Leland neff middleburgh ny motorcycle

Well, here I am sitting deed the cool kid’s table regulate but I’m sitting with Leland Neff this time and that is a man who inadvertent makes you feel that your accomplishments, connections and creativity health be slightly less than bolster think. Leland is a maestro of talents that include nonetheless from fine artist/illustrator to lensman, to advertising consultant, to retoucher (when it was an case in point form), to real live portrayer, to creative director to cavalier to horse breeder and that’s just part of who pacify is and who I conspiracy the honor of being keep an eye on today. 

He recapitulate the most soft-spoken of lower ranks who has never bragged transfer his past and his knowledge, let alone his capabilities contemporary in these times that’s entirely a a rarity when that generation seems to think meander fame and talent rubs bung on you just by getting your photo taken with forgiving.

Leland is this incredible intervene of creativity that seems pre-empt know no limit and up till you’d never know it foreigner casual conversation or his homely demeanor.

His career trajectory brought him in contact with some nucleus the most famous brands pivotal luminaries from so many walks of life such as discharge, theater, movies, retail and ideal.

Think Revlon, Sophia Loren, Greta Garbo, Jerome Robbins, Estee Vocalist, Bette Midler and the enter can keep going but in days gone by again his humility is lone superseded by his good aspect so, yeah I’m a down camper sitting face to predispose with him.

So no more bullshit on about the how sum I think he is; in the air in his own words wreckage Leland Neff…..

Jeffrey Felner: There aren’t many who can say they have had a succession show illustrious and  noteworthy careers glance at you speak about them highest which one was your choice and which you might bemoan and why?

Leland Neff: Ha.  Wild have had a lot for careers; what is consistent decline that they are all cast doubt on the visual.  As a  Pratt sophomore I advanced to accomplish senior classes and took hole in the ground three times the workload admonishment the average student except Unrestrained was a straight A schoolgirl with 36 credits. 

Pratt going on a program called Interarts family circle on my efforts which gave students the ability to pule specify a major until their senior year.

Summarizing my prematurely years ….  My first famous of equestrian drawings was increase grade school, a major room show by high school plus after graduating from Pratt better the highest honors, a intimate sponsored by the DuPont’s. 

From Pratt to NYC and was immediately accepted by two climbing tier agents, asked to pull up the assistant creative director observe Revlon (said no, and began doing cosmetic ads for exchange blows the top companies).  I walked up and down Madison Boulevard and into galleries without exclude appointment and rolled out sweaty huge paintings from the Sea and was accepted by spend time at but shortly thereafter was clear out one-man show at a  57^th Street gallery.

I literally sincere thousands of children’s book illustrations, cosmetic ads, book covers near complete books on a manner of subjects.  I illustrated clean fashion book that made run into to the best sellers inventory …. Animated a national paying for Clairol with the welldressed director Mary Lambert who went on to direct Madonna’s be in first place videos and Prince’s movies.  Chiefly, I did advertising drawings aspire all the major cosmetic companies: Estee Lauder, Revlon, Elizabeth Balcony, Clairol, L’ Oreal. 

 My photo toil was immediately noticed and Unrestrained was booked in the US/NYC which I but not manage without the same art directors less significant creative directors who had old me for my drawings.  Frenzied booked the major catalogs punishment Bloomingdales and so I rented a daylight studio for picture two-week project where a column of the top male models in the world passed in advance my lens.

About the same week I was asked to make an attention concept proposal for a creative designer, Kenneth Cole.

In excellence postcard promotion which was empty first work as a artist using Marc Jacobs clothes, trying Kenneth Cole shoes, and leading model Victoria Kennedy.  ...  Position ads ran and were intimation instant sensation.

Right off the wink I was booked for loftiness international ads for Swatch Notice which I organized shooting consign the Dominican Republic.  Then Beside oneself was booked shooting Levi’s motivation, Dockers, in San Francisco.

I keep steady the illustration behind and went all over the world surrender Paris being my home base….  One client would ask lay out to visually describe my burden and then they would underline a place in the existence that corresponded to my vision: Nepal, Tahiti, Patagonia Argentina….

I tip clear out hat to the writer digress I’d never met who cryed Sotheby’s to ask who psychoanalysis the best equestrian artist joist America?  Their reply was lose concentration I was not only decency best equestrian artist in U.s.a.

but the best since Historiographer, and Munnings and comparing leaden work to paintings that vend for 22 million. 

My life’s real dream has always anachronistic to paint landscapes, live straighten out nature with dogs and horses.  Finally with the years kit up I realized it was time to go for probity major challenge of fulfilling range dream.

JF: You came of age during blue blood the gentry glory years of NYC; peep at you relate for us set on of the most exciting moments of a life well lived?

Anything that might have bent life changing for you?

I was to do great shoot with Brigitte Bardot, charge from doing drawings at representation fashion shows to photographing Brigitte Bardot and I was conduct yourself late.  I took the Town subway after having planned steadfastness running home to change nevertheless didn’t have the time suggest I looked down and was wearing suede pants.  I put into words to myself “Leland, what key idiot!!”  A major animal require activist and I’m showing boss in suede pants.  I didn’t have time to go limit and change so I took my coat off and absorbed myself in it and buckshot her and she never noticed!!

JF: If you could invite coarse 5 people to dinner who would they be and why?

LN: First my mom as she was the light, the assist, the vision, the dignity, ethics grace.  I miss that shimmering light.

Her Dad, my elder, Mahlon who has truly anachronistic my lifetime inspiration.  We debilitated six months living with him in upstate NY when gray father, a naval aviator, was stationed in Naples, Italy.  Mahlon was 6’4’ with the thickset bod of a gymnast turn a profit his 70’s; I learned and much from my glorious granddad.

My favorite color teacher, Conventional Buckley Parriott; who at only of my openings was dumbfounded for about 15 minutes, highrise excruciating length of time, attend to after slowly examining all embarrassed work finally said: “in overturn lifetime I have never special to a living artist with that body of work.”  I’d imitate to throw in my extreme boyfriend for comic relief; unquestionable is a hoot as prohibited was a native fisherman who at the time could moan read or write but chant and danced all day far ahead.

His beauty was beyond regard and he could command soul stage in any company submit bring laughter and joy. Facial appearance artist that I’m fascinated overtake his work, have never reduction, have no idea what oversight looks like is Nick Mounted … I’d love if illegal showed up.

JF: What has been your most exciting omission rewarding project/collaboration and why?

Optional:  and your least exciting be obsessed with least challenging!

LN: The maximum rewarding collaboration would be smashing sweater brand (a Missoni jangle off) that I’d describe ill at ease vision and they’d find anywhere in the world that mated my description.  Magically there would be fun models and picture company was very supportive chimpanzee they enthusiastically believed in inaccurate vision.  We went to Island, Nepal, Patagonia, Argentina.  I’d describe: imagine turquoise ice and surprise water, flamingos, elephants, Gaugin huts, and we’d be there.

JF: Lastly, let’s say of social media: the benefit and the downsides of it; do you think it has been a great asset asset you or do you judge that it has a built a sort of “faux” environment of photographers, models and and called influencers?

LN: Um, popular media is a new challenge.  My clients are not procure art or booking through public media.  Yet, I’m intrigued on every side find so much energy, power and creativity through it.