Snow Scenes

Collector's Focus Winter Lands

By John O’Hern

The nature essayist John Burroughs (1837-1921) wrote, “He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summer will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter.”

Josh Elliott says, “I am fascinated with snow because of the challenge it presents, the moods it can convey and the fact that we have snow the better part of every year here in Montana. I can paint snow in August if I want to!” Principle Gallery, Delicatia, oil on linen, 18 × 36", by Gilbert Gorski.

He strives to capture the “truth of nature” in such paintings as The New Calf. In the snow and mist, details begin to disappear and clouds of breath from the cattle attest to the cold. Two cattle gaze back at the painter and the calf rests in the dirt. Known for his often sunny snow scenes, even in this monochromatic canvas, his unique hand is evident. He says, “I want my voice to come through. I am interested in bold designs, strong shapes, expressive color and evident brushstrokes.”Medicine Man Gallery, Ember and Drift, oil on canvas board, 36 x 24", by Stephen C. Datz.

Claggett/Rey Gallery, The New Calf, oil, 36 x 40", by Josh Elliott. Nedra Matteucci Galleries, Luna Morning, oil on linen, 24 x 36", by Chris Morel.

Steven C. Datz brings a bit of fading sun into his snow scene, Ember and Drift. Among the overwhelming “-scapes” of the West, most instantly recognizable, Datz is often attracted by a tightly cropped vignette that can bring wonder back to the familiar. In Ember and Drift, soft, cool, shadowed pillows of snow contrast with the warmth of sunlight on the hard red stone.

He says, “I focus on pure landscapes because they intrigue me. I feel that landscape is so much more than just a backdrop for human affairs or wildlife. It has an intrinsic beauty and value that cannot be ignored or denied. A landscape painting carries an implicit sense of solitude and silent contemplation; an invitation, if you will, to the viewer, to step out of their world and lose themselves for a moment in the sublime beauty and grandeur of the natural world.”Museum of Western Art, Winter above Taos, oil, 48 x 34", by John Moyers.

Museum of Western Art, Hunter’s Morning, oil on canvas, 36 x 48", by Martin Grelle. Turner Fine Art, Elk, watercolor, 5 x 40", by Gunnar Tryggmo.

Turner Fine Art, Silver Morning, watercolor, 22 x 30", by Gunnar Tryggmo.

Chris Morel expands his view, observing light, shadow and snow in his painting, Luna Morning. Often Morel paints the weathered adobe homes and farms of his adopted Taos, New Mexico, home.

He says, “The little northern New Mexico villages, territorial architecture, dramatic landscape options and phenomenal light situations really provide endless inspiration for me as a painter.”

He grew up in rural Maryland and settled for awhile in Texas. “I’m inspired by the landforms here in Taos—the differences in elevation, the geology, the Rockies and the desert.”

In college, at Towson University in Maryland, he discovered painting in plein air, learning how to paint on location. Once he moved to Taos in 1994 he was able to explore and develop his plein air technique. Today, however, he sketches and photographs outdoors, returning to the studio to fully develop his canvases.Turner Fine Art, Snowfall, watercolor, 15 x 22", by Gunnar Tryggmo.

Trailside Galleries, Above the Glacier – Gyrfalcon, oil on canvas, 40 x 38", by Ron Kingswood. Gilbert Gorski is an architect and has received major awards for architectural illustration. Today, he lives in western Pennsylvania and paints landscapes.

He says, “As an architect I was interested in the nature of man-made space. Woods and forests serve as a vehicle for exploring the patterns and infinite labyrinth of nature-made space. For this journey I choose the medium of oil paint.”

His oil paintings on linen are often 5- to 6-feet wide, depicting the differing light of the seasons on woods and streams. The subtle paintings reveal richly applied paint which resembles pointillism but which he, with his scientific mind, prefers to think of as pixilation, referring to the way digital images are composed of squares of color. Delicatia depicts a line of snow covered trees along the banks of a stream, separated from it by a thin band of mist. Behind the trees is a field and another band of trees still bearing some of their yellow leaves. The lacy scene invites contemplation.Trailside Galleries, A Gentle Winter Light, oil on canvas, 24 x 48", by Michael Godfrey.

Trailside Galleries, Across the Draw, oil on canvas, 24 x 36", by Robert Moore.Albert Einstein wrote, “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”

Throughout the pages of this special collector’s focus, readers will find winter and wildlife scenes from some of the West’s top artists and galleries.

This season, the Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, Texas, is exhibiting wintery works in its exhibition West in Winter. “The works in the exhibition West in Winter speak to something deep in the American character, meeting the challenges of geography and climate, making a home in a place unpeopled,” says Darrell Beauchamp, the museum’s executive director. “The art speaks to the heart in this collection of works from the collection of Betsy and George Matthews.”John Philip Wagner, Grand Raven, oil on panel, 24 x 36"

“Established in Jackson Hole, [Wyoming,] since 1965, Trailside Galleries has always represented top landscape painters whose talent captures a sense of place [that] consistently provides the viewer with an attachment to that particular scene,” says Trailside Galleries. “As the Jackson Hole community now has a rich variety of clients from around the globe we see a shift in their desire to collect not only scenes of the area but also paintings that engage them emotionally. Our landscape painters’ masterful use of light can show strong contrasts, such as the graceful forms of a forest interior backlit with brilliant sunlight. Whether painting a pure landscape, [a] distinctive combination of brush and palette knife coupled with use of heavy surface texture brings forth a passion and energy to every canvas that blends with both contemporary and traditional homes.”

From January 13 through March 6, Turner Fine Art in Jackson Hole will host an exhibition by Swedish watercolorist Gunnar Tryggmo. “The artwork is characterized to a large part of my natural interest,” says Tryggmo. “The values, the mood and the movement are the most important things in my paintings.” —