By Bonnie Gangelhoff
When it came time for the judges to hand out the best of show award at the annual Oil Painters of America Western Regional Juried Exhibition, the honor went to Bryce Cameron Liston for his sensual, classically rendered figurative piece, PAISLEY. The judges rewarded Liston’s ability to embody a timeless beauty in his work—one that harks back to masters such as William Bouguereau and John Singer Sargent.
| WINTER BOWS TO SPRING, OIL, 20 X 16 |
For the artist, painting the figure is “the highest form of art” as well as the most fascinating, involving, and challenging. The Utah-based artist received some of his early training by working for 15 years with master bronze sculptor Edward J. Fraughton as an unofficial apprentice. “When you work with a sculptor, you learn form inside and out. That is a huge advantage to me as a painter,”
Liston says.
Early in his painting career, he also tackled an intensive study of anatomy, learning how efficiently the body works and about “all the nuances and the pushes and pulls” of the muscles. “Then I got into the rhythms, the beautiful form, line, and flesh tones,” he recalls.
Although he often works with photographs as reference material, he is not a slave to them. Part of the reason for using photographs instead of a model is because he prefers to be alone in his studio when he paints. During this time, he doesn’t necessarily think about what he is trying to convey to the viewer. But when collectors purchase a piece quickly, Liston knows he has succeeded in his work because he has connected with them on an emotional level. He believes that as an artist, he has the unique power to convey emotion and passion through his painting by virtue of imagination, talent, and experience.
He is represented by Rive Gauche Art Galleries, Scottsdale, AZ; Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA; New Masters Gallery, Carmel, CA; Galerie Kornye West, Fort Worth, TX; Apple Frame Gallery, Bountiful, UT; Park Place Gallery of Fine Art, Leawood, KS; www.listonart.com.
Upcoming Show
Rive Gauche Art Galleries, March 26-April 9.
Featured in “Top Artists of 2009” in January 2009