From the 1830s onwards, tens of thousands of German immigrants fled their homeland and settled in Texas, many in Texas Hill Country. There, the landscape and climate reminded them of home.
The Commerce Gallery, Shanielle Dean in Giant, oil on canvas, 48 x 48", by Felice House.Commenting on his painting His labored land, Tony Pro writes, “This painting depicts an old German farmer from the Texas Hill Country which represents the German settlers’ profound and lasting impact on the region’s cultural and agricultural landscape. In the 19th-century, they settled the area and many farmed wheat, corn and cotton and had large goat farms. I live in San Antonio at the base of Hill Country and I spend a lot of time there and enjoy the scenic rolling hills as well as the wonderful wineries and art galleries.”
The painting will be shown at InSight Gallery in Fredericksburg, which was founded by German settlers in 1846. Fredericksburg hosts its Oktoberfest October 6 to 8.
Born in California, Pro toured the West with his parents who collected Western and Native American art. His loosely rendered painting of the old farmer encourages the eye to settle on the farmer’s own eyes—clear, determined and focused on his land.
InSight Gallery, His labored land, oil on linen, 20 x 16”, by Tony Pro; Big Horn Galleries, Conte Cowgirl #2, charcoal on paper, 16½ x 11½”Felice House has a studio in Austin, Texas, bordering Hill Country. Her painting, Shanielle Dean in Giant, is from her Re-Western Series which places women in the roles of iconic male Western movie stars. She is an associate professor of art and design at Texas A&M University whose “creative research involves explorations of the portrayal of women.” In the Re-Western Series with its female protagonists, she questions, “How would the film be different? What would the value system of that society be like compared to the value system of our society?” She envisions a society in which “both men and women should have the opportunity to be a hero in our culture.”
Shanielle steps in for James Dean in House’s painting, enforcing the theme of “what if” as well as reflecting the roles of Black women in the growth of the West, many of whom, freed from slavery, became entrepreneurs and philanthropists.
Legacy Gallery, Life Feathers, oil, 16 x 18", by John Moyers.Carrie Ballantyne’s contemporary portraits are inspired by individuals but are also types who have existed throughout the history of the West. They are the real people of the West. She grew up in Southern California and in her late teens she went to Cody, Wyoming, to work at a dude ranch. In her 20s she moved to Cody and worked as a camp cook, all the while absorbing Western culture, getting to know its people and working at her art.
Often, her subjects are family members and close friends, people whom she knows intimately. Among her many gifts is the ability to perceive her subjects’ inner selves and to portray them in her work. Conte Cowgirl #2 is a portrait of her niece, a young woman of the 21st-century who embodies the poise and confidence of generations of cowgirls who came before her.
Continue reading to hear additional insights and stories surrounding the many faces and figures in Western art.
Legacy Gallery based in Scottsdale, Arizona, and in Santa Fe, New Mexico, specializes in paintings and sculpture in a wide variety of subject matter by many prominent artists. This includes Western portrait paintings by the likes of Terri Kelly Moyers, John Moyers and David Frederick Riley.
Top: Legacy Gallery, Tradition, oil, 40 x 30”, by Terri Kelly Moyers; Legacy Gallery, Iron White Man, oil, 48 x 48”, by David Frederick Riley. Bottom: Cindy Long, Spirit of Plains, graphite,14” x 9½; Cindy Long, Grace and Grit, graphite, 12 x 9”Raised in Alberta and British Columbia, where her father raised quarter horses, Terri Kelly Moyers now lives just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. In Canada, her early art influence was Carl Rungius. Later she became a student of Clarence Tillenius and Robert Lougheed. Her husband John Moyers paints American Indians, cowboys, themes from Old Mexico and New Mexico, and landscapes. “I paint what excites me,” he shares. “Maybe for two months all I want to do is landscapes, then maybe Native Americans and then Mexican pieces.” Moyers continues, “The more you paint, the more comfortable you get with the process. Hopefully, I’m improving all the time.”
Sarah Boston, Charlie Ponders, soft pastel, 9 x 12"
Riley’s painting Iron White Man, pictured here, is inspired by the universal narratives of the human condition and emotion. The artist works primarily in oil, contrasting contemporary color fields and abstract space with traditional handling of the human form. He uses color harmonies to showcase emotion and the vibrancy of life. His work frequently illustrates themes of emotional and spiritual growth.
Artist Cindy Long’s portraits of the American West are reflections of her admiration for the people who work and live the Western life, both in the past and present day. She finds that working in graphite or charcoal, occasionally with an added tint of pastel, best captures the essence of each of these unique individuals. Her portraits depict the inner spirit and personality of each person she draws, attempting to catch a glimpse into their soul. “Everyone has a story,” says Long. “When I do a portrait of a person, I try to capture a mood, an emotion or a moment in time. I want to engage the viewer in this story as well. Feeling a connection with a work of art is something very special. It’s always gratifying when a person can take in what they see in my portraits and relate to the subject either in their own lives, or in their imaginations.”
Kenneth Spirduso, Woman in Black, oil on linen board, 12 x 9”; Sarah Boston, Olla Maiden, oil, 10 x 8”
Find Long’s works displayed at Sorrel Sky Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Howell Gallery in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Artist Kenneth Spirduso is most inspired by light and is motivated to capture a person’s likeness and story with painterliness and accuracy. “Light falling on a person’s face is a joy to paint as it defines the form and creates beautiful shadow shapes,” he explains. “However, the most important aspect of light is that it can reveal a person’s story, as it travels over the facial contours and brings life to the eyes. Capturing that story is what I strive to accomplish in my paintings.”
Kenneth Spirduso, Lanny, oil on linen, 24 x 18”; Cindy Long, Cowboy Coffee, graphite,17 x 11”
Although artist Sarah Boston dabbles in wildlife and landscape painting, portraits of human faces are where she’s most comfortable. “I’m from Great Falls, Montana, so I’ve been in love with Charlie Russell and Western art my whole life,” Boston says. “My favorite subjects to paint come from historical photographs, where I have to do research to accurately depict skin tones and other colors within the piece. Currently, as with Olla Maiden, I’m working backward and turning modern photographs monochromatic in a series called Reverberations. The series will include people, wildlife and ways of life that are still around despite efforts to eradicate and change them.”
When collecting for the genre, Boston says to “look for art that speaks to you. Ask the artist about the story behind the piece. Sometimes there’s a reason you feel a connection to it.” —
Featured Artists & Galleries
Big Horn Galleries
1167 Sheridan Avenue, Cody, WY 82414
(307) 527-7587
La Entrada de Tubac, Building K
Tubac, AZ 85646
(520) 398-9209
www.bighorngalleries.com
Cindy Long
draw4it@yahoo.com
www.draw4it.com
Felice House
(979) 218-0151
felicehouse@tamu.edu
www.felicehouse.com
InSight Gallery
214 W. Main Street, Fredericksburg, TX 78624
(830) 997-9920
www.insightgallery.com
Kenneth Spirduso
Lakewood Ranch, FL
(321) 217-4445
www.spirduso.com
Legacy Gallery
7178 Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85282
(480) 945-1113
225 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM, 87501
(505) 986-9833, www.legacygallery.com
Sarah Boston
Billings, MT, (406) 696-2720
sarahboston.fineart@gmail.com
www.sarahbostonfineart.com
The Commerce Gallery
102 S. Commerce Street, Lockhart, TX 78644
(512) 657-1850, www.thecommercegallery.com
Tony Pro
www.tonypro-fineart.com
Powered by Froala Editor
