Archives for Oil

Mixing It Up

Mixing It Up

December 12, 2019 | by

As has often been said, timing is everything. This was especially true in the case of Utah artist Jason Rich. As he’ll tell you, the stars aligned, and his time as a career artist came quickly—before he had even finished his college education. But let’s step back and follow the route that took Rich to his art career. His father, an elementary school teacher, owned a small horse farm in southern Idaho, where he raised and trained horses to sell. One of five siblings, Rich was the only one who worked alongside his father, growing not only to love—but to
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Joseph Alleman Perfectly Imperfect

Joseph Alleman Perfectly Imperfect

December 12, 2019 | by

There’s only so much time you can spend driving, trying to find that perfect barn,” says Joseph Alleman, whose very livelihood depends on the quality of barns he’s able to locate and depict. Sometimes he renders them in dense, saturated watercolor; more often, he uses oils to achieve the opaque surfaces and clean lines for which he’s known. Driving in search of those barns, Alleman recites the inner monologue that kicks in as the mile markers pass: “I’ve got to get out of the car. I’m wasting too much time. Let’s just stop here and make the best of it.”
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The Studio of Mary Ann Cherry

The Studio of Mary Ann Cherry

December 12, 2019 | by

Given the diverse range of her talents and commitments—oil and pastel painter, workshop instructor, novelist, and current President of the Women Artists of the West—it’s not surprising that Mary Ann Cherry loves the opportunities she enjoys by having two working studios. She does the majority of her creative work in a studio at the family home she shares with her husband Bob. Situated on two acres at the edge of the Snake River, just a few miles north of Idaho Falls, Idaho, that studio is informal, with a rural feel that is somewhat of an extension of the outdoors. “When
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The Studio of Jim Rey

The Studio of Jim Rey

December 5, 2019 | by

Jim Rey has painted in a variety of studio spaces: a bedroom, an alcove, a family room, a garage, even a rented room in a country motel. And he happily did so, as he pursued his dream of becoming an artist, after working in commercial art for several years and later in the computer industry. In 2012, Rey finally was able to claim for himself an actual studio at the home he shares with his wife Sharon in Durango, Colorado. It was a long time coming, but it was well worth the wait. Rey had started painting in the early
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What is Art?

What is Art?

December 5, 2019 | by

It’s a question that has been asked for hundreds of years: What is art? While there are several definitions of the word, what one person perceives as art might not be perceived or accepted as art by another person. One of many definitions of art is “an expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power.” Using that definition certainly leaves the door wide open for labeling many different types of creations as a “work of art.” In most
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Unique Expressions

Unique Expressions

December 5, 2019 | by

Summers are hot in Texas—and this past summer was one of the worst that Nancy Bush can remember. She was born and raised in the Lone Star State and has lived there almost all of her adult life, so for the most part she’s used to the heat. But this summer, she says, was harder than usual. “It was a brutal summer this year—warmer than past summers,” she says. “But hot is hot, and that’s what we have down here now. Of course, most everyone has air conditioning here, or there would for sure be a massive migration to the
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Letting Fly

Letting Fly

December 5, 2019 | by

There is nothing subtle about an Alan Wolton painting—and that is just as he has planned it. His colors almost sing with energy, causing viewers’ eyes to dance through the painting, pausing here and there before moving on, through and around the light, and savoring every aspect of it. Wolton’s magical paintings have earned him master signature status in the Oil Painters of America (OPA), as well as several awards, including 2017 Sedona Legacy Artist and OPA’s 2014 Distinguished Artist of the Year. While he appreciates the kudos, what really gets his adrenaline going is the act of applying paint
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A Sense of Peace

A Sense of Peace

December 5, 2019 | by

When Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution came to an end in 1976, China began to open its doors to the West. During the following four decades, several well-trained and highly talented artists journeyed across the ocean to America. Landscapist Calvin Liang was among the most gifted of those newcomers. From the time he was old enough to hold a pencil, Liang knew that he wanted to be an artist. Achieving that goal, however, would require patience and determination; it wasn’t until he was almost 40 that his dream became a reality. By the time he was 12, Liang’s career choice seemed
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A Celebration of Nature

A Celebration of Nature

December 5, 2019 | by

Tucker Smith was born to be an artist. He always knew it—he just didn’t know how he’d make a living at it. So it was that he took a more practical route. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1940, Smith and his family moved to Wyoming in 1952. There, in the wilds near his new home, his yearning for art took shape, as he developed a love affair with the land and the wildlife in the mountainous region. Nature became his muse, and it was just a matter of time before he would take up a paintbrush in earnest. Smith
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COWBOY ARTISTS OF AMERICA: New Beginnings

COWBOY ARTISTS OF AMERICA: New Beginnings

November 14, 2019 | by

The Cowboy Artists of America (CAA) has taken a bold step—right into the cultural heart of Fort Worth, Texas. For the first time in its history, its annual art show will not be tethered to a museum, and members couldn’t be more enthusiastic. Utah artist and current CAA president, Jason Rich, has been a member for eight years. He says, “Fort Worth is a mecca of art institutions and Western culture museums—the Amon Carter Museum, the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, the Cattle Museum, Sid Richardson Museum, etc.—that all focus on the West and Western art, and we just really fit
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