Archives for Portrait

In Praise of the Cowboy

In Praise of the Cowboy

May 15, 2018 | by

Bill Anton traces his fascination with the West back to a trip he took, when he was just 7, with his family to Glacier National Park and the West Coast. “The mountains, the air, the weather were profoundly different from anything I’d known,” says the artist, who grew up in Chicago, Illinois. “I’d never seen anything that was like the American West, and the impression it made on my mind and heart was unmistakable. I’d find a way to be back to stay the minute I was old enough—and I did.” Now living in Prescott, Arizona, Anton has been sharing
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Ode to the Old West

Ode to the Old West

March 15, 2018 | by

Rumor has it that David Edward (Ed) Kucera created his first mural at age 5. The proof no longer exists but, as the story goes, he was sequestered in his room as punishment for mischief and mayhem. So, he did what any aspiring artist might do; he saw his bedroom walls as a blank canvas on which to paint a masterpiece. Although his mother wasn’t the most ardent fan of her son’s artistic effort at the time, that foray into really big art might be why today he prefers painting large canvases. Despite this early accomplishment, art wasn’t Kucera’s first
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Passion and Prestige

Passion and Prestige

January 15, 2018 | by

When you finish reading this article, take a moment to clear away all the background distractions you’re able to eliminate. Open the magazine, or your browser, to one of Z.S. Liang’s paintings. If you’re a collector fortunate enough to own one of his works, go stand in front of it. Take in, for a few minutes, the sun-washed faces and the buckskin-clad figures, the moody skies and the red earth, the fur-trimmed clothing and the high-spirited horses, the surrounding scenery. Do your best, knowing what you know about Native American history, to piece together the story you are witnessing. Every
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The Studio of Joseph Henry Sharp (1859-1953)

The Studio of Joseph Henry Sharp (1859-1953)

November 18, 2017 | by

Nestled between the shimmering peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the precipitous gash of the Rio Grande Gorge, the light-filled Taos Valley exudes a mystical feeling that has lured peoples to this enchanting location for hundreds of years. By 1335, the Tiwa-speaking Indians had permanently settled into homes in the Taos Pueblo and soon were followed by Spanish conquistadors, explorers such as Kit Carson, and, eventually, colonists from Mexico, who founded the adobe village of Taos in 1615. Few in number, residents of that sleepy little settlement never could have imagined that, three centuries later, their livelihood would
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Women Artists: Meeting the Challenge

Women Artists: Meeting the Challenge

November 18, 2017 | by

It’s no secret that women artists often have a more difficult time than their male counterparts in not only succeeding in their careers, but in the prices paid for their work and in the collectability of that work by museums. It’s a topic that has been quietly discussed for many years, but now is gaining awareness, due in part to members of American Women Artists (AWA), who were shocked when they realized that women artists represent only 3 to 5 percent of artwork in museum collections. As a result, the group has launched 25 in 25, a campaign to have
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The Fire Continues to Burn

The Fire Continues to Burn

September 18, 2017 | by

For Tom Browning, there was never a doubt that he would be an artist. And, oh, what an artist he has become! The many awards he has won and the respect he has earned from peers and collectors give testimony to his talent Browning’s depictions of the West—its people, wildlife, horses, cowboys, and Indians—come from the heart, from a deep love and respect for his subjects. His love of art goes back to his childhood. Born in Ontario, Oregon, in 1949, he was fascinated by the artwork he saw in magazines. By the time he was 9, he was drawing
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Stepping Back in Time

Stepping Back in Time

September 18, 2017 | by

San Francisco-based painter Benjamin Wu is among a growing number of artists born and educated in China, who have immigrated to the United States since their country opened its doors to Western thought in the mid-1980s. Thoroughly grounded in the disciplines of traditional realism, their considerable talents are enriching the world of Western art by encouraging viewers to look at America and its history through fresh eyes. Reflecting back nearly four decades, Wu, who was raised in the small coastal village of Zhanjiang on the southern tip of China facing Hong Kong and the South China Sea, recalls the intense
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Speaking the Language of Paint

Speaking the Language of Paint

September 18, 2017 | by

Every once in awhile, Nancy Boren comes across two watercolor paintings she did of the Grand Canyon, when she was about 12. “They were, without doubt, the worst paintings ever created,” she says. “I think I’ve made some progress since then.” That’s an understatement for this talented artist, who describes those early paintings as resembling “a big bunch of purple hamburger meat,” due in part to the fact that, at that age, she was unable to view the scene as a whole. She’s come a long way since then, earning prestigious awards for her paintings, while also finding other outlets
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‘I Paint What Excites Me’

‘I Paint What Excites Me’

September 18, 2017 | by

As humble as he is talented, New Mexico artist Kang Cho is a man of few words and doesn’t like to talk about himself. Then again, he doesn’t need to; his art speaks for itself. Whether he’s painting a mountain vista, a city street, or a figure on a lonely road, his dramatic paintings engage and entice the viewer to look deeper. Kang’s use of light and shadow, combined with expressive brushwork, creates a mood that evokes an emotional response. Sometimes contemplative, sometimes exuberant, he paints how he feels about what he sees. “I paint what excites me,” he explains.
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A Man on a Mission

A Man on a Mission

September 18, 2017 | by

In the summer of 2016, Scott Tallman Powers put most of his belongings in storage, hitched his eight-foot camper to his truck, and took off for Alaska with his dog. He was on a mission, as he always is, when he travels, to find subject matter for his paintings. “People,” Powers says. “I was looking for native people, trappers, miners—the people of Alaska.” Powers had intended to spend the summer there, meeting people, taking photos, and painting. But when he got there, he realized that he needed more time. The people he was looking for were in some of the
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