Archives for Portrait

Keeping Risk Alive

Keeping Risk Alive

September 26, 2012 | by

Bill Anton has been wowing Western art lovers with his paintings of the cowboy for three decades and shows no signs of slowing down. Bill Anton (Arizona) New Mexico Morning Oil 20″ By 30″ I’ve never found anything more compelling to paint than cowboys doing ordinary things. Bill Anton (Arizona) Wild And Rugged Oil 30″ By 48″ The backwater West, canyon-slashed and sun-baked, is home to ranching. As development engulfs more and more of the rural areas, ranchers are left to eek out livings in hard lands with tough, experienced men and women.
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A Man and His Medium

A Man and His Medium

September 26, 2012 | by

The stone speaks to me. I let the stone tell me what to do. Doug Hyde (Arizona) People Of The Red Tailed Hawk Bronze 62″ By 40″ By 76″ The Red Tailed Hawk is one of the most common hawks. He is revered in Indian country for his hunting skills and keen vision. The sculpture shows him flying over all the different tribes, from early history to today. Doug Hyde (Arizona) The Drum Echoes Through Our Hearts Utah Alabaster 10″ By 27″ By 19″ This intertribal gathering of many different tribes has the common thread of the drum. It is
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Opening Windows

Opening Windows

September 26, 2012 | by

Born in Heidelberg, Germany, in 1958, and raised in Monroe, Louisiana, Heide Presse is one of a long list of renowned artists, who first honed their talents in the field of commercial art. Heide Presse (Florida) Transition Oil 12″ By 9″ This painting features a mid-19th century teen, still young enough to wear the low neckline common for children’s garments, but transitioning into a young lady with her hair up and wearing one of her mother’s shawls. This is one of my antique paisley shawls, which were very popular in this era. Heide Presse (Florida) The Sound Of Wings Oil
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Spiritual Messenger

Spiritual Messenger

July 26, 2012 | by

His Native American friends call him Big Red Ears, because he listens so intently to their stories; Two Chairs, because he takes up two chairs when he sits down; and Spiritual Messenger, because he is sharing their stories. Dave McGary Chief Washakie Bronze The unveiling of this monument in our nation’s capitol in the rotunda in Washington, D. C. with senators, congressmen, and more than 200 Native Americans in attendance was one of the proudest moments of my artistic career. It now stands in the permanent collection of Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol. Dave McGary Walks Among The
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I Paint Heroes

I Paint Heroes

July 26, 2012 | by

Historical artists are a different breed. That’s one of the first things David Wright will tell you, and he has more than three decades of credibility to back him up. David Wright Red Mountain Trapper Oil 30″ By 24″ David Wright Scouting For Prime Pelts Oil 36″ By 60″
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A Great Gift

A Great Gift

May 26, 2012 | by

Working out of a studio in a suburb just west of Chicago, Illinois, Zhiwei Tu lives some 8,000 miles away from his ancestral home in the remote, mountainous area of Guandong Province in South China. Despite the distance, evocative figures on light-filled canvases still allow the gifted artist to share childhood memories and the ancient tales and legends of his beloved homeland with a worldwide audience. Zhiwei Tu (Illinois) Girl With Red Scarf Oil 30″ By 24″ In 2007, I was asked to do a demo, and the model was dressed very well by Frankie Johnson, director of Mainstreet Art
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The Love Factor

The Love Factor

May 26, 2012 | by

“I do portraits of pottery.” So says Patricia Dobson in a simple statement describing her paintings, but those works are much more than mere portraits. The placement of objects in her still life paintings are works of art in themselves; her use of color and light take those arrangements to an extraordinary level, one that does not go unappreciated by art lovers. Patricia Dobson (Arizona) Oklahoma Territory Oil 18″ By 24″ With the Oklahoma Centennial in mind, this arrangement includes a Comanche drum, Cheyenne moccasins, and a check written in Guthrie, Oklahoma, in 1898, along with some wonderful old books
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Bigger, Bolder, Better

Bigger, Bolder, Better

May 26, 2012 | by

He’s part storyteller, part historian, and part movie director. That’s how Texas artist Xiang Zhang regards his role when he paints. And he takes his work so seriously that he combs the vast ranching landscapes of the Southwest in order to be as accurate as possible in his portrayals. Xiang Zhang (Texas) Simple Pleasure Oil 20″ By 16″ I met this cowboy at my friend’s ranch. He was about 70 years old and looked so handsome on horseback. He lit a cigarette whenever he got the chance, during the roundup. My friend told me that he was the model for
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Honoring the Master: A Retrospective

Honoring the Master: A Retrospective

March 26, 2012 | by

I take my work very seriously, but I don’t take myself seriously. Take awaymy paintbrush, and I’m no different than anyone else. Howard Terpning (Arizona) Medicine Man Of The Cheyenne Oil 48″ By 40″ The medicine man held a very important position in any tribe. He was, in effect, a combination doctor and minister, or priest. He knew about the healing properties of plants, and he knew the ceremonies, chants, and songs that wielded magical powers for the benefit of individuals, or the whole band. Howard Terpning (Arizona) Cheyenne At The Disappearing Creek Oil 50″ By 40″ In the 19th
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Painting His Memories

Painting His Memories

March 26, 2012 | by

When asked about his favorite childhood memory, Oregon artist Jim Daly stops and thinks for a moment. Not because he can’t remember one, but because there are so many. Jim Daly (Oregon) A Sympathetic Friend Oil 18″ By 12″ We’ve all had a rock in our shoe at one time or another, or a sore toe that kept us from running at full speed. This boy is taking time out on a hot summer day to check things out. He doesn’t see his dog’s concern, but for us, the viewer, sometimes a dog can say more with just a look
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