
by Justine Griffin
HOMETOWN ARTISTS Of the 225 artists participating in the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, three are from Winter Park: Edson Campos, Bernie Martin and Jeff League. Artists are chosen by a committee appointed by the festival’s administration.

Jeff League always knew he wanted to be an artist. “It just took me a while to really find my voice,” League says. Originally from Gainesville, League studied music before trying black and white photography, and finally, visual art. League says he found his path in visual art, creating images that he calls “mixed media painting.”

League works with an encaustic medium, – beeswax and tree resin – and then adds photography or paints other images on top. “I saw a demonstration by local artist Audrey Phillips that really inspired me,” League says. “It showed me that you could transfer imagery to the encaustic.”

League’s work has been showcased in galleries throughout Central Florida, such as the Museum of Florida Art, the Orlando Museum of Art and, most recently, in the Lombard Contemporary Art exhibit at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Hotel. Some of his photography also has been selected by the Polaroid Corporation and placed into its permanent collection. League also works for the Millenia Gallery in Orlando.

This will be League’s third appearance in the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. “The camaraderie among the artists in this particular festival is fun,” he says. “And showing my art in front of thousands of people is great.”