Archives for Portrait

The Evolution Continues

The Evolution Continues

May 20, 2015 | by

A few years ago, Jason Rich was invited to visit some of the people who had started collecting his work early in his career. He hadn’t seen the paintings in almost 20 years. and he admits that he was surprised when he looked at them again. “Day after day, as you’re working at your easel, the changes in your work are so subtle that you don’t even notice them,” he says. “But when you look back at your early work, you see the evolution. You see the changes that you don’t see day-to-day.” Rich was in his mid twenties, when
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Expression and Intuition

Expression and Intuition

May 20, 2015 | by

As an award-winning member of Oil Painters of America, Oklahoma native Derek Penix strongly believes an artist’s ability to paint intuitively is what makes the difference between creating a work that is technically and aesthetically pleasing versus one that has the potential to become a masterpiece. “Watching a recent U-tube video listing the world’s 10 most expensive paintings, I observed that the common denominator for each was that none of the artists painted literally,” he says. “All changed what they saw, making it into their own world.” This type of discernment comes naturally to one who grew up surrounded by
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Ah, Sweet Color!

Ah, Sweet Color!

May 20, 2015 | by

A burst of color in a painting, particularly when placed against a moody background, is a delightful surprise. It is poetry; it is magic. Color can be as soothing as an ocean sunset, or it can knock your socks off. While most of us appreciate a good black-and-white piece, we find color, when properly placed, leads our eyes along a route the artist has skillfully set for us. Kevin Beilfuss Sarah’s Diary Kevin Beilfuss trained at the American Academy of art in Chicago, Illinois, and has been painting professionally for 26 years—13 as a freelance illustrator and 13 as a
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The Studio of Dan Mieduch

The Studio of Dan Mieduch

May 20, 2015 | by

Dan Mieduch says his man cave (aka the studio) “just has kitchen cabinets, a tile floor, and ceiling fan, and that’s it.” He’s being overly modest, as he explains that the studio came into existence to allow him to work away from the house, where his children could too easily distract him. In the studio, “I could play music, work, and shut myself off,” he explains. Dan Mieduch Studio Dan Mieduch Healing Waters Oil 9″ x 12″
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Memory Triggers

Memory Triggers

March 20, 2015 | by

George Hallmark’s wife Lisa answers the phone and, when asked how she is, responds, “I’m great; I’m married to the most wonderful person I’ve ever met.” A few days later, during the interview for this article, Hallmark says of Lisa, a former executive secretary and professional singer, “She is the love of my life, and she takes care of me every day.” To say that these two are happy would be an understatement. Their relationship is an enviable combination of love, admiration, and support. In fact, when Hallmark talks about his paintings, he often uses “we” rather than “I.” For
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A Different Perspective

A Different Perspective

March 20, 2015 | by

Alfredo Rodriguez bemoans the loss of personal interaction, a casualty of the evolution of technology—computers, cell phones, and social media—that, while increasing the speed with which people communicate, has put a distance between them. You can’t shake a hand or share a hug while tapping out letters on a keyboard. So it is that Rodriguez focuses on people interacting with each other, whether it’s an old man reading to his grandchildren, or a young man teaching his siblings how to carve. During the first part of his career, he painted colorful scenes of Native Americans, cowboys, and mountain men, along
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Billy Schenck

Billy Schenck

March 20, 2015 | by

Preferring to be called Billy rather than Bill or William, it is obvious that Billy Schenck is a man secure in who he is and what he does—with good reason. In addition to being a much sought after painter, the 67-year-old artist can also be described as a nearly compulsive collector of fine art and prehistoric pottery, an avid cattleman, horseman, and rodeo promoter. He is a multitalented man, whose fascination with life and learning has allowed him to excel at all these endeavors and more. At first glance, working in the Western genre might seem a bit of an
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The Joy Of Being Alive

The Joy Of Being Alive

January 20, 2015 | by

Donna Howell-Sickles has been making her way as a fine artist for four decades. She’s earned numerous awards for her paintings and has been inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. But, if you think she’s settled into a comfortable routine, you would be sadly mistaken. While the past has been pretty darn spectacular, the future for this award-winning artist promises to be more than a little exciting. Donna Sickles Soul Searching—The Pick of the Litter Mixed Media 36″x36″ “You can never have too many dogs or enough protective footwear, albeit the symbolic kind, because you
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The Magic Is Working

The Magic Is Working

January 20, 2015 | by

In 1985, David Mann was a librarian at the Utah State Library in Salt Lake City. He had four kids under the age of 5—and he had a nagging notion that he wasn’t doing the right thing with his life. Mann already had changed careers a couple of times. He started out as an art teacher, but that only lasted for one school year. David Mann White Buffalo Robe Oil 48″x36″ “The robe of the rare white buffalo is truly big medicine to the members of this Buffalo Society, who view it with awe and reverence.” David Mann Kiowa Smoke
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The Studio of David “Scott” Rogers

The Studio of David “Scott” Rogers

January 20, 2015 | by

Confirming that nearly 95 percent of his imagery celebrates the historical West, it’s obvious that sculptor David “Scott” Rogers could not have chosen a more appropriate location than Paradise, Utah, just 30 miles south of the Idaho border, in which to build his new studio. Surrounded on all four sides by mountains, the town of some 950 residents is situated in the Cache Valley, so named because it was a secluded area, where early mountain men “cached” their pelts in anticipation of the spring trading season. Scott Rogers The Wrangler Scott Rogers The Trooper
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