Just as summer begins to reach its twilight, Maxwell Alexander Gallery will be holding its Summer Group Show,opening August 19. The Los Angeles-based gallery will showcase new works from highly sought-after artists in the Western art world, including Gregory Mortenson, Joshua LaRock, Michael Klein, Billy Schenck and more.
Joshua LaRock, Waitin Around, oil, 40 x 48”
“I grew up on a ranch in the West. My childhood was filled with rich memories of riding horses, mucking stalls, finding eggs for breakfast and everything that comes along with ranch life,” says Mortenson. In his oil The Little Wrangler, an up-and-coming cowboy faces the viewer with his rope at the ready. “My hope is to help my kids experience some of the joys of my childhood, while vicariously reliving it. In the painting The Little Wrangler, my son is standing in a pasture next to the family dog as a couple of horses run behind him. He’s holding a lasso, perhaps wanting to help Grandpa wrangle some horses or cows. On his head rests my old cowboy hat. Around his waist wraps my old belt buckle, and at his heels, you can almost hear the jingle of my old spurs.”
Michael Klein, Peony Garden, oil, 19¾ x 25½”
LaRock’s Waitin Around captures the palette of the Southwest—rock formations in browns, reds and oranges, backed by deep blue skies and thick cumulus clouds. In the center of it all is “an unhurried cowboy alone with his horse in a vast valley,” says LaRock. “What are they waitin’ around for? The clouds dance in the sky while the golden setting light casts long shadows on the dry ground. The cowboy’s interesting pose with his chin resting in his hand and leg wrapped around the saddle horn was the initial spark for this painting. The details like the wear on the soles of his boots and the pattern of his shirt drew me in further. I don’t think I will ever tire of painting the magnificent musculature and shiny coats of horses in an attempt to capture their strength and grace.”
Gregory Moretenson, The Little Wrangler, oil, 40 x 32”
Billy Schenck, Catch Him if You Can, oil on canvas, 24 x 36”
Klein waited for the perfect moment, then let inspiration take over when painting his oil Peony Garden. “Peony Garden captures a fleeting moment through an interplay of energetic brushwork and color dancing on the surface,” he says. “As artists, we are allowed a short window of time to embody something more important than ourselves, though each piece inherently reflects our personal vision, it is essentially a relentless pursuit of the eternal.” —
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