The subtlety of the coming of fall is captured by G. Russell Case in his painting Cloud Shadows. The chamisa begin to turn yellow in late summer and later, in full bloom, join in the yellows of aspen and cottonwoods. Their later brilliance begins to rival the light and the clouds.
Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Sonata in Orange, oil on canvas, 24 x 18”, by Dominik Modlinski.
Case’s idealized landscapes may not be site specific, but they capture the unique quality of light in the different places he visits. All light comes from the same source but is affected by the desert’s sand, rocks, trees and other vegetation. The clouds in the vast landscapes animate the hills as the sun casts their shadows on them. The vitality of Case’s oil paintings comes from years of painting with watercolor before turning to oil, as well as years painting directly from nature.
Gordon Brown says, simply, “My paintings are all about light and mood.” The reality is more complex in the infinitely changing atmosphere of his native Colorado and the Southwest. Here in Santa Fe, people flock to the mountains and the aspen groves in the fall ostensibly to witness the color. But nature has more in store.
Gallery 1261, Aspen Light, oil, 18 x 18”, by Gordon Brown
Brown’s Aspen Light depicts not only the color of the aspens but the other colors and forms of the grove—the way the light shines through and reflects off the myriad textures, with a mere suggestion of the blue sky above. His painterly abstraction is all about the light and mood of the scene. He spends a lot of time in the field and feels he has a “responsibility as a painter to record and reveal the natural beauty of the landscape as faithfully as possible.” What he sees is what comes after the first glance.
Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Cloud Shadows, oil, 18 x 24”, by G. Russell Case
From the Yukon to Patagonia, the Polish Canadian artist Dominik Modlinski explores, lives in and paints the wilderness.
“My work is simply a reflection of what I love to do most, to be able to live on the land, to better my creative vision and to bring people joy and understanding of the environment through art…Living and painting on location for several days is, in my view, mandatory for creating a successful studio work. Working on it from photographs cannot be a very successful undertaking. It’s just a reproduction. When you live and work right on the spot, when you’re experiencing the weather changes, the animals that travel (lots of times it’s a grizzly that travels right beside...in front of my easel), you really learn to feel the land, that particular mountain, that particular river or forest.”
Continue reading to hear from additional artists and galleries that discuss their fall inspirations and give advice on establishing or growing a collection.
Paul Scott Gallery, Amber Day, oil, 27 x 19½”, by Nelli Kirman
Autumn has always been a powerful muse for landscape painters. The sleepy greens of summer are quickly replaced by breathtaking palettes of reds, oranges and yellows in a way nature can only do. The two Soviet masters and friends, Evgeni Chuikov and Georgi Kolosovski, were fascinated with these bold colors for obvious reasons, and they spent decades attempting to capture the “essence” of this season beyond the rendering of a scene. They were so successful in their endeavor that their style of painting became known as “lyrical impressionism,” or as art critics coined, their canvases had strong “canvas hum.” This legacy has passed onto the next generation of painters who are more interested in capturing the whole atmosphere versus hardcore individual elements. Nellie Kirman’s painting Amber Day, represented by Paul Scott Gallery, is a strong example of a simply rendered impression of autumn without distracting detail.
Paul Scott Gallery, Autumn on the River, oil, 19 x 23”, by Evgeni Chuikov.
When collecting, Paul Scotty Gallery owner Paul Eubanks says, “When you stand on a hill and look out at a valley of a forest in full autumn colors, do you have a powerful, emotional reaction? A truly strong painting should be more of that feeling and less of ‘wow, this looks so real.’ A photograph looks real—a great painting by a talented and inspired artist should move you, and, perhaps, do so in a way that is unique and personal. Your ongoing reaction to this visceral inspiration is what will give you the most joy in a painting for the longest period of time.” 
Paul Scott Gallery, Autumn Trees, oil, 18 x 27”, by Georgi Kolosovski.
Landscape painter, Patricia Rose Ford, loves the great outdoors, particularly the scenes of the Southwestern deserts and coastlines. “I have always preferred to paint en plein air, as I enjoy being in nature, looking at a beautiful scene and translating the emotions of what I see onto the paper,” Ford explains. “My hope is that I am able to convey in my art, the feelings of joy and tranquility that I experience when painting. My work has been exhibited in local and national juried shows throughout the U.S., and I have received awards and honors from these exhibitions.”
Top: Cliff Barnes, Fall is Here, oil on canvas, 20 x 30”; Patricia Rose Ford, Piedra Lumbre Morning, pastel, 11 x 14” Bottom: Patricia Rose Ford, Monument Valley Evening, pastel, 6 x 18”
Artist Cliff Barnes and his wife love to travel in their RV and “being in New England for the fall season was quite exciting!” He says. “Seeing the bright reds, so many shades of orange and yellow colors and the golden husks of corn in the fields, the sounds of Canada Geese overhead and the crisp cool air were so invigorating. Barnes tried to capture that feeling in his piece Fall is Here. “The Canada geese were not the least bit afraid of the scarecrow or us,” he says. “We stayed there for hours trying to savor the special moment. God has provided many opportunities to be amazed.”
Barnes adds,“When you see a painting that reflects a memory or a feeling, I hope you will enjoy actually bringing it home. It is the greatest compliment for an art collector to take one of my paintings home with them.” —
Featured Artists & Galleries
Cliff Barnes
(760) 228-1184, www.cliffbarnesart.com
Gallery 1261
1261 Delaware Street, Suite 1, Denver, CO 80204
(303) 571-1261, www.gallery1261.com
Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery
6872 E. Sunrise Drive, #130, Tucson, AZ 85750
(520) 722-7798, www.medicinemangallery.com
Maxwell Alexander Gallery
406 W. Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90015, (213) 275-1060
www.maxwellalexandergallery.com
Patricia Rose Ford
(909) 553-3883, patriciaroseford@gmail.com
www.patriciaroseford.com
Paul Scott Gallery
7103 E. Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 596-9533, www.paulscottgallery.com
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