30 May Illuminations: Ones to Watch

Don Sahli’s uninhibited use of color transports and transcends. His ability to translate the everyday into the exceptional is apparent in his vibrant palette and emotionally passionate brushstrokes evoking the pleasures and astounding beauty of nature. Each piece resonates with unbounded abandon, a full celebration of light and contrast. His interpretation of the landscape to a spontaneous and intricate fabric of pure tone conveys an energy and dedication to the Russian Impressionists. 

Sahli studied with the Russian colorist painter Sergei Bongart and remained with him for three years, until Bongart’s death in 1985, as his last apprentice. Taking his cue from the Russian School of Art, Sahli manages to merge the complexities of tradition with the risks of modern contemporary painting.

Solo exhibits of his work include Breckenridge Fine Art Gallery, Breckenridge, Colorado; Vail Fine Art Gallery, Vail, Colorado; Beaver Creek Fine Art Gallery, Beaver Creek, Colorado; Santa Fe Fine Art Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico and Aspen Fine Art Gallery, Aspen, Colorado. He has also shown his work in a number of 2009 exhibitions: American Art Invitational Presents Small Gems, Saks Galleries, Denver, Colorado; the 10th Annual American Impressionist Society Juried Exhibition, Saks Galleries, Denver, Colorado; Oil Painters of America — Western Regional Juried Exhibition, Howard/Mandville Gallery, Kirkland, Washington; the Madden Museum of Art, Denver, Colorado and Allied Artists of America 95th Annual Exhibition, National Arts Club, New York, New York. 

Sahli’s work is collected extensively. Public collections include the Rock Resorts, Osprey Hotel, Vail, Colorado; Vail Marriott Mountain Resort and Spa, Vail, Colorado; Larson-Juhl, Atlanta, Georgia; Wagner Investment Management, Inc., Denver, Colorado; Baker & McKenzie, Dallas, Texas; The Alaska State Historical Museum, Skagway, Alaska. Private collectors include Robert Buckman; Mark and Anne Marie Sunderhuse; Graham and Jeanne Gibbard; and Edward J. Bednar.

He is represented by the Beaver Creek Fine Art Gallery, Beaver Creek, Colorado; Breckenridge Fine Art Gallery, Breckenridge, Colorado; Folger Galleries, Midland, Texas; Saks Galleries, Denver, Colorado; Santa Fe Fine Art Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Vail Fine Art Gallery, Vail, Colorado.