Stillness in the Details

Objects that speak volumes about people and their stories form the heart of Western still life.

The still life artists always have the most fascinating stuff. Because their subjects are objects, their studios tend to have a little bit of necessary clutter. Or as one artist once described, “My closets are full.”

There are some perks, though: The floral painters must have lovely smelling studios. The fruit painters always have snacks handy. The artists who paint vessels never have to hunt far for a cup, pitcher, glass, saucer or vase. After the 1964 death of Italian still life painter Giorgio Morandi, his studio was photographed with tables, shelves and even part of the floor covered by various ceramic bowls and bottles. It looked like a recycling center.

David A. Leffel, Zia, oil on canvas, 21 x 18”

Objects tell stories about the people who made them, the people who used them and the people who admire them. A saddle, for instance, means different things to the saddlemaker, the cowboy and the Western collector—and yet all are drawn to the shape of the saddle, the unmistakable look and smell of the leather, the way light bounces off the shiny edges polished smooth from wear, the fine materials and craftsmanship that goes into each piece and, of course, all that the saddle represents to the West.

These are the reasons why still life art is so cherished by collectors. Objects speak to us in profound ways. They remind us of history, and also unlock feelings of nostalgia. They tell stories and invoke vital memories. Objects remind us of who we are and where we came from.

Altamira Fine Art, Saddle Up, oil on canvas, 48 x 60”, by Ben Steele.

For New Mexico painter David A. Leffel, he was exposed to the genre of still life through the Baroque still life painters of Europe. Through careful compositions and delicate light, Leffel strives to make “light appear as a fullness, infusing every part of his scene,” Michael Zakian writes in David A. Leffel: The Mastery of Light. “His typical objects at the time—glass bottles, ceramic vessels, pewter bowls—are remarkable precisely because they are unremarkable…he wanted objects with a sense of stability and of timelessness. Untouched by the modern design trends, these things seemed always to have been around. They reflect a strong desire for nostalgia…” These qualities are reflected in his painting Zia, which has a pueblo pot arranged carefully around two smaller pots and some scattered leaves.

For Los Angeles-based painter Danuta Tomzynski,who paints detailed close-up images of saddles and other cowboy gear, she was originally drawn to high-quality items, which only later turned into her subjects. She started collecting tooled leather objects, which had roots in her Polish heritage. “As my paintings progressed to a Western art focus, the Western saddle captured me, especially antique and vintage saddles,” she says. “The detailed work that is put into these utilitarian objects still amazes me and how this ‘cowboy tool’ is so important to the cowboy! They invested into something so detailed and beautiful that they sit on for many hours and work with for years. I feel like my close-up views of saddle details are what the cowboy sees and loves about their saddle. I truly want to honor the craftsman of the saddle.”

Top: Teresa Lynn Johnson, Tammy’s Ring, oil on canvas, 18 x 24”; Teresa Lynn Johnson, Nostalgia, oil on canvas, 24 x 18”. Bottom: Legacy Gallery, The Broken Necklace, oil, 24 x 18”, by Gayle Nason; J. Rodney Reveal, The Lamp, oil, 24 x 18”

Another artist who is doing exciting work in the genre of still life is Ben Steele, who takes established art styles and adapts them to his own subjects. He has painted in the style of Andy Warhol, Vermeer, Grant Wood, Norman Rockwell, Roy Lichtenstein and many others as he playfully juxtaposes new subjects with older art styles. His still life work, though, is especially exceptional, even now as he paints the occasional Western work for Altamira Fine Art. In his work Saddle Up, Steele uses a simple presentation of a saddle and a cactus to engage the viewer—by way of Pablo Picasso, the painting suggests—with the American West. It’s exciting work and a fun twist on typical Western still lifes.

Legacy Gallery, Acoma, oil, 10 x 10", by Greg English; J. Rodney Reveal, Table for Two, oil, 20 x 16"

Legacy Gallery has long shown Western still life work, and continues today with a number of important artists, including Kyle Polzin. “Kyle Polzin grew up in South Texas, and began developing his artistic skills at a young age under the guidance of his father. Brought up around horses and the Gulf Coast, Kyle grew to appreciate the beauty and heritage of his Texas surroundings, which is reflected in his art,” the gallery notes. Legacy also offers works by Gayle Nason, who was deeply moved by the spiritual heritage of the American Indian, and Greg English, who learned painting alongside his mother, the well-known oil painter, Cheryl English.

J. Rodney Reveal, Waiting, oil, 16 x 20"

Indiana-based artist J. Rodney Reveal, has been a painter for more than 40 years. Today his subjects are wildlife, landscapes and still life paintings, some of which are in interior settings with Western objects spread out in the scene. Objects include old oil lamps, steel wash basins, cast-iron pots, old bottles and tin cups. “In my paintings, I try to translate my feeling of a place or an object onto a canvas with the same emotional impact that I receive when I experience it,” Reveal says. “A piece of art is meant to inspire feeling by reaching down to the depths of our soul. There is no end to our love of inspiring emotion with each painting that we create. These pieces of art were inspired by a ghost town in New Mexico.”

Danuta Tomzynski, Tooled Cinches, oil on canvas, 48 x 36”; Legacy Gallery, The Last Go Round, oil, 54 x 36”, by Kyle Polzin.

For New Mexico painter Teresa Lynn Johnson, she also is inspired by the West, but more specifically the Southwest, which has many attributes that call out to her while she is in her studio. “As with most artists, color is always intriguing. I enjoy putting together various objects that can capture the iconic Southwest colors such as turquoise, reds, rustic orange colors and more,” Johnson says. “Tammy’s Ring was inspired by a beautiful piece of turquoise jewelry that had significant meaning. Capturing the colors in the ring and the beaded necklace created just the type of challenge I enjoy. Nostalgia also provided a chance to capture more of those colors as well as the fun of using objects that I have had for years. Still life painting gives me the chance to use objects that take me down memory lane and the chance to experiment with wonderful Southwestern colors in my artwork.” —