Archives for Oil

The Studio of John Fawcett

The Studio of John Fawcett

September 1, 2022 | by

In late May, after a four-day drive from their home near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, John and Elizabeth Fawcett happily drove through the gates to their home in Clark, Colorado. It’s an annual event that includes pulling a large horse trailer occupied by the couple’s two horses and all of Fawcett’s paint supplies. “We looked like the Beverly Hillbillies,” he says with a laugh. Located on a 52-acre ranch the Fawcetts named Double LL—which Fawcett says stands for Lucky (me) and Lizzie (Elizabeth)—the property is 25 miles north of Steamboat Springs. Willow Creek runs through the ranch and attracts deer and elk,
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Painting and Peace

Painting and Peace

September 1, 2022 | by

Sherry Harrington has a strong affection for Texas, where she was born, raised, and continues to live. Vast fields of Texas Bluebonnets or cowboys herding cattle, however, are not the subjects of her paintings. She much prefers to fill her canvases with portraits of beautiful Native American women and children. “I have always loved people, but I am especially drawn to depicting members of the tribes in the desert Southwest—the Navajo, Apache, Cheyenne, and Sioux to name but a few,” Harrington says. “Perhaps this is due in part to the fact that my paternal grandmother was half-American Indian. Even as
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An Artist on a Mission

An Artist on a Mission

September 1, 2022 | by

As a young child, Joe Kronenberg drew voraciously. Today, as an adult, he is an artist on a mission. “As an artist in the 21st century, I strive to create paintings that embody the aesthetic and objective standards of the 19th century European academic art world,” he says. It’s a style he believes has been lost in an instant-gratification world. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Kronenberg filled his room—as well as the rest of the house—with realistic artwork of the area’s grandeur. In his mind, it was just a matter of time before he would become an artist. That
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Painting From His Soul

Painting From His Soul

June 30, 2022 | by

William Suys doesn’t limit himself in what he paints or how he paints it, whether it’s an animal, a person, a landscape, or a still life. The only constant is that he strives to imbue each of his works with personality, presence, and power. He accomplishes each of those goals with great skill. “I want the process of my painting to be personal, completely from my soul,” Suys says. “I want to paint what I feel, and I’ve been doing more of that. If I can paint something that is meaningful for me and do a better job of laying
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Anything is Possible

Anything is Possible

June 30, 2022 | by

“It’s incredible how magical the desert is when you go with the intention of self-reflection,” says Colorado artist Anna Rose Bain, who began a tradition of taking solo trips to the California desert when she was struggling with severe adrenal fatigue just before the start of COVID. “I found that I was getting burnt out at least twice a year, to a point where it was affecting my health and my relationships,” says Bain, who balances painting with raising two young children and practicing CrossFit, a high-intensity fitness program. “I started going to the desert to recharge and meditate and
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A Burning Obsession

A Burning Obsession

June 30, 2022 | by

As a child, Susan Eyer-Anderson would sneak into the garage to watch her father paint. He worked long hours as the manager of a silkscreen plant in Los Angeles, California, but he spent his evenings and weekends painting in the family garage in rural Orange County. It was intended to be a quiet sanctuary, and three of his four children respected that enough to stay clear of the space. But Eyer-Anderson was too intrigued by the work he did in the garage to stay away. “I couldn’t help it,” she says. “I was so fascinated by it, so I would
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“I Paint What I Love”

“I Paint What I Love”

June 30, 2022 | by

The vibrant images of Douglas Aagard’s landscapes radiate a joy that conveys his love for everything from flaming red and gold leaves in the fall to the azure blue of a meandering stream to the lushness of a mountain valley. He loves it all and captures it brilliantly. The 54-year-old artist was born in Utah but grew up near Corvallis, Montana, in the shadow of the Bitterroot Mountains. “Evenings were my favorite time of day because I could watch the changing colors of the valley as the sun set behind the mountains,” he says. During summers at his grandparents’ sheep
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The Studio of Len Babb

The Studio of Len Babb

June 30, 2022 | by

In the almost-darkness just before sunrise, a retired cowboy emerges from his house and silently walks the short distance to a small, tidy log building with a sheltered porch. He takes a seat near the handmade door, easing his old bones onto a bench created from a split log. There, with Oregon’s high desert spread out before him and the sun coming up pink beyond the distant dark mountains, he makes his preparations for the day. Once inside, he builds a fire in the little, round wood stove in the corner, warming his hands before the flames. In the thin
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Disco Drove Him to Art

Disco Drove Him to Art

May 1, 2022 | by

Ask Oklahoma City-based oil painter Kenny McKenna what kick-started his career, and he will tell you, in all seriousness, that it was disco. “This is a true story,” he says with a laugh. “It sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. As much as I dislike disco, I can thank it for what I’m doing today for a living.” It does sound ridiculous, and it is a true story. McKenna, an accomplished musician who has been playing in various bands since he was in junior high school, was living in Phoenix, Arizona, and playing six nights a week with a successful local
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A Lifetime of Experimentation

A Lifetime of Experimentation

May 1, 2022 | by

If you spend enough time looking at Stan Davis’ art, you will understand who he is. You will understand how he’s evolved as an artist, how his experiences have led him to exactly where he is now, how his artistic influences have converged in his body of work. You will understand why he feels more creatively alive than he has ever felt before. “This is the most creative thing I’ve ever done,” Davis says from his home in Perry, Florida. “It absolutely draws every ounce of creativity out of me.” “This” is the mixed-media collage that is part of the
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