Los Angeles, CA
Maxwell Alexander Gallery, October 5-26
Tim Solliday, Autumn Shadows, oil, 30 x 36.
This story was featured in the October 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art October 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
TIM SOLLIDAY’S illustrative western landscape and figurative works, painted in a style evocative of the early Taos artists, have been capturing the eyes and hearts of art enthusiasts for decades. But while the artist continues to keep busy well into his 60s—including regularly participating in major annual shows like the Prix de West Invitational and Masters of the American West—it’s been many years since he’s had a solo gallery show. This month, Solliday is breaking that streak with a much-anticipated show titled Colors of the West at Maxwell Alexander Gallery in Los Angeles.
The show opens with a reception on Saturday, October 5, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and runs through October 26. “We’re excited to host Tim’s first solo exhibition in over a decade,” says gallery director Beau Alexander. “His artistic process of creating pencil sketches, then pastel color studies, then ultimately his finished oils, allows him to create unique brush strokes that mimic those of the pastel crayon. Due to this lengthy process, it has taken the artist over a year to gather this body of work. Collectors will have a unique chance to see many large-scale pieces on display in our contemporary gallery in downtown L.A.”
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- Tim Solliday, Tracking in the Dust, watercolor/gouache, 16 x 22.
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- Tim Solliday, Village Pastime, oil, 36 x 48.
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- Tim Solliday, Cattle Drive, oil, 30 x 50.
The artist plans to have 12 to 15 paintings in the show, including a couple of small landscapes and several large works featuring Pueblo Indians, cowboys, horses, and cattle in western settings with the distinctive light, color, and billowy clouds for which he’s known. In addition, Solliday and Alexander are excited to feature a “study wall” displaying 10 to 20 of Solliday’s drawings, which he creates for each of the individual figures or animals he plans to include in the larger paintings. “I’ve never done something like this for a solo show, so it’s really exciting,” Solliday says. “Often when someone buys a painting they want to purchase a couple sketches that go with it, and I love when I have a chance to share a story or a part of my process behind the painting, so it’s a nice added value for everyone.”
The artist’s creative process is an important aspect of his work. Heavily influenced by late-19th and early-20th century illustrators like Dean Cornwell (1892-1960), Solliday has always believed that good drawing, composition, color, and imaginative ideas are the core tenets of great art. Perhaps it’s this approach that has helped keep his work appealing and relevant to all kinds of art collectors and enthusiasts for so many years. “I really enjoy being able to bring a wide audience to my work,” the artist says. Whether viewers of this show are longtime connoisseurs or new collectors, Solliday hopes they come away with an appreciation for his effort to orchestrate something really special. “I always aim to create works that touch the soul of the buyer, paintings they’ll want to not only purchase but keep and enjoy in their home for the rest of their lives,” he says. —Lindsay Mitchell
contact information
213.275.1060
www.maxwellalexandergallery.com
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- Tim Solliday, Southwest Passage, oil, 36 x 48.
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- Tim Solliday, War Party, oil, 26 x 60.
This story was featured in the October 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art October 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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