Mike Wise vividly remembers his 9-year-old self being mesmerized by the half-hour PBS series “The Joy of Painting,” which debuted in early 1983. “I watched Bob Ross pretty regularly,” he says of the cult-favorite show’s cheerfully reassuring, bearded, and permed creator and host. “I loved...
David Kammerzell brings images of the Old West to vibrant new life by combining carefully researched photos, diligently studied classic illustration styles, and his own contemporary sensibilities. “The West has always been a romanticized place,” says the Denver, Colorado-based artist. “I want to idealize or...
Erik Gonzales’ large-scale creations might at first appear to be paintings. After all, they hang on the wall and possess a boldly abstracted pictorial quality. But, in fact, they are fashioned from mixtures of powdered marble and clay, sand, earth, polymers, denatured alcohol, and other...
LaQuincey Reed is building his reputation as a figurative sculptor of bronzes that, though mostly sized to fit on a tabletop or pedestal, possess impressive monumentality. “My goal,” he says, “is to pay attention to their forms so that they feel bigger than they actually...
Susan McKinney’s creations in clay, and now sometimes glass, embody the meeting point of art, design, and craft. “A lot of the work I do starts with my background in industrial design,” she says, describing that role as “advocating for the human experience in objects...
Lisa and Loren Skyhorse design and craft uncommonly intricate saddles and collaborative works of leather and silver that’s prized by collectors and horse enthusiasts alike. “Every single saddle we make is not just decorative,” says Lisa. “It’s also a rideable piece,” which, being less bulky...
It’s been said that all artwork is a self-portrait. For Pamela Caughey, her increasingly non-objective work reflects a personal transition, including rising from the ashes of a 2016 fire that destroyed her home and studio. After earning a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and relocating to Montana...
Frank Soenke Haseloff reckons that a big reason he “ended up being an American was because of a car.” It was a 1958 Plymouth that his dad saved up to buy after immigrating to the U.S., having escaped from East Germany by “crawling through trenches...
Brenda Howell’s realist oil paintings of the Grand Canyon do more than merely display that iconic setting in all its majesty. Through the use of skillful composition, rich natural colors, and masterly brushwork, she immerses viewers in her scenes. Yet, another factor amplifies their impact:...
It took a journey to the Far East for Don Oelze to discover his deep love for the Old West. That passion ultimately led him to create richly atmospheric, authentically detailed oil paintings of medicine men, stalwart braves, tribal leaders, and vigilant scouts — works...