Archives for 2017 September-October Issue

The Studio of Bruce Greene

The Studio of Bruce Greene

September 18, 2017 | by

Bruce Greene doesn’t just create Western art; he lives it. Since 1998, about four times a year, he spends a stretch of several days at one of two historic Texas ranches—JA Ranch, the oldest privately owned ranch in the Texas Panhandle, and the legendary Four Sixes Ranch. What does he do there? He engages in contemporary cowboy activities: riding, roping, and wrangling. Those forays into the cowboy psyche have a profound impact on Greene’s art. There’s nothing quite like an authentic contemporary cowboy experience to awaken and excite his creative muse. Greene describes his time at the ranches as magical.
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The Fire Continues to Burn

The Fire Continues to Burn

September 18, 2017 | by

For Tom Browning, there was never a doubt that he would be an artist. And, oh, what an artist he has become! The many awards he has won and the respect he has earned from peers and collectors give testimony to his talent Browning’s depictions of the West—its people, wildlife, horses, cowboys, and Indians—come from the heart, from a deep love and respect for his subjects. His love of art goes back to his childhood. Born in Ontario, Oregon, in 1949, he was fascinated by the artwork he saw in magazines. By the time he was 9, he was drawing
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Stepping Back in Time

Stepping Back in Time

September 18, 2017 | by

San Francisco-based painter Benjamin Wu is among a growing number of artists born and educated in China, who have immigrated to the United States since their country opened its doors to Western thought in the mid-1980s. Thoroughly grounded in the disciplines of traditional realism, their considerable talents are enriching the world of Western art by encouraging viewers to look at America and its history through fresh eyes. Reflecting back nearly four decades, Wu, who was raised in the small coastal village of Zhanjiang on the southern tip of China facing Hong Kong and the South China Sea, recalls the intense
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The Art of Perseverance

The Art of Perseverance

September 18, 2017 | by

Sometimes, when the moon is full, Dan Young steals out of the house to paint. “I have a tendency to get obsessed with things,” he confesses, “and a few years ago I decided to learn how to do night paintings. I tried a few, and I failed miserably. Being someone who loves painting from life, I thought, ‘I’ll just go out at night and paint.’ I got the little headlamp—one for my head and one to shine down on my palette, so I could mix the paint. I’d go out and observe the scene, and I’d try to paint. I’d
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Speaking the Language of Paint

Speaking the Language of Paint

September 18, 2017 | by

Every once in awhile, Nancy Boren comes across two watercolor paintings she did of the Grand Canyon, when she was about 12. “They were, without doubt, the worst paintings ever created,” she says. “I think I’ve made some progress since then.” That’s an understatement for this talented artist, who describes those early paintings as resembling “a big bunch of purple hamburger meat,” due in part to the fact that, at that age, she was unable to view the scene as a whole. She’s come a long way since then, earning prestigious awards for her paintings, while also finding other outlets
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‘I Paint What Excites Me’

‘I Paint What Excites Me’

September 18, 2017 | by

As humble as he is talented, New Mexico artist Kang Cho is a man of few words and doesn’t like to talk about himself. Then again, he doesn’t need to; his art speaks for itself. Whether he’s painting a mountain vista, a city street, or a figure on a lonely road, his dramatic paintings engage and entice the viewer to look deeper. Kang’s use of light and shadow, combined with expressive brushwork, creates a mood that evokes an emotional response. Sometimes contemplative, sometimes exuberant, he paints how he feels about what he sees. “I paint what excites me,” he explains.
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A Man on a Mission

A Man on a Mission

September 18, 2017 | by

In the summer of 2016, Scott Tallman Powers put most of his belongings in storage, hitched his eight-foot camper to his truck, and took off for Alaska with his dog. He was on a mission, as he always is, when he travels, to find subject matter for his paintings. “People,” Powers says. “I was looking for native people, trappers, miners—the people of Alaska.” Powers had intended to spend the summer there, meeting people, taking photos, and painting. But when he got there, he realized that he needed more time. The people he was looking for were in some of the
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