Show Preview | Holiday Small Works Show

Scottsdale, AZ
Legacy Gallery, December 7-31

Daniel Keys, Sunlit Dahlia Garden, oil, 12 x 26.

This story was featured in the December 2017 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art December 2017 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

With the holidays in full swing, Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ, decks the halls with a monthlong small-works show opening on Thursday, December 7. “This is a really popular show for us,” says marketing manager Janell Grady. The 17th annual show comprises more than 200 small works by gallery artists such as Glenn Dean, C. Michael Dudash, David Mann, Tibor Nagy, and Carrie Ballantyne along with many others, as well as artists new to the gallery this year, such as Greg Beecham.

: Carrie Ballantyne, Bell and the Handsome Gray, graphite, 19 x 13.

: John Fawcett, Strength and Honor, oil, 10 x 8.

: Karin Hollebeke, Moving Day, oil, 12 x 16.

Each artist brings one to three new works no larger than 12 by 16 inches. Two- and three-dimensional works in a wide variety of subject matter are featured, from traditional western themes to still life, landscapes, figurative works, and wildlife. The show opens with an artists’ reception beginning at 7 p.m. “We’ll have Christmas carolers, and Santa makes an appearance, and the sale by draw is very exciting,” Grady says. “This show really is a Legacy tradition.”

Brett J. Smith brings at least two painting to this year’s show. Smith has long been known for his sporting art. He was introduced early to hunting and fishing at his grandfather’s side, and his art reflects his love of the outdoors as well as the sportsman’s life. Smith’s watercolor DRY FLY FISHERMAN, one of his works for the show, captures the nostalgia of peaceful day on the banks of a pristine stream.

: Brett J. Smith, Dry Fly Fisherman, watercolor, 12 x 16.

: William Alther, First Summer, oil, 12 x 12.

: Kathy Anderson, An Old Stone Wall, oil, 12 x 9.

: Rhett Ashby, Embracing the Light, oil, 12 x 16.

: Greg Beecham, Portrait of a Hunter, oil.

: Julie Bell, Sunday Best, oil, 16 x 12.

More recently Smith has branched into Native American imagery, and his second work comes from this genre. After 25 years of focusing on sporting art, he wanted to explore something significantly different from anything else he was seeing in western art, applying contemporary techniques and style to traditional western subjects. “It’s more modern, bolder,” he says, “and it doesn’t tell a particular story. I want my ideas and images to allow people to make up their own stories, and I am amazed with what they come up with.”

While graphite artist Carrie Ballantyne has been with the gallery for several years, this is the first year she’s planned works specifically for this show. Fans of her cowgirl portraits will have two works to choose from: BELL AND THE HANDSOME GRAY and THE GIRL FROM BANNER, both of which feature local Wyoming cowgirls. “I’m a portrait artist, and I portray the people in my community,” Ballantyne explains. “My cowgirls are the real deal. Bell is a local ranch-raised cowgirl, and she’s a good hand on the ranch.”

: Jerry Bingham, Sept 6th 1804, Clark Navigator, oil, 16 x 12.

: Stephanie Birdsall, Water Lilies, oil, 8 x 10.

: Carole Cooke, Paradise Valley, oil, 10 x 8.

: David Mann, American Nomad, oil, 10 x 8.

: Kenny McKenna, Canyon de Chelly Sheep Herders, oil, 12 x 12.

: Tibor Nagy, The Church, oil, 14 x 10.

Ballantyne’s portraits are a way of chronicling contemporary western culture, particularly the women of that culture. For her, authenticity and accuracy are crucial. “My clientele are pretty savvy,” she notes. “They like to know that these are real people in a real time, that they are historically accurate.”

“Our small-works show is a great opportunity for people who are ready to start their collection because it allows them to buy a piece from a well-known artist that they may not have previously thought possible,” Grady says. “It’s one of our most popular shows, one that all our clients look forward to.” —Laura Rintala

contact information
480.945.1113
www.legacygallery.com