Show Preview | Holiday Small Works Show

Scottsdale, AZ
Legacy Gallery, December 11-31

Ken Carlson, Winter White and Red, oil, 8 x 16.

This story was featured in the December 2014 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art December 2014 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story!

High-level talent without high-end prices—that’s what art lovers can find in Legacy Gallery’s Holiday Small Works Show, which opens with a reception on Thursday, December 11, from 7 to 9 p.m. and remains on display through the end of the month.

All works for the show are 12 by 16 inches or smaller. Although unified by size, subject matter varies widely, from western to landscape works and from still-life to figurative paintings. “Our seasoned collectors have the opportunity to purchase their favorite artist or artists,” says Scott Jones, the gallery’s general manager. “First-time buyers have a wide selection to choose from. Yes, some gift-giving happens due to the season, but most pieces go home with the purchasers. A nice gift for themselves.”

Some 100 artists are represented at the sale, including the gallery’s artists and 10 invited guest artists. Each contributes two to four creations, so there are more than 200 works from which to choose. The majority of the works are on view at the gallery’s Scottsdale location, while the Jackson, WY, and Bozeman, MT, locations present offerings as well. All items are sold in a fixed-price draw, giving shoppers equal opportunity to take home a one-of-a-kind gift.

Gary Lynn Roberts, Slippery Crossing, oil, 11 x 14.

Though the works are small, they are mighty. The show includes paintings by in-demand artists such as wildlife painter Ken Carlson, still-life artist Kyle Polzin, and western artist G. Harvey. “You just paint a big painting small,” says Montana-based western painter Gary Lynn Roberts, whose works may be scaled down but are no less complex. “I try to maintain the same composition and story. Naturally, I can’t get in quite as much detail [as with a larger painting], but I do try.” That approach is displayed clearly in NEW BEGINNINGS, an 11-by-15-inch oil that began as a color study for a 40-by-60-inch painting. Roberts packs more than 40 figures into the image, which depicts a stagecoach departing. “It’s very time-consuming,” he says of completing such a meticulous image. “But this is the time of year I want to give back to collectors.” Roberts also shows SLIPPERY CROSSING, depicting a cowboy on horseback crossing a river while leading a second horse.

The reduced scale is familiar territory for New Mexico-based still-life artist Laura Robb, who never works larger than life size. “I’ve always liked working small. Small paintings invite you to come closer and see how they’re painted,” she says. That close inspection pays off particularly well with Robb’s work, which focuses more on technique than theme. “The subject matter is just an excuse to put paint on the canvas in an interesting way,” she says. At the show, viewers can see the intricate brushwork of Robb’s still lifes like BOUQUET WITH POPPIES, featuring a floral arrangement punctuated with the fiery red blooms. —Ashley M. Biggers

contact information
480.945.1113
www.legacygallery.com

Featured in the December 2014 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art December 2014 print issue or digital download Or subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!