Painting of the Day, February 29, 2012

By Donna Poulton

Artist:  Steve Songer, Park City Cottage, c. 2012, oil
, 24 x 30. Credit: Monttomeryleefineart Utah artist Steve Songer was listed in Southwest Art Magazine’s “Artists to Watch” series and in Art of The West Magazine. Much of his work comes from the area around his home in Huntsville, Utah — an area nestled in the heart of the Wasatch Mountain range. The old mining town of Park City, now a skiing and Sundance Film Festival destination, is a recurring theme in Songer’s beautifully textured works. The colorful charm of the homes that scatter the snow-filled mountain side create a mosaic of color in the deep snow that the area is famous for.

Songer’s most recent work can be seen at the Montgomery Lee Fine Art Gallery in Park City, Utah. 

Artist:  Steve Songer
, Park City Winter, oil
, 36 x 40. Credit: Monttomeryleefineart

Image of the Day, February 28, 2012

“To paint trees well, we should know them well.  Each and every tree has its characteristics.  These should be studied.  Some trees have very thickly massed foliage which suggests compactness and solidity.  Others have sparse foliage with perhaps many opening between the leaves and twigs.  Certain species are tall and slender, some more “squatty” or round in form.  Aside from their shapes, texture and local color, seasonal changes and atmosphere modify their appearance.” – Edgar Payne

On view now at the Crocker Museums exhibition: Edgar Payne: The Scenic Journey, from February 11th to May 6th, 2012.

Edgar Alwin Payne (1883-1947), Sycamore in Autumn, Orange County Park, c. 1917, oil on board, 32 x 42 in. Credit: Crockerartmuseum.orgOther posts on Edgar Payne:

Painting of the Day, November 14, 2011

Image of the Day, February 25, 2012

By Donna Poulton

"I inhale the natural world, and love it most when it's moody, stormy, wet, snowy, and dusky-colored." - Michael Coleman

In a different century it could be imagined that Michael Coleman would have traveled with Jedediah Smith, Peter Skene Ogden, Jim Bridger or any number of American Indian tribes exploring the American West.  The scientific explorations of artists such as James Audubon, Karl Bodmer and William Henry Holmes would have interested him, but not as much as living in the moment, existing in nature and surviving by the skill, wit and resourcefulness of the early mountain men. Coleman’s paintings are an amalgam of his rich personal experience in the wilderness and his impression of life in the 19^th century. From his practical knowledge of the outdoors he has developed a keen sense of observation of animals: an auburn fox resting on lichen covered rocks, bears snooping in camps and mountain goats lolling on precipitous cliff edges so high that they overlook birds circling below. These are the subjects of Coleman’s intensely rich and detailed paintings.

In 2009, a book of Coleman’s work titled “On Wings of Eagels” was released.  It was written by the foremost author on western art today - Peter Hassrick - and is a beautiful collection for any collector of images of the West.

Michael Coleman, In the Cliffs, Rocky Mountain Goats, 1995, oil on board, 34 x 60 in., private collection. Credit: Colemanart.comMichael Coleman, Morning Sun, Red Fox, oil, 12 x 16 in. Credit: Colemanart.com  Interns in the Buffalo Bill Historical Center's Conservation Residency program clean "Big Hal," a sculpture currently on loan to Yellowstone Regional Airport to welcome visitors to Cody.

Michael Coleman, Big Hal, modeled 2002, cast 2003, bronze, 84 inches. Gift of Jim and Kathy Taggart. Credit: Buffalo Bill Historical CenterCredit: Colemanart.com

Image of the Day, February 23, 2012

By Donna Poulton

Coming from a third generation ranching family Howard Post grew up working on the family ranch near Tucson, Arizona. When he was 17, he became a championship rodeo rider and continued to rodeo for years. Earning a BFA and an MFA in art, he became a full time artist in 1970 and has won numerous awards for his work. Post’s paintings are stylized and yet minimal with a sepia palette of tonal oranges, browns, blues and greens. His portrayal of the region and of a western lifestyle is informed by his long heritage and the aerial perspective seen in many of his paintings seems to come from a deep memory of place.

Howard Post will be a featured artist at the Medicine Man Gallery in Tucson on Saturday, March 3^rd from 12 to 2pm and the exhibition will be up until May 1^st, 2012.

Howard Post, The Far Side, c. 2011, 49.5 x 59.5 in. (framed). Credit: Medicine Man GalleryHoward Post, Losin’ the Shade, c. 2011, 30 x 24 in. (framed). Credit: Medicine Man Gallery Related Posts:

Painting of the Day, November 15, 2011

Image of the Day, February 19, 2012

"Every object exists in two worlds. One is the tangible that we know through our senses, and another exists only in our minds." — Ed Bateman

Ed Bateman, #5, from the series Mechanical Brides of the Uncanny. Credit: Mechanical Brides of the Uncanny: The Boxed Set