Hadley Rampton responds to nature in a way that can be instructive for all of us. “I’m energized by the challenges and beauty of nature, by the dynamics of light, atmosphere and temperature in the Rocky Mountains and in the deserts of the Southwest. The changes in weather that occur while I’m painting do not bother but thrill me. A storm welling on the horizon, gaining momentum, and catching me in its fury is exhilarating. Even the same location can, time and again, leave me with a sense of awe.”
Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, At the Lienzo in San Antonio, oil on linen, 36 x 48”
Rampton was born in Utah and explored the region from an early age. She took her first art class at age 9 and, almost immediately after graduating from the University of Utah with honors, she began painting professionally.
She says, “Some days I work with great energy, slapping paint with a palette knife, dripping turpentine and then pushing around the thinned paint or letting the drips create patterns of their own. Other days, I’m quieter, and my use of the palette knife is more controlled, as I attempt to honor the integrity of each stroke.
Legacy Gallery, Summer Straw, oil, 20 x 16", by Carrie Ballantyne.
Trailside Galleries, Ode to Summer, oil on canvas, 48 x 60", by Kathleen Dunphy.
Abend Gallery, Backlit, oil, 36 x 36", by Hadley Rampton.
Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, Summer in San Antonio, oil on linen, 30 x 24"
I work on instinct more than thought, for instinct holds greater honesty and clarity.” She distills her subjects to portray their form and the patterns they participate in nature. Backlit dissolves into abstraction and coalesces into an aspen grove.
Kathleen Dunphy had always wanted to be an artist but didn’t consider that she could do it seriously. Brought up in Maryland, she married her husband and moved to California eventually accompanying him on his military assignments in Germany and Alaska. She had started florist businesses but when the couple moved to Alaska, her husband asked her what she really wanted to do. She wanted to be an artist. She began doing dog portraits in Alaska and later moved to California where she studied at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. By chance, she took a course in painting the landscape outdoors with Brian Blood. The experience changed her direction from figure painting to plein air painting, which has been the thrust of her career ever since. When she and her husband moved north to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada they designed and built her own studio in the vastness of nature.
Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, Summer in Texas, oil on linen, 36 x 48"
King Galleries, Towards the West, oil on canvas, 28 x 45", by Andrea Vargas.
King Galleries, Spurs, pastel on paper, 30 x 22", by Andrea Vargas.
King Galleries, Spitfire, pastel on paper, 30 x 22", by Andrea Vargas.
One of the challenges of plein air painting is the transient light. In Ode to Summer, she demonstrates her mastery in the translucent leaves, opaque branches of the evergreens and the soft light giving form to the tree trunks.
Throughout the pages of this special section, collectors can browse through even more examples of the diverse and dynamic artwork created by contemporary women artists today.
Sherry Cobb, The Guided Hand, oil, 20 x 16"
Elizabeth Lewis Scott paints Western and wildlife art, with a particular focus on equine subject matter. Her Roanie Earns His Keep will be included in the annual Hold Your Horses! Exhibition and Sale at the Phippen Museum in Prescott, Arizona, in August and September of this year. “I draw and paint what I know and what I see. It is my voice, a documentation of how I experience our world, at least my corner of it, nothing fancy, mostly simple situations. It is what I hope to give—a view, a feeling, a moment recorded—a piece of myself I hope to share.”
Sherry Cobb, Waiting on the Boss, oil, 12 x 9"
The expressive artwork of Andrea Vargas, represented by King Galleries, often depicts the animal form as well, though Vargas tends toward avian subjects. “A good pair of boots and a wide brim hat are all I need to explore the terrains of the Southwest,” she says. “With roosters and horses there’s no shortage of good company and fine inspiration.” Her pastels Spurs and Spitfire feature roosters with ardent brushstrokes, while her snowy landscape, Towards the West, evokes impressionistic energy.
Helen F. Howerton, Mourning Doves & Saguaro Blossoms, acrylic on canvas, 12 x 9"
“I paint the beauty that I see around me,” says Gladys Roldan-de-Moras of her work. “I am inspired by turn-of-the-century Spanish painters like the immortal Sorolla.” Roldan-de-Moras is known for her paintings that chronicle and cast a colorful spotlight on the exuberant Spanish culture and its eclectic traditions and history. “My passion for art is reflected in colorful paintings showcasing the prolific, multifaceted Hispanic culture...and noble traditions. I focus on capturing the essence of light, movement and the natural surroundings unique to the subject at hand. My work is often inspired by my love of classical music; the sublime, timeless melodies lift and inspire my soul.”
Elizabeth Lewis Scott, Roanie Earns His Keep, oil, 12 x 24"
Trailside Galleries,All Work & No Play, bronze, ed. of 35, 24 x 13½ x 8", by Deborah Fellows.
There are no fences blocking art and reality for Sherry Cobb, who’s spent many hours working on the ranch and grew up on a farm in Southwest Colorado. “My inspiration has always come from the Western lifestyle that I was born into,” she says. “I never had to look very far to find something to paint as I was growing up. My travels over the years have brought me many opportunities to paint the world that I love. I’m very proud to say I am a woman of the West and that is what I paint!”
Featured Artists & Galleries
Abend Gallery
1412 Wazee Street, Denver, CO 80202
(303) 355-0950, www.abendgallery.com
Elizabeth Lewis Scott
(256) 227-0339, (800) 729-2417
www.elizabethlewisscott.com
Gladys Roldan-de-Moras
(210) 422-5045, www.roldandemoras.com
Helen F. Howerton
(918) 494-5994, hfhowerton@att.net
www.howertonart.com
King Galleries
130 Lincoln Avenue, Suite D, Santa Fe,
NM 87501, (480) 430-6877
7077 E. Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 481-0187, www.kinggalleries.com
Legacy Gallery
7178 Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 945-1113, www.legacygallery.com
Sherry Cobb
(970) 874-7105, (970) 261-3396
sherry@sherrysstudio.com
www.sherryspaintedhorsestudio.com
Trailside Galleries
130 E. Broadway, Jackson, WY 83001
(307) 733-3186, (480) 945-7751
info@trailsidegalleries.com
www.trailsidegalleries.com
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