Plein-air impressionist anything but ordinary

Leon Roulette is a classic plein-air impressionist, but he perfers to be called a painter of romantic places.

Roulette will appear at Marcus Ashley Galleries in South Lake Tahoe from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 19-20.

Roulette works with a palette knife and brush in an effort to convey his sense of light, a gallery spokeswoman said. His California mission-style paintings portray bistro table settings, grapes on the vine and, often, landscapes of the Italian countryside.

He believes he is a successful painter when he has captured the essence of sunlight in his work.

The majority of his work depicts a particular time of day, maybe dawn, high noon, or dusk … but the sun always makes its presence known.

“Without the sun, there is no light, no color, no beauty,” Roulette said. “Thus I am drawn to the landscape where beauty unabashedly exudes the fullness of life. My philosophy can be summed up in the word ‘light.’ ”

Roulette models himself after the likes of Van Ruysdael, Van Gogh and Monet. He is an outdoorsman and traveler. Though he lives in the Rockies of Idaho, he is equally at home in Alaska, Italy or France … wherever there are subjects to paint.

Most recently, he has worked to capture Lake Tahoe for his exhibit at Marcus Ashley Galleries. The gallery features Roulette originals and limited-edition reproductions.

Marcus Ashley Galleries features the work of more 40 artists in its new 4,400 square-foot showroom in Raley’s Village Center in South Lake Tahoe, directly across the parking lot from Starbucks. Call (530) 544-4ART for more information.