Meet 5 painters who capture all kinds of landscapes
This story was featured in the February 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art February 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
David Marty
David Marty, Green Pastures, oil, 16 x 20.
What inspires you to paint the landscape? I have always loved spending time in nature—from mountains to lakes to ocean beaches. I gravitate toward rural areas with quiet country lanes and sagging barns.
Where did you study art? My freshman year at Biola University, I took an art class as an elective. That led to becoming an art major. After graduation I went on to study at Art Center College of Design.
What other artists have influenced your work? Over the years I have taken workshops from artists like Scott Christensen, Matt Smith, John Budicin, George Strickland, Michael Workman, and Calvin Liang.
What is your creative process like? I generally am inspired by an actual place, where I will paint on location and take photographs. Often my plein-air work is just a quick color study. I try to block in as much of a painting as possible in one session and then come back and refine it as many times as necessary.
What have been some of the highlights of your career? I’m proud to have been included in the Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational, the Hockaday Plein Air Paint Out, Driggs Digs Plein Air, The Russell Exhibition and Sale, and the Out West Art Show. In January I am part of the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale for the first time.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? We have a large family, and I like to spend as much time as possible with them on outings and traveling.
What galleries represent your work? Coeur d’Alene Galleries, Coeur d’Alene, ID; Cole Gallery, Edmonds, WA; Dick Idol Signature Gallery, Whitefish, MT; West Lives On Gallery, Jackson, WY; and www.davidmarty.com.
Roland Lee
Roland Lee, Desert Tempest, watercolor, 21 x 29.
What inspires you to paint the landscape? My mountain-cabin studio is on the east rim of Zion Canyon. The first time I saw the canyon, I was stricken. Growing up in Los Angeles, I enjoyed the ocean, but after visiting Zion the first time, it started a love affair with canyon country that still goes on 40 years later. I have probably done over 400 paintings of Zion National Park. I have traveled and painted all over the world, but I never tire of the magical vistas that seem to emerge with every passing minute in Zion.
How would you describe your style? My dynamic paintings are recognizable for their natural realism, warm tones, and rich, dark passages.
What is your creative process like? I specialize in the medium of transparent watercolor, using the time-honored traditional technique of painting from light to dark. I choose not to use masking devices, preferring instead to use negative painting to preserve the lights.
What have been some of the highlights of your career? In 2019 Zion National Park celebrates its 100th anniversary. In honor of that event, I will present a special show of Zion landscapes at the Sears Art Museum on the campus of Dixie State University in St. George, UT. It will be a component of my 40-year retrospective exhibit at the museum, which runs June 7 through August 2. I am also working on a new book that will be released in late 2019. My work has been recognized in many magazine articles and earned me signature membership in the National Watercolor Society. I have taught workshops all over the country and created a series of instructional watercolor videos.
What galleries represent your work? www.rolandlee.com
James K. Vincent
James K. Vincent, Dakota Winter Light, acrylic, 24 x 30.
What inspires you to paint the landscape? I am a native of Riverton, WY. My grandfather was a homesteader in the Wind River country in central Wyoming. I developed an appreciation for the land and its beauty on many exploring trips with my father in an old green Chevy Suburban.
How would you describe your style? Impressionistic with an abstract flair. My goal is to provide a unique view of the regional landscape with strong shapes, attention to design, and compelling use of color.
How did you first get interested in art? My interest in art started in childhood and was fostered by an excellent art teacher, Mr. Gilpin.
Where did you study art? I had an excellent mentor, Jim LeBar, the dean of pastel painters in our area. Over the past 15 years I have also worked with many other fine artists, including Loren Entz, Charles Fritz, Aaron Schuerr, Jim Poulson, and G. Russell Case.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? We have had horses for many years, and my daughters and I participated in endurance rides for several years in Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be? That answer is easy: I was an interventional cardiologist for many years. My art then was repairing obstructed arteries. I am very fortunate to have experienced two different careers in one lifetime.
What galleries represent your work? Altitude Gallery, Bozeman, MT; Depot Gallery, Red Lodge, MT; The Frame Hut & Gallery, Billings, MT; Terakedis Fine Art, Billings, MT; Windy Flats Gallery, Nye, MT; Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT; and www.jameskvincent.com.
Carol Zirkle
Carol Zirkle, Fall Bouquet, oil sticks, 11 x 14.
What inspires you to paint the landscape? I live in southwestern Montana, where the land is beautiful and the skies are big! It is a high-plains desert, filled with prickly pear cactus, wildlife, and the occasional rattlesnake. My inspiration comes from the sparks of life I see in the rugged, rural backroads of this ranching community.
How would you describe your style? It’s a cross between impressionism and realism.
How did you first get interested in art? In third grade, we did an art project where we cut a photo in half, then drew the other half. It was surprising to me how well it turned out.
Where did you study art? In Minnesota at Moorhead State College and St. Cloud State University, where I received a degree in fine art.
What other artists have influenced your work? Harley Brown, who paints beautifully—
his inspirational story made me believe I could be an artist. Kim Lordier, who I think is one of the finest colorists and pastel painters out there. Paul deMarrais, who makes the beautiful oil sticks I use and who is extremely generous with his wisdom on art fundamentals and techniques.
What is your creative process like? My secret recipe for painting is to remember two things: everything has every color, and every color has its own composition. I apply the oil sticks one color at a time, allowing the colors to blend directly on the canvas.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? My husband is a cutting horse trainer. Our Australian Shepherd pup, Waldo, and I love to watch him work cattle on horseback. The moves they make are quite thrilling!
What galleries represent your work? Ghost Art Gallery, Helena, MT, and www.carolzirkle.com.
Lynne Wirthlin
Lynne Wirthlin, Morning Sonnet, oil, 18 x 24.
What inspires you to paint the landscape? I currently live in the rural countryside of southern Ohio, where the dense woodlands and pastoral valleys continually inspire my work.
How would you describe your style? Inspired by the American Tonalist movement, my paintings are intended to be a reflection of the viewer’s state of mind. Like George Inness, I believe the artist’s task is to “awaken an emotion from within.”
How did you first get interested in art? I was directly influenced to become an artist by the noted children’s illustrator of the 1950s and ’60s, Eloise Wilkin, and the Little Golden Books.
Where did you study art? I earned a degree in illustration and design. I am continually furthering my study under such fine artists as David Mueller, Dennis Perrin, and Bill Fletcher, as well as attending many workshops, including an upcoming one with artist MaryBeth Karaus.
What other artists have influenced your work? John Singer Sargent, Thomas Moran, Richard Schmid, and George Inness, among others. I’m also drawn to the monochromatic photography of Edward Steichen, Robert Demachy, and Josef Sudek.
What is your creative process like? After designing a landscape’s composition, my primary goal is to create color brilliance. I’m passionate about color. I’m especially drawn to the color palette of fall and winter.
What have been some of the highlights of your career? Before becoming a full-time painter, I was a senior graphic designer in the consumer-goods industry. All the while, I freelanced as a children’s illustrator and have been published over 40 times in multiple children’s magazines.
What galleries represent your work? www.lynnewirthlin.com
This story was featured in the February 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art February 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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