Each spring, the Plainsmen Gallery rounds up works by their top artists for their annual Wildlife & Western Visions group show. Featuring roughly 65 traditional and contemporary Western-themed paintings and sculpture, the popular show returns to the Dunedin, Floridia, gallery on May 3, where it will remain on view through May 24.
Clark Kelley Price, Afternoon Drink, oil, 20 x 16 in.
Among the talented roster of 20 participating artists are John Coleman, Jim Eppler, Raymond Gibby, Grant Hacking, Denny Karchner, Deborah Lafogg, Steven Lang, Bonnie Marris, Ed Natiya, John Nieto, Dustin Payne, Clark Kelley Price, Trevor Swanson and David Yorke.
Yorke, known for his scenes of the American frontier, will be showing a new graphite portrait titled Mandan Chief. “I’ve always found this medium challenging to work with, in part, due to being limited by its pure graphic nature,” says Yorke, who often paints in oil. “I grew up in an era that predated color TV. Black-and-white films and TV had a totally different visual ‘look’ and impact than color. Lighting was a key element, and an art in itself, creating a dimension with shapes, relying only on pure form rather than any emotion created by color. This is similar to a black-and-white drawing,” he continues, “as the focus is on form and values only. As an artist, I’m always experimenting and learning new skills or reviving old ones.”
Ed Natiya, Along for the Ride, bronze, 11½ x 12 x 6½ in.
Easy Choices, depicting a hummingbird investigating a cacti blossom, is one of Swanson’s show pieces, which he executed in oil on metal with a patina background. “Most of the time working with metal there are variations in the patterns and colors as they blend under heat, but this one just took the color so quickly I just let it happen,” says the artist. “With all of that color I wanted to do one of my favorites, saguaro blooms and hummingbird,” a scene he glimpsed from the window of his Arizona home. “One of the joys I find working with metal is this unpredictability and how that sparks my creativity in how to work with it.”
David Yorke, Mandan Chief, graphite, 14 x 11 in.
Also part of the show is Natiya’s bronze Along for the Ride, a sculpture of a donkey whose cargo is a basket of flowers with a bird perched on top. “It’s what I call a little piece of joy,” Natiya says of the piece. “Sometimes art is just meant to bring a little happiness and a smile to our faces. I created this piece last late last year just for that purpose. It harkens back to a simpler time, when a little burro is loaded up with sunflowers, pansies and lavender, ready for the daily market. However, a little blue jay surprises him with a visit and a song, a welcome visitor who is ready to go, ‘along for the ride.’”
Trevor Swanson, Easy Choices, oil and patina on metal, 20 x 12 in.
Find these works and so many more at the Plainsmen Gallery’s Wildlife & Western Visions show, which opens with a reception on May 3, offering an early-bird opportunity for collectors to view and purchase works, and mingle with featured artists. Visit the website for more information. —
The Plainsmen Gallery » 2141 Main Street » Dunedin, FL 34698 » (727) 734-8200 » plainsmengallery.com
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