N. Lee Wade Art

N. Lee Wade is an American artist residing in Taylorsville, Kentucky.
Lee is a Realist painter who primarily works with oil on canvas.
He enjoys painting subjects from nature as well as still life, with a
preference for a close-up view to capture intricate details. Some
of Lee's influences include Andrew Wyeth, John Singer Sargent,
and Gustave Courbet. A favorite quote from Gustave Corbet,
"Beauty lies in nature and reveals, once the artist has perceived it,
its own expressive power."

After obtaining a BS in Industrial Technology/Technical Graphics
and an AS in Technical Illustration from Western Kentucky University,
Lee studied oil painting and color with Mary Louise Schrodt of Schrodt
Art Studios in Louisville in the early 1980s. Subsequently, he pursued
a study of illustration and graphic design at the Central Academy
of Commercial Art in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In 1996, Lee established his own company, Wade Illustration
& Design, Inc., specializing in medical, med/legal, and technical
illustration, as well as marketing sales support, logo design,
and the development of promotional materials.


Exhibits & Awards

2016  Special Merit Award, Light Space & Time Gallery Animal Arts
          Online Exhibition

2020  Lexington Art League Member’s Show Exhibition
          The Loudoun House, Lexington, KY

2022  Lexington Art League  Solo Artist Exhibition
          The Loudoun House, Lexington, KY 

2024  Oil Painters of America National Juried Salon
           James J. Ross Fine Art, Indianapolis, IN

2024  Oil Painters of America, Summer Online Showcase 

2024  Oil Painters of America, Fall Online Showcase

2024  Finalist, Wild Heart Gallery 3rd Annual Animal Portraiture
          Open International Juried Art Exhibition

2026  Oil Painters of America National Exhibition,
           Steamboat Art Museum, Steamboat Springs, CO

2026  Oil Painters of America Online Showcase Spring

2026  International Guild of Realism 20th Annual International
          Juried Exhibition, Charleston SC