Meet the Artist

Leather as a Medium

Master leather artist Larry Meckler of Steep Falls, Maine, uses leather to strive for realism in art. For his projects, he uses 4- to 6-ounce gauge leather.

Meckler’s creative process begins with selecting a subject that will stand out to the eye. A stylus is then used on a dampened piece of leather to start bringing the subject to life. Meckler is recognized for his embossing talent, which creates a bias-relief effect. Once the subject is transferred to the leather, a first tooling is required. The leather is then embossed from the backside of the piece using a variety of tools to raise the leather up - in essence, sculpting the subject. To prevent the raised leather from collapsing, sculpture mold is used to harden the backside of the leather. Once the filling is dry, the process of tooling the front side begins. The leather must be dampened, which is called casing, so the tooling detail can take place. This is a time-consuming process, as it is when realism comes to fruition. Once the piece is tooled and the desired effect is achieved, Meckler uses acrylic paint to wash and add the fine details. Lastly, Meckler’s art is completed using a sealer such as saddle lacquer for a leather finish.

Due to the extravagant details and extensive process, a typical project for Meckler takes between 50 to 200 hours. For further information about Larry’s work, please contact the gallery proprietor.

GOMA exhibit piece(s), prices and locations:

Wood Duck: $650, Katahdin Level Hall

Ram: $1150, Katahdin Level Hall

Hotel Gallery Info