Through December 18 | Trailside Galleries | Jackson Hole, WY

Small Wonders

Trailside Gallery features small works for their annual Deck the Walls show.

Deck the Walls with Trailside Galleries is of one of the most anticipated exhibitions each year, with small works by over 60 acclaimed artists on display through December 18. “This traditional holiday show offers a plethora of affordably priced small artworks including paintings, mixed media and sculpture with a wide variety of subjects including western, landscape, wildlife, impressionism, still-life and figurative works,” says gallery representatives. Mian Situ, Into the Sunset, oil on canvas, 9 x 12"

The gallery further notes that pieces from this event are perfect additions to growing art collections, as well as thoughtful and unique gifts for the holidays. Collectors will find beauties such as Thomas Blackshear’s Native American portraits Blue Beads and Yellow Shirt. The artist uses his own photos as reference and inspiration, as well as vintage photos, books and magazines. He also offers a different vision and point of view.

“These two paintings gave me a chance to loosen up in my painting style and do more alla prima painting,” Blackshear says. “I have been inspired by vintage photos of America’s original people. It’s exciting to take black and white photos and create color interpretations of a dignified people.”Bonnie Marris, Restless Sleep, oil on canvas, 12 x 12"

Painter Mian Situ will be displaying works in depicting the lifestyle of the West, seen in Into the Sunset, showing two cowboys with their horses set against a beautiful mountain range. “Cowboys are one of my favorite [subjects] besides my main focus on the early Chinese immigrant to America,” Situ furthers. “The cowboys’ lifestyle, their relationship with nature and their working environment, and the beauty of the horses are all inspirational for me.”

An important element to Situ’s work is the feeling of spontaneity, along with relying on imagination in combination with photos for reference. “By placing the cowboys at twilight [in Into the Sunset],” says the artist, “it adds a colorful side into their everyday routine.”Ezra Tucker, Cowgirl Riding, acrylic on board, 14 x 10"

Suzie Seerey-Lester will be bringing her wildlife paintings to the show, including the piece Dawn Sentry, featuring a fox perched on the top of a small rock cliff. “I had an idea to use a fox in a forest setting, and I asked myself, ‘How can I make this different?’” Says the artist. “There are so many paintings of foxes in the forest that are highlighted and beautiful. I decided to have the light coming through the trees in the background and have the foreground in total shadow. I wanted depth in the forest, so I used two different values to ensure the trees have the feel of distance.”Thomas Blackshear, Yellow Shirt, oil on canvas board, 9 x 12"

Seerey-Lester teaches at the Triple D Game Ranch in Montana every year, where she gains a lot of reference for her work. Another important element to her work is storytelling and constantly seeking a unique perspective.
“I don’t want to do what everyone else is doing,” says Seerey-Lester. “I want my paintings to be different and make people say ‘WOW' when they see them.”Thomas Blackshear, Blue Beads, oil on canvas board, 16 x 12"

Michael Godfrey, February’s Gift, oil on board, 12 x 12"

A truly standout piece to also watch for is February’s Gift by Michael Godfrey, depicting a wintery landscape scene. “In this painting I wanted to capture all I love about winter,” says Godfrey. “The snow and light captured my attention in this scene. Snow will draw attention to the not-so-obvious and I’m always amazed at this. Snow has the ability to transform an ordinary scene to something extraordinary. The reflectivity of snow is a joy to paint.”Ezra Tucker, Mountain High Nocturne, acrylic on board, 12 x 8"

Godfrey, who lives in Maryland, has a love for both East and West Coast winters, each offering something a bit different. “In the mid-Atlantic region, we have four distinct seasons, of which, winter is my favorite,” say the artist. “I paint my local region and select regions from Western states. Winters in the east differ from the west. In the east we tend to get wetter, heavier snowfalls that stick and cling to everything. This effect, along with lighting situations, I find mesmerizing.”Suzie Seerey-Lester, Dawn Sentry, acrylic, 16 x 12"