Archives for Oil

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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‘Unexpected Miracles’

‘Unexpected Miracles’

July 18, 2017 | by

The man walked into the gallery, studied several paintings, and then purchased one of Carol Peek’s paintings of a Holstein. “I have to have this painting,” he told the gallery staff member, “and I don’t even like cows!” It was a great compliment for Peek, who says, “I got him to feel something about a subject he never would have looked at before. Something I felt was transferred to him through paint. When people say, ‘I didn’t know a cow could be so beautiful,’ I love it, because they can feel that I loved painting it.” And that, she says,
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‘I Like a Sexy Surface’

‘I Like a Sexy Surface’

July 18, 2017 | by

“I’m fascinated with the allegorical—and the real—journey of life.” So says B. C. Nowlin of his powerful, colorful paintings, many of which are included in corporate collections throughout the country, as well as in private collections by the likes of Sophia Loren and Led Zepplin. “I am told that I paint journeys,” he says. “It’s more like a place that people pass through. They’re going out of darkness, toward the light. My paintings are a journey, something that pulls you forward, that goes through time or space. I’m generally an optimistic guy, so it’s always bright in the distance. It’s
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‘I Paint to Listen’

‘I Paint to Listen’

July 18, 2017 | by

Montana artist John Potter does more than paint lovely landscapes and realistic wildlife. His art invites viewers to listen to the voice of the earth inside them. “The deeper message I hope to convey is this: Take the time to nurture and nourish your senses, your heart, and your spirit in the quiet dignity to be found in wild places and wild things,” he says. Potter isn’t a household name—yet—but he probably should be. His paintings ostensibly portray wildlife and nature. But, look closer. He’s not handing out trophy images of animals, birds, or benign landscapes; he’s offering a revelation.
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Making Connections, Seeing Patterns

Making Connections, Seeing Patterns

July 18, 2017 | by

“Painting is all about seeing,” oil painter Carolyn Anderson frequently notes. It’s a talking point in previous interviews, and it’s something she reiterates regularly to the intermediate and advanced art students, who attend her workshops. It’s also a concept absolutely essential to understanding her art, both in terms of creative process and end result. “Too many of us repeat that information without thinking about what that actually means,” Anderson says. “If it actually is all about seeing, it takes on a whole new level of importance.” Carolyn Anderson Before the Race Oil 12″x12″ “I like imagery with some kind of
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The Long and Winding Road

The Long and Winding Road

July 18, 2017 | by

“I was an out-of-control child,” John DeMott says. “I was right-brain from the get-go. We would walk to kindergarten, and sometimes I wouldn’t make it to class, so my mother would come looking for me, and I would be catching butterflies. I did what I wanted to do, not necessarily what I was supposed to do. I have kind of marched to my own tune my whole life.” He has indeed. But, oh what a tune it is. Today, DeMott is a successful artist—and part-time musician—living in Loveland, Colorado, where he is surrounded by the natural beauty, the people, and
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The Studio of Greg Beecham

The Studio of Greg Beecham

May 18, 2017 | by

Dubois, Wyoming, is billed as one of the last Old West towns in the country. Its Chamber of Commerce web site touts its charm as a “gem with that frontier feeling. Far from everything, and the center of everything.” The town, nestled in the foothills of the mountains, is an hour away from Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, just over the scenic Togwotee Pass highway. Greg Beecham has called this enchanting Western town home since 1997, when he and his family moved to Wyoming from Washington State. Initially, when they purchased the home, he thought a small room off
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Living an Artist’s Dream

Living an Artist’s Dream

May 18, 2017 | by

“Every painting I start I hope is going to be the best painting I’ve ever done. That doesn’t necessarily come true, but it can, so I keep going.” Spoken by some artists, these words might scan as overconfident, even boastful. Coming from Dennis Doheny, though, they sound like a simple statement of possibility, offered up in a playful spirit of optimism and a willingness to stretch as an artist, even after 40 years in the business. Doheny’s artistic outlook and philosophy are as sunny as the warm California landscapes he’s best known for painting. He wakes up in the morning
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