The grand themes of the West from its flora and fauna, Indigenous people and settlers, from the mountains to the sea, have been depicted in paintings for generations—some on vast expanses of canvas, and some less than a foot square. 
Robert Peters, Hohokam Tales, oil, 12 x 9"
Rachel Brownlee, Like Willows by the Watercourses, sepia charcoal, 9 x 12"
Miniatures have been around since ancient times. Miniature paintings today are a way for people to enter the world of collecting and to easily acquire works by well-known artists and the country’s rising stars.
Settlers West Gallery in Tucson will host its 40th annual American Miniatures exhibition February 12, featuring some 300 works by 175 artists. Works are sold by an intent-to-purchase draw, which can be entered by contacting the gallery.
Mikel Donahue, The Dirty Thirties, acrylic, 10 x 10"
Calvin Liang, Sailing Along Newport Beach, oil, 9 x 12"
Sueellen Ross, Bathing Beauty, mixed media, 11½ x 10½"
Christopher Blossom, Arrival, oil, 10 x 12"
Mikel Donahue is a member of Cowboy Artists of America. His family have been ranchers for generations and he and his wife raise quarter horses. In The Dirty Thirties, a 10-by-10-inch acrylic, he focuses in on the wheel and tail of an Aermotor Windmill, the wind-powered water pump often seen in paintings of ranch life. They made the Great Plains habitable and farmable even for those who stayed behind during the drought and dustbowl of the 1930s.Sometimes we think of the West as deserts, mountains and plains. The long coast of the Pacific Ocean was the destination of early pioneers and provides vistas from rocky shores to calm bays to inspire artists.
William A. Suys Jr., Canyon Simmer, oil, 9 x 12"
Mikel Donahue, Arizona Bred, acrylic, 9 x 12"
Calvin Liang studied art in Shanghai. After a career at Walt Disney Studios and Nikelodeon Studio, he devoted himself to fine art in 2002. His paintings capture the atmospheric light illuminating all aspects of the coast. In his 9-by-12-inch oil, Sailing Along Newport Beach, he depicts the light and color in energetic brush strokes, a style he calls “painterly realism”.
Jerry Bingham, Rough Transport, oil, 9 x 12"
Sueellen Ross paints one of the world’s smallest birds in an 11½-by-10½-inch mixed media piece titled Bathing Beauty. She has been painting animals since 1980. She describes her technique as “ink, watercolor and colored pencil each have special qualities. When I mix them,I try to take advantage of all these qualities: the rich, dense ink, the exquisite papers, the glow of colored pencil. This technique forces me to zero in on the essentials of an image. For me, the key is to create a rich, elegant design without losing any of the appeal and individuality of the animal portrayed.”—
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