Portfolio | Where Are They Now?

Catching up with artists we featured years ago

PAM INGALLS
Featured in 2016

Pam Ingalls, Bespoke, oil, 8 x 10.

Pam Ingalls, Bespoke, oil, 8 x 10.

How has your artwork changed since you were last featured? I hope my paintings have grown to be more fluid and loose in the past five years.

What have been your greatest accomplishments since then? My most exciting accomplishment lately has been teaching weeklong workshops in a Tuscan villa. The Italian spirit fills my heart and translates into a spectacular place to paint, learn, and teach. I’ve also become a Master Signature Member of American Women Artists, a wonderful organization to which I owe the beginning of my career.

What has been the biggest turning point in your career? Studying intensely for three years with Ron Lukas, a protégé of Russian master Sergei Bongart, completely turned my painting around. He taught me the very basics of hue, value, color temperature, and edges that I’ll keep refining for a lifetime. I owe him so much.

What are your goals for the future? I want to continue painting portraits in small communities like my own—to connect people to one another and to help them see how beautiful they are. I also want to travel, and to come home with new eyes to see and paint the everyday miracles around me. And I hope to keep learning more about how to make my paintings sing.

What galleries represent your work? Abend Gallery, Denver, CO; Edward Montgomery Fine Art, Carmel, CA; Cole Gallery, Edmonds, WA; Roby-King Gallery, Bainbridge Island, WA; Vashon Center for the Arts, Vashon, WA; www.pamingalls.com.

JANE K. STARKS
Featured in 2016

Jane K. Starks, Pot Creek, gouache, 27 x 41.

Jane K. Starks, Pot Creek, gouache, 27 x 41.

How has your artwork changed since you were last featured? The focus is still the landscape. However, in 2016 I had a medical crisis that required being intubated for over 12 hours; the resulting brain fog made it difficult to adhere to my demanding plein-air process and achieve acceptable results. Oddly, the problem has been the impact on my compositions. I have more failures than successes, but I keep at it.

What have been your greatest accomplishments since then? I have found an additional approach to plein-air work: looking up as well as down. The resulting images are very different from my earlier work. From my car I create on-site sketches of sunsets that are later translated into large studio paintings. I love trying to capture the crepuscular rays, walking rain, rambunctious clouds, and varying drama of the gorgeous western skies we so often see here in Taos, NM.

What has been the biggest turning point in your career? Whenever I have had the privilege of teaching painting, there has been a profound impact on my art. I think differently when I teach, and in trying to help students learn basic principles of painting, I deepen my own practice.

What are your goals for the future? Inspired by the imagery of Mt. Fuji, I have been drawing, painting, photographing, and sculpting the two massive volcanoes that form part of the viewshed of Taos. I am fascinated by their symmetry, the weather patterns they attract, the way they visually anchor the landscape, and their cultural significance.

What galleries represent your work? Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden, Dallas, TX; www.janestarks.com.

ROBIN HEXTRUM
Featured in 2015

Robin Hextrum, Rhino, oil, 48 x 60.

Robin Hextrum, Rhino, oil, 48 x 60.

How has your artwork changed since you were last featured? When I was last featured, I was making contemporary seascape paintings. My current body of work focuses on flowers and animals, and I have become much more experimental with my color, brushwork, composition, and content. My painting process is now more intuitive and explorational. I am also investigating more art-historical references with my work.

What have been your greatest accomplishments since then? I have had several solo shows, exhibited my work internationally, completed my master’s degree in art history, landed a full-time tenure-track teaching position at Regis University, and attained gallery representation at Abend Gallery.

What has been the biggest turning point in your career? When I got a full-time teaching position at Regis University, I moved from Southern California to Denver. This benefited my art career enormously because it has given me the time and financial stability to focus on my painting. The Denver art scene has also been very good to me. I am happy to work among a tight-knit and supportive community of artists and gallerists.

What are your goals for the future? My main goal is to continue developing as an artist. I love exploring new technical and conceptual challenges with my work. I am also building up my online presence and collector base. I will continue to seek exhibition opportunities in order to share my work with a larger audience.

What galleries represent your work? Abend Gallery, Denver, CO; www.robinhextrum.com.

RANDY VAN DYCK
Featured in 2015

Randy Van Dyck, Transposed 13, acrylic, 12 x 21.

Randy Van Dyck, Transposed 13, acrylic, 12 x 21.

How has your artwork changed since you were last featured? My current series of work started in 2020 and is quite a departure from my previous work, both in composition and meaning. It borrows from some of the same elements as my surreal landscape-and-still-life work, but it has been deconstructed to emphasize the transposition of the subjects in relation to their environment.

What have been your greatest accomplishments since then? I have been fortunate to have my work included in juried shows where I have received awards, and in several publications, but my biggest thrill was seeing my artwork on the cover of International Artist Magazine. In 2019 I was honored to receive the Boise Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, followed by receiving the Idaho Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2020.

What has been the biggest turning point in your career? My first solo show at Boise State University really changed the trajectory of my career. The larger platform helped enable me to find my artistic voice as I painted for that show. That body of work is part of the reason I was first recognized in Southwest Art.

What are your goals for the future? Aside from nurturing the work, I would love to have a museum show and have been working toward that goal. There has also been some discussion about publishing a book to showcase the evolution of the 150-plus pieces in this body of work.

What galleries represent your work? Capitol Contemporary Gallery, Boise, ID; Brumfield Gallery, Astoria, OR; www.vandyckframe.com.

NANCY BOREN
Featured in 2015

Nancy Boren, Turquoise Dream, oil, 16 x 12.

Nancy Boren, Turquoise Dream, oil, 16 x 12.

How has your artwork changed since you were last featured? I have always painted a mix of subjects, and I still do, but lately I have done a group of pieces of women in kimonos. Another avenue I have enjoyed pursuing is celebratory themes: figures with balloons and paper lanterns, and often a handful of confetti.

What have been your greatest accomplishments since then? Exhibiting in national juried shows has resulted in some nice awards, among them a Bronze Medal and Artists’ Choice in Oil Painters of America, Best of Show and Artists’ Choice in the American Impressionist Society, and Best of Show in the Texas Members of the Portrait Society of America. I also feel that it is an accomplishment to still be around and active after 40 years in this pursuit.

What has been the biggest turning point in your career? My career seems to have been many small steps proceeding in the direction of my dreams. The biggest high point so far, besides the awards and the fact that collectors like my paintings enough to want to live with them, was having a painting added to the permanent collection of the Booth Western Art Museum in 2014.

What are your goals for the future? Besides always striving for quality and staying true to myself, I hope to add more transcendent otherworldliness to my images.

What galleries represent your work? Oh Be Joyful Gallery, Crested Butte, CO; Claggett/Rey Gallery, Edwards, CO; Wild Horse Gallery, Steamboat Springs, CO; Southwest Gallery, Dallas, TX; L.A. Thompson Gallery, Clifton, TX; Davis & Blevins Gallery, Saint Jo, TX.

JUSTIN CLEMENTS
Featured in 2016

Justin Clements, Chiaroscuro Carnations, oil, 12 x 16.

Justin Clements, Chiaroscuro Carnations, oil, 12 x 16.

How has your artwork changed since you were last featured? Overall, I feel that my work continues to improve with time and practice, while the style and subjects of my paintings remain fairly consistent. I really love painting from life; I learn so much working this way, and I’m always learning to see things better. I’ve become more confident mixing colors, applying paint, and designing compositions.

What have been your greatest accomplishments since then? I’ve gotten into better shows and won some ribbons and awards, which was a huge honor. However, paying the bills, having groceries in the fridge and clothes on the kids’ backs—actually making a living as an artist—that’s the biggest accomplishment.

What has been the biggest turning point in your career? The pandemic last year really shook things up. Most art shows were cancelled, leaving few opportunities for artists to show our work. This was difficult and depressing, but it gave me a chance to reflect on my work and discover again why I fell in love with oil painting.

What are your goals for the future? I hope to be the best father, husband, and oil painter possible. I hope to continue to develop as an artist by not being afraid of my shortcomings but rather seeing them as opportunities for growth.

What galleries represent your work? Hunter Wolff Gallery, Colorado Springs, CO; www.justinclements.com.

ROBERT E. REYNOLDS
Featured in 2015

Robert E. Reynolds, Desert Expanse, oil, 48 x 60.

Robert E. Reynolds, Desert Expanse, oil, 48 x 60.

How has your artwork changed since you were last featured? More and more I favor simplicity, surrendering articulation in favor of a painting that is raw, bold, and direct. The many subtle colors reflected across the New Mexico landscape in the fall and winter have inspired my most recent plein-air paintings.

What have been your greatest accomplishments since then? I have been able to expand my representation. For the past several years painting has been my primary source of income. However, I would say my greatest accomplishment is a deepening connection with nature.

What has been the biggest turning point in your career? A combination of experimenting with a palette knife, which lends itself to a more kinetic, impasto application of paint, and a partnership with Carlos Acosta and John B. Strong of Acosta Strong Fine Art in Santa Fe. They have been enthusiastic promoters and supporters of my paintings and my career as an artist.

What are your goals for the future? To explore the dance of the paint in a more broad and open way, while still capturing a sense of place. I plan to paint larger, to explore the breadth of kinetic movement and calligraphy in my painting. I recently purchased a van to carry larger paintings to support this ambition. I also plan to continue to explore my creative boundaries, taking artistic risks in favor of stumbling onto something new and exciting in my work.

What galleries represent your work? Acosta Strong Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM; InSight Gallery, Fredericksburg, TX; Hand Artes Gallery, Truchas, NM; K. Newby Gallery, Tubac, AZ; Mirada Fine Art, Indian Hills, CO.

JOHN C. TRAYNOR
Featured in 2015

John C. Traynor, Taos Mountains & Valley, oil, 16 x 20.

John C. Traynor, Taos Mountains & Valley, oil, 16 x 20.

How has your artwork changed since you were last featured? When I was featured, I had made 60 trips to Europe and countless more to the East and West Coasts of the United States. Since then I have traveled and painted in Arizona and New Mexico. I found great subject matter at the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, and Sedona. I was also inspired on my painting trip to Taos, painting alongside several new artist friends. My wife and I enjoyed meeting and talking with Native Americans with the intent of interpreting their stories on canvas.

What have been your greatest accomplishments since then? My greatest accomplishment recently was making it through this past year, 2020. Selling artwork during the lockdown was very difficult. Many of the galleries that represent my works were closed for most of the year. Fortunately, I had many customers from the past come forward to buy paintings and commission new works.

What has been the biggest turning point in your career? At the age of 22, I started my career as an artist. At that point, the most practical way to sell was at outdoor art festivals. The biggest turning point was giving up those art shows and selling my paintings through galleries instead. I had to raise my prices significantly to account for the gallery commission. Fortunately my paintings continued to sell at a rapid pace.

What are your goals for the future? I plan to explore more of the United States as a landscape artist. In addition, my aspiration for figurative works will include portrait commissions, genre paintings, and biblical subject matter.

What galleries represent your work? www.johnctraynor.com.

LISA GORDON
Featured in 2015

Lisa Gordon, Pit Ponies, bronze/steel, 15 x 19 x 12.

Lisa Gordon, Pit Ponies, bronze/steel, 15 x 19 x 12.

How has your artwork changed since you were last featured? I have been focusing on the landscape and how we move within it. I’ve been doing quite a bit of trail riding with my horse, including some unique rides around Abiquiu and other parts of New Mexico. I’m intrigued with sculptures that have moving parts, just like the landscape, which is both fixed and always changing. So I have been exploring sculptures that are moveable, inviting the viewer into the creative process.

What have been your greatest accomplishments since then? This year I joined the wonderful Sorrel Sky Gallery and have a two-person show planned for June. I also consider being part of three western heritage shows—Cowgirl Up!, Coors Western Art, and Cheyenne Frontier Days—an accomplishment.

What has been the biggest turning point in your career? I spent my lockdown days and nights sculpting—but not my muse, the horse. Instead I sculpted what I call My Menagerie, over 100 little critters ranging from aardvarks to zebras. That in itself is not necessarily a career-changing event, but I have a vision of what these animals can become.

What are your goals for the future? I now know I can expand my repertoire. My goal is to integrate a wider range of animals into my unique aesthetic.

What galleries represent your work? Sorrel Sky Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, and Durango, CO; Wilde Meyer Gallery, Tucson and Scottsdale, AZ; Ann Korologos Gallery, Basalt, CO; Broadmoor Galleries, Colorado Springs, CO; Davis & Blevins Gallery, Saint Jo, TX; Beartooth Gallery, Red Lodge, MT; Terzian Gallery, Park City, UT; www.lisagordonsculptures.com.

JOHN AUSTIN HANNA
Featured in 2015

John Austin Hanna, Geranium, oil, 16 x 20.

John Austin Hanna, Geranium, oil, 16 x 20.

How has your artwork changed since you were last featured? Age and eyesight are my greatest challenge in always trying to improve my work. I believe in a natural evolution in painting—it happens even without thinking about it.

What have been your greatest accomplishments since then? Being asked to participate in the Texas State Parks Centennial Celebration with showings, touring of the paintings, and a book published for the event. Participating in the Briscoe Museum’s Night of Artists event from 2013 through 2019. Showing in the Oil Painters of America national shows and in the Art on the Llano Estacado show at the Texas Tech Museum for 4 years.

What has been the biggest turning point in your career? I have had two turning points. In 1964, I moved to New York and worked with true professionals in the advertising agencies—Ted Bates and Ketchum, McLeod & Grove. The museums, galleries, and intellectual environment I experienced there were most stimulating. Then in 1978, I moved to Fredericksburg, TX, in order to concentrate more on painting full time and getting away from the commercial environment. After almost 43 years here, there is always something to paint.

What are your goals for the future? To have the health and desire to continue painting. My dear friend Bill Neale of Dallas, who recently passed away at 95, was still painting until about 90. What an example! He was the one who suggested I go to New York in 1964, and we maintained a wonderful friendship all these years.

What galleries represent your work? Gallery 330, Fredericksburg, TX; Southwest Gallery, Dallas, TX; Marta Stafford Fine Art, Marble Falls, TX.

JOHN ENCINIAS
Featured in 2016

John Encinias, Evening Along Clear Creek, oil, 12 x 16.

John Encinias, Evening Along Clear Creek, oil, 12 x 16.

How has your artwork changed since you last were featured? I would have to say that the changes in my artwork have been very subtle, but consistent. I’m still painting the same subject matter of the western landscape, with the same palette of six colors plus white. While the process of painting has become easier, the final end result will always be a bit difficult.

What have been your greatest accomplishments since then? My greatest accomplishments during my career include having a solo exhibition at the Frye Museum in Seattle, WA, in 1991 and one at the Birger Sandzen Memorial Gallery in Lindsborg, KS, in 2000. Also, I consider it a great accomplishment to have shown my work annually for the past 37 years at the Prix de West Invitational at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, OK (formerly the National Academy of Western Art exhibition and sale).

What has been the biggest turning point in your career? After 45 years as a full-time artist, there have been many turning points in my career. I would have to say that now I have finally arrived at a very comfortable place in work and life. With very few deadlines and commitments, I will go forward and do my best work.

What are your goals for the future? To keep doing what I’ve been doing, and take it up a notch or two.

What galleries represent your work? Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, NM.

DONNA HOWELL-SICKLES
Featured in 2016

Donna Howell-Sickles, The Yellow Gate, acrylic, 48 x 60.

Donna Howell-Sickles, The Yellow Gate, acrylic, 48 x 60.

How has your artwork changed since you were last featured? I am continuing my exploration of the storytelling qualities of cowgirl imagery. In the past two years, I have also created a few pieces focusing on only cowboys—that has been quite the learning curve! Also, there are now more pieces I do focusing on animals without figures. Having drawn figures for so long, I know where I’m going with the cowgirls—but with the animals, I really cannot see where I’m heading until the characters come to life.

What have been your greatest accomplishments since then? Continuing to grow as an artist—challenging myself with new imagery, new mediums, and new materials—is a great privilege.

What has been the biggest turning point in your career? We have to go back to the mid-1980s for that! I took out an ad in Southwest Art for my artwork, not knowing if anyone would notice my “leap of faith.” From that ad, two galleries—one in Ketchum, ID, and one in Taos, NM—contacted me about showing my work. So that first leap of faith was my not just my turning point, but my jumping-off moment.

What are your goals for the future? There are so many projects I want to start, or finish. I want to draw enough bison to call the collection a herd; a series of cowgirls based on some inspirational real western women; and at least one truly memorable cowboy.

What galleries represent your work? Ann Korologos Gallery, Basalt, CO; Broadmoor Galleries, Colorado Springs, CO; McLarry Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM; Davis & Blevins Gallery, Saint Jo, TX;
Artspace 111, Fort Worth, TX; www.donnahowellsickles.com.

This story appeared in the May 2021 issue of Southwest Art magazine.