Arizona-based painter LJ McLoughlin is constantly intrigued by the subjects that the Grand Canyon State offers. “I have always painted Arizona. Even before I married a cowboy, moved there and was dunked into Arizona ranch life, I was fascinated by the Arizona landscapes and people,” she says. “The stark contrast of sky, earth and vegetation, and the visual experience of seeing her craggy rocks and rugged vistas, have always been a subject of great interest to me.”
Where the Longhorns Grow, acrylic on board, 16 x 20”McLoughlin remembers visiting Northern Arizona 35 years ago and “being blown away by the desert light and moved by the people who live there,” she adds. “Since [moving] to Arizona, I have continued to pursue this journey of recording the beauty of Western life. Ranching, of which I am so familiar, brings me much satisfaction to paint. An interesting face, a horse or a scene that captures our wide-open spaces usually finds its way to my easel.”
King of the Mountain, acrylic on board, 16 x 20”
A Workings Man’s Tools, acrylic on board, 14 x 18”
The artist notes she had a classical art foundation to grow on, one that included studying with both Western and portrait artists over the years. “It’s all in the ‘seeing’ of what you want to paint…to notice those things that the camera did not accurately convey, then designing your canvas in a pleasing artistic manner using avenues that the viewers can travel on and identify with…It’s really just that simple!”
McLoughlin has a new show opening October 13 at KiKi’s Kottage Gallery in Wickenburg, Arizona. —
Want to See More?
www.ljmcloughlin.com
(520) 507-0213
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