Settlers West’s annual Summer Show is a chance for collectors to explore new works by top artists represented at the gallery before the blazing Arizona temperatures render everyone housebound. Featured in the May show is an exceptional lineup of Western artists, including Don Oelze and Robert Griffing, as well as emerging artist Tony Pro, who will be making his Summer Show debut.
Ross Buckland, Rocky Mountain Reveille, oil on board, 24 x 18 in.In Ross Buckland’s Mountain Reveille, a stately buck bleats into the open air, backed by a raging waterfall and evergreen trees. “Rocky Mountain Reveille was inspired by my love of the Canadian Rockies and the animals found in that area’s magnificent wilderness,” says Buckland. “Elk, or Wapiti, have always been a favorite. I wanted this image to evoke the feeling of rugged beauty, the roar of the waterfall and the reminder that, although at times unforgiving, how peaceful such surroundings can be. Inspiring, too, is the wildlife art of so many others, from Robert Bateman and Tucker Smith to Dustin Van Wechel and Rebekah Knight, offering much to be admired, and continuing to encourage my own efforts. Their works and unique styles each contribute greatly as lessons to help me sort out what I’m trying to show and share in what I hope is a well composed and attractive result.”
Darcie Peet, Desert Broom Dusk, oil, 18 x 24 in.
Daniel K. Tennant brings to the show a gouache painting of a historic, rustic barn titled Eight Sided Beauty. “I have painted this barn at least 30 times over the past 46 years. It was built in 1882. At one time the barn had many small buildings that surrounded it, and the scene reminded me of a mother hen surrounded by her chicks,” he says of the piece. “It is no longer a working barn and is overgrown yet it is still an impressive and beautiful structure. It is on New York State’s historical registry. Being a cool, dark October morning when I arrived at the barn, I watched the sunrise slowly break through a thick fog that had formed off the nearby lake. The sky looked so clean and blue as autumn morning skies often do.”
Tony Pro, The Retreating Light, oil, 24 x 18 in.
Daniel K. Tennant, Eight Sided Beauty, gouache, 18¼ x 35½ in.
In Pro’s The Retreating Light, a Native American man sits atop his horse, with canyons and massive, billowing clouds in the background. “The Retreating Light was inspired by an old, historical photograph of a Diné rider that stuck with me—the posture, the quiet, the sense of being alone in the landscape,” says the artist. “I also love the Vermilion Cliffs, especially the way the light hits them at the end of the day. It’s a very specific kind of light—low, warm and already starting to fade—and it simplifies everything. I wasn’t trying to tell a story so much as hold onto that moment, where the rider pauses to take in the spiritual beauty.”
John Fawcett, Lightning Fast, watercolor, 17 x 14 in.
Thunder Trail, by Oelze, depicts a fictional waterfall made up of a combination of waterfalls the artist has observed over the years. “As the scene started to come together, I could imagine a few riders quietly crossing the stream below it,” he reflects. “Places like this have a certain feeling about them—the sound of the water and the stillness of the canyon. I like to think these riders are headed somewhere to do something important, and I hope the viewer can fill in the rest of the story in their own mind’s eye.”
Don Oelze, Thunder Trail, oil, 44 x 44 in.
In total, the Summer Show will feature 45 artists and more than 80 new works. The exhibition opens on May 2 at 5:30 p.m., along with an intent-to-purchase draw at 7 p.m. It hangs through May 30. —
Settlers West Galleries 6420 N. Campbell Avenue » Tucson, AZ 85718 » (520) 299-2607 » www.settlerswest.com
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