Archives for Oil

Infusions of Light

Infusions of Light

July 15, 2018 | by

Long before he became an artist, Jim Wilcox juggled three loves: product design, architecture, and painting. Because his high school didn’t have an art program, he funneled his creative energy into drawing horses and later competing in the Model Car Competition. He won third place in the auto design competition, which challenged boys to create the car of the future. “I did that for two years—1959 and 1960—and won the smallest award you could win, which was third place in Colorado, where I lived at the time,” he says, adding with a chuckle that there were probably only three contestants
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The Secret Sauce

The Secret Sauce

July 15, 2018 | by

It was a rainy day in Wisconsin that opened Dan Gerhartz’s eyes to his future career. Gerhartz, who grew up 40 miles north of Milwaukee, loved to be outdoors. As a teenager, he did a lot of hunting and fishing with friends and family in nearby woods. But one rainy day, a friend suggested that they do some drawing instead. “We had some Walker Foster how-to-draw books,” Gerhartz remembers. “That’s how it got started. I found out that I enjoyed it and that I had an aptitude for it.” He entered a few high school competitions, won a couple of
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‘Each Painting is Personal’

‘Each Painting is Personal’

May 15, 2018 | by

In late February, after being out of commission for several months, David Hettinger was back working in his studio, creating the wonderfully executed paintings that have earned him a host of awards, as well as inclusion in collections throughout the world. The reason for that interruption in his schedule was a torn ligament that required surgery and almost three weeks in the hospital, followed by months of recuperation at his home in Aurora, Illinois. That doesn’t mean, however, that Hettinger wasn’t working at his art. He asked fellow artist Walt Gonske and several other artist friends to send him photos
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Abstract Impressionism

Abstract Impressionism

May 15, 2018 | by

Perched atop the corrals or catwalks above rodeos, artist Howard Post gets a view that rouses his muse. The patterns of cattle huddled together in the corral, or the linear outline of the fences create a vision that spawns his artistic vision and are a strong focus in the Arizona artist’s paintings. Post, once an avid rodeo participant himself, discovered this birds-eye perspective by accident. To get a better look, he clambered up above the activity and discovered patterns and light that hadn’t been evident from his ground-level participation. The new perspective set his contemporary paintings of cattle, cowboys, rodeo
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‘It’s a Calling’

‘It’s a Calling’

May 15, 2018 | by

“Besides painting, I don’t really have any other hobbies. I don’t do anything besides painting,” says Chicago oil painter Mary Qian, when asked what sorts of things she likes to do in her spare time. She seems honestly a little bewildered by the question. Why would she not be painting? Why would she have spare time? What is spare time? Qian leads a clean, streamlined, art-centric existence, spending many of her waking hours at Chicago’s Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts, an art space where she makes extensive use of the studios and the models the organization makes available
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In Praise of the Cowboy

In Praise of the Cowboy

May 15, 2018 | by

Bill Anton traces his fascination with the West back to a trip he took, when he was just 7, with his family to Glacier National Park and the West Coast. “The mountains, the air, the weather were profoundly different from anything I’d known,” says the artist, who grew up in Chicago, Illinois. “I’d never seen anything that was like the American West, and the impression it made on my mind and heart was unmistakable. I’d find a way to be back to stay the minute I was old enough—and I did.” Now living in Prescott, Arizona, Anton has been sharing
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The Studio of Debra Joy Groesser

The Studio of Debra Joy Groesser

March 15, 2018 | by

Reflecting on how quickly time passes, Nebraska-based plein air painter Debra Joy Groesser is a bit amazed to realize that she celebrated her studio’s 20 th anniversary in December 2017. Her studio and her home are located in Ralston, a one-square mile incorporated town with a population of approximately 6,800 near Omaha that her husband Don has served as mayor for the past 21 years. The upper level of the building, which encompasses approximately 700 square feet, houses Groesser’s studio, framing area, and a small office. It includes four north-facing windows and two more on the east wall that provide
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‘Celebrating God’s Creation’

‘Celebrating God’s Creation’

March 15, 2018 | by

We’re surrounded by it, and yet we don’t see it—the brilliant colors of leaves in the fall, the magnificent glow of a sunset, the snowy banks along a creek. We know it’s there, but we take it for granted, as we go about our busy lives. And we feel it—sun shining on our faces, wind blowing through our hair, crashing waves sending a misty bouquet of shimmering water through the air. Mother Nature beckons us to enjoy and appreciate the wonders she has to offer, but all too often we ignore those offerings, as we go about our busy lives.
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Ode to the Old West

Ode to the Old West

March 15, 2018 | by

Rumor has it that David Edward (Ed) Kucera created his first mural at age 5. The proof no longer exists but, as the story goes, he was sequestered in his room as punishment for mischief and mayhem. So, he did what any aspiring artist might do; he saw his bedroom walls as a blank canvas on which to paint a masterpiece. Although his mother wasn’t the most ardent fan of her son’s artistic effort at the time, that foray into really big art might be why today he prefers painting large canvases. Despite this early accomplishment, art wasn’t Kucera’s first
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Distant Memories

Distant Memories

March 15, 2018 | by

Kyle Polzin has been painting professionally for about 15 years now, delighting collectors with his wonderfully executed still life pieces that feature a magical mix of everything from flowers, flags, and feathers to boots, blankets, and bowls. Each painting is beautifully lit and masterfully detailed. We have featured Polzin and his work three times over the years, much to the delight of readers, who appreciate and applaud his skill in composing and painting pieces that stop you in your tracks, compelling you to study every detail and appreciate the magic of his brush. Not surprisingly, Polzin’s paintings sell as quickly
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