Still Going Strong

Artists will tell you that creating art is a career—but it’s not a job. Why is that? They see creating art as a calling that is so intense it cannot be ignored no matter the risk. And there is indeed risk, financial as well as personal. They put their work out into the world, where everyone who sees it will judge it. If it’s deemed worthy, it will sell. If not, it’s on to the next painting or sculpture, determined to do better.
The four artists we feature on the following pages have a combined age of 344 years and have been creating art for a combined total of approximately 225 years. And they’re not done yet!

Creating art is an intrinsic part of their very being. It’s also keeping them young, giving them purpose, and providing them the opportunity to share what they see and what they love.

Truth be told, these artists would be lost without their art. We salute them for continuing to share with us the beauty of the world and the people in it.

With that, we invite you to turn the page and enjoy the words, wisdom, and art of four very special artists.

Read the articles in the July/August 2020 issue.

Don Prechtel

Night on the Yellowstone

Oil
18″ by 24″

“This piece shows an evening in the foothills of the coast range, on a trail used by long-ago Native Americans to get from the coast to the interior valley.”

Gene Zesch

Look, If I’m Boring You People, Just Say So

Wood
15″ by 8 1/2″ by 7

“A lot of old timers like to sit around, maybe have a beer or two, and tell yarns about the old days. Usually they get better each time. One man even older than me sat in the same chair at the feed store and told the same story of his great-grandfather driving cattle up the trail. On each trip, they knew that a small band of Indians would attack them at the same place and steal a few cattle. Finally, his great-grandfather talked to the chief. They agreed that, if the Indians would stop attacking, he would give them a couple of calves to eat. It was a great story, but after listening to it for a few days, it got a little boring. Sometimes he would bring a newspaper article written by Fred Gipson [Old Yeller] telling this story.”

Albert Handell

L’Arbre

Oil
30″ by 40″

“Trees are one of my favorite subjects. I like to get closer to them so I can see how they spiral upwards, and I can also easily view and paint the color nuances of the trunk. The greens of the leaves are sparse but they complement the grays, browns, and mauves that drift in and out through the rest of the painting. This painting received first place in the master category of a recent Oil Painters of America exhibition in Fredericksburg, Texas.”