Archives for Figurative

The Studio of Quang Ho

September 1, 2021 | by Myrna Zanetell

While the United States has been blessed with a multitude of native-born painters, its art heritage has also been greatly enriched by the work of many foreign-born artists, from Nicolai Fechin and John Singer Sargent to Zhiwei Tu and Mian Situ. Another name on the list of foreignborn artists who are sharing their cultural heritage with American art collectors is Quang Ho, who was born in Vietnam and is creating some of the most sought-after works in today’s market. Born in 1963, in Hue, Vietnam, Ho was 12 when he came to the United States with his mother and seven
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Silver Linings

September 1, 2021 | by Brandon Rosas

“I always thought when you went blind, it was black. It wasn’t,” says watercolor artist Marlin Rotach, who noticed changes in his vision in the spring of 2018. “It was flesh-toned, and it was just like a curtain going across my eye until I had no sight at all.” After visiting a specialist, Rotach learned that he was suffering from a detached retina, a condition that required two surgeries and left him blind in his right eye for five months. Unable to paint, but still able to use a computer, Rotach decided to try writing biographical vignettes about historical artists
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The Guy Who Loves Horses

September 1, 2021 | by Vicki Stavig

Mehl Lawson’s lack of the financial resources necessary to purchase a sculpture proved to be a blessing not only to him but to the Western art world, as well. If he couldn’t buy one, he decided, he’d create one. Lawson turned to a friend who was doing some sculpting, asked what he would need to do a sculpture, and went out and bought the basic tools his friend recommended. “I did a little one, and it started selling immediately,” he says. “Within about a year, I had sold the whole edition.” Read the full article in the September/October 2021 issue.
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A Never-Quit Mentality

September 1, 2021 | by Robyne Robinson

It was a long Sunday afternoon for Todd Connor early this summer as he was filling packing boxes for a move from McAllister to Fort Benton, Montana, just northeast of Great Falls. But the day was filled with pleasant surprises. While cleaning out his studio, he discovered hundreds of small canvases, all plein air paintings. “I don’t get to do plein air much anymore,” he says wistfully. Don’t think for a minute that Connor sees his sun-swept portraits of pioneers, landscapes, and First Nation warriors as uninspired, 9-to- 5 studio work, however. Art is his challenge, second only to the
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Capturing the Cowboy Culture

September 1, 2021 | by Vicki Stavig

Tyler Crow was a high school senior when the trajectory of his life was forever changed. His plan following his graduation was to go on to college, earn a degree in agricultural or ranch management, and “run my own cows.” Those plans changed when he entered a pencil drawing in a competition sponsored by the Oklahoma Youth Expo and won a scholarship for a workshop conducted by award-winning Western artists Bruce Greene and Martin Grelle, who also happened to be members of the prestigious Cowboy Artists of America (CAA). Within a couple months, Crow was studying with the two artists
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Living Her Dream

July 1, 2021 | by Clover Neiberg

If you are considering taking up painting, Dallas-based oil painter Susan Temple Neumann has three words for you, delivered in a soft Texas drawl: “Go for it.” Maybe you think you’re too old, too established in your current career, too untrained, or lacking in the necessary workspace and supplies. In that case, Neumann has two more words for you: “No excuses.” She considers her own story proof that anyone with some talent and drive can at least have a go at being an artist. “I was in my fifties before I even thought about going down this path,” says Neumann,
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‘I’m Super Excited’

July 1, 2021 | by Myrna Zanetell

Arizona oil painter Chauncey Homer entered the arena as a professional artist less than two decades ago, but his work has already garnered a strong collector base. His paintings are eagerly sought after and hang in prestigious galleries alongside compositions by masters of the Western genre such as Howard Terpning, Roy Anderson, Robert Shufelt, and R. S. Riddick. The popularity of Homer’s work is due to a combination of his artistic skill and his broad repertoire of subject matter. “I have tried to limit what I paint to five things that I personally love to look at: kids; beautiful women
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A Double Dose of Magic

July 1, 2021 | by Sara Gilbert Frederick

For four and a half years, Bonnie Conrad had to take a break from painting. She was recovering from an illness that sapped her of her strength and then, as she felt better, she and her husband were building a new home in Mendon, Utah. She painted whenever she could and whenever she was preparing for a show. By January 2020, Conrad was feeling more like herself again, so she started painting more often. And that’s when something magical happened. Read the full article in the July/August 2021 issue. Son Kissed Oil 24” by 30” “This work is about the
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A World of Possibilities

May 1, 2021 | by Robyne Robinson

Australians will tell you that stories about the Outback are more truth than fiction. Hardships come naturally in that part of the country; what you learn about life doesn’t always come from a book. “If you don’t put in the hard yards, you will not get results,” says Kathy Ellem, who grew up in Beechworth, a small town about 175 miles north of Melbourne in the state of North Victoria, where her family owned and operated a 100-acre apple farm. “Sometimes nature or the markets seem to be against us but without that effort in the first place we would
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‘I Can’t Turn it Off’

May 1, 2021 | by Sara Gilbert Frederick

For a long time, Bruce Cheever was best known as a landscape painter. His atmospheric, often nostalgic scenes had earned awards, recognition, and a solid following of collectors. Those landscapes are still his recognizable pieces—and landscapes are still his favorite subject to paint. During the past several years, however, he’s been steadfastly broadening his universe to include still lifes, figures, wildlife, and more. “My goal is to be able to sit down and paint any subject with equal confidence,” Cheever says. “I’ve tried to push my boundaries out further so that I feel comfortable tackling any subject. I wanted to
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