Classically trained, Philpott brings this expertise and experience to his love of the Northwest landscape. He has the ability to create a vast landscape on any size canvas. There is a clarity in his work that speaks to his sensitivity and respect for nature. As a “preservationist” painter working in realism, Philpott has become an artistic witness to our Northwest environment. He paints places and scenes that may not exist in the future because of environmental changes. He does not remove the “ugly” elements or add “pretty” colors. He shows us how a simple patch of sunlight can transform everyday views into something special. “I try to capture how light enlivened these scenes and makes them transcendent for a brief moment. I am of the mind that we have precious resources that may disappear. I’m painting for the Northwest,” says Philpott.In the July 2012 edition of American Art Collector, Neal says “I’m learning that I’m attracted to real views, not contrived or imagined. I’m recording what our busy society has too little time to appreciate or is transitory, or too quickly changing.” American Art Collector, “Collector’s Focus: Landscapes,” September 2020American Art Collector, “Destination: Pacific Northwest,” September 2018Southwest Art, “Art of the Pacific Northwest,” June 2018 Read Dec. 2015 AAC, Intersections with the Gorge