Lakeview High School’s own Art Teacher, Jeffery Piper, has been working to one day be nationally recognized. Leading up to this dream, or goal, as some might say, could take a lot of time and pressure. For instance, when Piper first started making art, he did not involve himself in the galleries until his friends said his art needed to emerge into the world.

Piper said, it was “Probably about 10 years ago when I started doing that.”

Along with this, Piper said he is involved in the Trumbull Art Gallery, which is a local artist show that he currently has two pieces in, along with the Howland branch of Butler with their Merritt artist expedition. They will be displayed for about a month and a half,  anywhere from 6-8 weeks.

Piper does not just compose art for galleries, but he also does it for businesses. This is called commission painting.

“Right now I just got hired to do six paintings for a Credit Union in Hermitage, PA,” Piper explained.

When asked, “Do you compose art for your own self pride?”, Piper responded with “What I enjoy about art is creating the art”.

Knowing that, have you ever been to the Sharon, PA Daffin’s Candy Factory? If so, you know there is a chocolate kingdom towards the back of the store. There used to be a 400 pound chocolate turtle, a 125 pound chocolate reindeer, and a 75 pound chocolate frog. The kingdom also includes chocolate castles, a train, a village, and a Ferris wheel. You are probably wondering how this relates to Piper.

“I just got done sculpting the new chocolate kingdom for Daffin’s candies. It’s a 14 foot tree with turtles, unicorns, and dragons,” explained Piper.

By helping to create this outstanding masterpiece, Piper was able to further the horizons of those who know his name and artwork. He has spent years trying to further his name across the country and it is working as he had artwork in a Texas gallery. Piper’s goal right now for the near future is to be recognized across the continent.

In addition to being a valued teacher in the Lakeview School District, Piper says, “I’ve got a lot of success and I’m shooting for national success”.

For those of you who want to view or even look to buy a piece of Piper’s work, visit  http://jeffreyspiper.com/.