Archives for Genre

From Westerns to Santas

From Westerns to Santas

October 13, 2026 | by

The Two Artistic Worlds of Cowboy Artists of America Member Tom Browning   As an artist, Tom Browning has two sides. On one side is his dedication to creating realistic Western paintings that include wildlife, horses, cowboys, and Native Americans and softer subjects that include women and children in vintage clothing. The other side has him painting Santa Claus in whimsical settings that include golf courses, beaches, and his workshop. No matter what he is painting, the award-winning, internationally known Oregon artist is determined to capture the essence of his subject and to do so in a painterly style. Browning
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Sharing the Desert Landscape

Sharing the Desert Landscape

October 8, 2026 | by

Contemporary Western Artist Kevin Chupik Draws Inspiration From the Arizona Desert   Kevin Chupik knows what it’s like to live in the desert. He understands the desolation, the silence, and the sweltering heat. He knows all about the suffering that’s part and parcel of the landscape. And he loves all of it. “It’s a twisted thing, but the rewards are tangible,” he says. “The audible silences that make so much noise, the crunching of the rocks under foot, the caw of the ravens, and the sound of the wind—is all so very real when you experience it.” Chupik first fell
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Sweet Success

Sweet Success

August 6, 2026 | by

Award-Winning Western Artist Albin Veselka Draws on His Cowboy Heritage and Ranching Background   Albin Veselka has paid his dues, just as most successful artists have, and is now reaping the rewards of overcoming the struggles of developing a career in the world of fine art. He participates in several invitational events, including the Cowboy Artists of America’s Show, the Coors Show, the Buffalo Bill Auction, the Out West Art Show, the Coeur d’Alene Auction, and a few shows each year at Settlers West Gallery in Tucson, Arizona. Veselka lives with his wife Jenee and their four children in the
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The Nostalgic West

The Nostalgic West

June 9, 2026 | by

From a First-Grade Drawing to National Recognition: The Story of Artist Dennis Ziemienski   A trip to the principal’s office in first grade might have been the catalyst that pushed Dennis Ziemienski toward art. When he drew a full wine glass next to a bottle, his principal called his parents in for two reasons: One, he worried Ziemienski might be “imbibing” at home, given the adult subject matter. Two, the principal, who was also an artist, noticed that the child had correctly drawn the top of his wine glass as an ellipse. The kid could already render complex visual perspectives
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Fresh Mind, Fresh Eyes

Fresh Mind, Fresh Eyes

June 9, 2026 | by

How Disney Visual Designer Simon Lok Helped Shape the Iconic Look of Mulan and Transitioned Into a Career of Western Art   You might not recognize Simon Lok’s name, but you have almost certainly seen his work. If you watched any of Disney’s animated feature films in the late 1990s and early 2000s—“Mulan,” “Atlantis: The Lost Empire,” “Brother Bear,” or “The Princess and the Frog” to name just a few—you’re familiar with his use of color, light, and landscape to create a vivid and memorable palette and setting for those films’ characters and their adventures. Lok, who is listed in
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Paying Tribute to the Statue of Liberty

Paying Tribute to the Statue of Liberty

June 9, 2026 | by

The Art and History Behind the Statue of Liberty, America’s Most Recognizable Monument   Some works of art are immediately identifiable throughout the world. A few that come to mind are Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, Michelangelo’s David, Alexandros of Antioch’s Venus de Milo, and Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker. Another one we can add to that list is the Statue of Liberty, a magnificent work of art that is known throughout the world as a symbol of freedom and democracy. Designed by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, the Statue of Liberty took 10 years to create—from 1876 to 1886.
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Riding High

Riding High

April 8, 2026 | by

Sherry Cobb-Kelleher Captures the Spirit of Ranch Life Through Authentic Western Art   If you’ve ever imagined living on a ranch, riding high in the saddle, herding cattle, and working in nature, you can live that vicariously through the art of Sherry Cobb-Kelleher. “I don’t know if I’m being romantic or what, but I’ve always had such a connection to the land and the animals,” she says. “I want to be able to show that in my artwork so people can see and feel it. I’ve had this connection my whole life. That’s why I paint—to make that connection.” Born
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The Studio of Heather Burton & Dave Santillanes

The Studio of Heather Burton & Dave Santillanes

April 8, 2026 | by

Colorado Artists Dave Santillanes and Heather Burton Find Inspiration in Their Dream Studio Near Pikes Peak   Since meeting in Maui in 2014, artists Dave Santillanes and Heather Burton have been side by side in many ways: dating, marriage, parenting, and living as full-time artists in Colorado. Since September 2025, when they moved from Wellington, Colorado, to Colorado Springs, they have also been side by side when painting in their spacious studio on the main level of their home on the northern part of town near Black Forest. The main-level studio is the first room a visitor sees, and once
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Struggle, Hope and Beauty

Struggle, Hope and Beauty

February 4, 2026 | by

Chinese-American Painter Huihan Liu Finds Artistic Inspiration in Perseverance, Literature, and Life   California-based Chinese-American oil painter Huihan Liu loves the writings of Ernest Hemingway, particularly “The Old Man and the Sea,” so much that many years ago, he made an oil painting inspired by the book. “When I was in graduate school, we had a final project involving literature and painting,” he says. “And one of my paintings was The Old Man and the Sea.” There was something in the story that spoke to him, he says—the difficulty, the struggle, the endurance, the refusal to lose hope even in
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Painterly Photography

Painterly Photography

February 4, 2026 | by

Wayne Heim’s ‘One-Image Movies’ Bring the Stories of the American West to Life   Wayne Heim has spent most of his career as a medical illustrator, working on a freelance basis with medical device manufacturers to explain to surgeons how to use their instruments during various procedures. For the past 15 years, he’s been exploring another medium as he captures images of the people and places of the West with a camera. Every image, he says, is a “one-image movie.” What Heim means by that is that each image he captures—whether it be a cowboy or a landscape—has a story
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