If you are considering taking up painting, Dallas-based oil painter Susan Temple Neumann has three words for you, delivered in a soft Texas drawl: “Go for it.”

Maybe you think you’re too old, too established in your current career, too untrained, or lacking in the necessary workspace and supplies. In that case, Neumann has two more words for you: “No excuses.”

She considers her own story proof that anyone with some talent and drive can at least have a go at being an artist. “I was in my fifties before I even thought about going down this path,” says Neumann, whose award-winning scenes of Western vistas and traditional Western characters grace the walls of lucky collectors.

Read the full article in the July/August 2021 issue.

Stolen Moment

Oil
24” by 30”

“We had gathered in a Texas creek bed, trying to get some reference material before a forecasted storm arrived. I was really inspired and immersed in capturing Lorretta as she went about some daily chores. Soon after we finished with this scene, the first drops began to arrive. I was soaked by the time I ran downstream and up the embankment back to my car but, luckily, the photography equipment was fine.”

Three Compadres

Oil
18” by 24”

“We were kind of bummed with all the rain at the Western photo I was attending a few years back. After taking cover to protect my camera gear, we finally got a break in the weather. I spotted this touching scene across the road from where I had sought shelter during the downpour. I was grateful to have this piece win Best of Show for Associates in the 2019 Women Artists of the West Show in Boulder, Colorado.”