WHAT IS YOUR ARTISTIC BACKGROUND AND HOW DID YOU COME TO LIVE IN UTAH?
After graduating from Brigham Young University in 1971, I worked as a designer-illustrator for several Southern California advertising agencies, and eventually landed a job as "Design Director" for Lawry's Foods, a large international company. During this time my artwork appeared on everything from product labels and menus, to greeting cards and calendars. I did a lot of logo design and won a few awards, including inclusion in three volumes of the Book of American Trademarks.
In 1973 I moved to St. George, Utah, with my wife Nellie and young son, Jim, to escape the crowded city and get closer to the beauties of nature -- especially Zion National Park, where our family owned a cabin.
DID YOU BEGIN WATERCOLOR PAINTING THEN?
When I first came to St. George, I opened a small art studio called Ink Well. I continued doing graphic design and illustration work until 1976 when I sold the business and began teaching art at Dixie Junior College. It was here that I began to gain a real understanding of the language of fine art and felt the desire burn inside to do something more with it. I began study on my own, then took a couple of watercolor workshops at Lake Powell and Zion Park, which greatly influenced my desire to study and interpret the landscape.
I exhibited my first paintings in October 1979 and shortly thereafter placed several works in a local gallery, Heaton Gallery West. A one-man show in March 1980 was a near sell-out, which encouraged my efforts even more. In May I exhibited at my first western art show in Prescott, Arizona where I won an award and sold out again. After that I was convinced I could make it in fine art and made the decision to quit teaching and pursue a full time painting career.
DID YOUR CAREER TAKE OFF FROM THERE?
Well, not exactly. That first year I produced 50 paintings, which is still my biggest production year ever, and I began traveling with my young family to western art shows all over the United States. That really took its toll and pretty much wore me out. But it did give me much-needed exposure in bigger markets, resulting in several art magazines and a few major galleries wanting to feature my work. I slowed the traveling pace down quite a bit since then, but still do national advertising in Southwest Art and U.S. Art Magazines.
Now I'm in a position where collectors know who I am and where to find my work. I've also taken advantage of our location at the gateway to Utah's National Parks by maintaining a beautiful art gallery in a highly travelled area where collectors can see my originals. Instead of me going to them, now they are coming more to me. When people visit the national parks, I want them to know they can stop at my gallery for a wide selection of fine art spotlighting the southwest scenery and the historical west.
DESCRIBE YOUR CHOICE OF SUBJECT MATTER.
It's obvious that I live in southern Utah because I love the landscape around me. Initially that is what brought me here, and it is still the driving force behind my work. Almost all my work depicts the landscape of southern Utah. Since it is so varied, my subject matter ranges from desert panoramas to tall mountain pines -- and I can be in either environment within 20 minutes of my home.
Zion National Park is a special favorite of mine. The first time I saw the place I had an affinity for it. The jagged cliffs and varied colors seemed to change at every turn, like a chameleon. It's almost as if God decided to have fun with this part of the planet, giving vent to His own artistic expression. I could paint Zion for the rest of my life and never run out of things to paint. It is one of the most intriguing and spiritual places I've ever been, and I am always at peace there.
Because of the many great subjects close to home, its difficult for me to break away and paint other areas too. But I do love to paint Lake Powell, where we spend time on a houseboat every summer, and other great areas such as Bryce and Grand Canyons, both just three hours from home.
I'm often asked if I'm afraid I'll run out of things to paint. That could never happen. My biggest fear is not having enough time in my life to paint all the things that interest me. The world is a fantastic place.
YOU ARE BEST KNOWN FOR YOUR LANDSCAPES, BUT YOU ALSO ENJOY PAINTING HISTORICAL THEMES DON'T YOU?
I have strong pioneer roots here. My ancestors were among the original settlers of St. George, and I'm proud of that heritage. I actually have done a number of paintings which recreate early pioneer life, and I love the texture and colors of the crumbling adobe homes and weathered barns and fences. Much of this history is passing on due to age and "progress." My goal is to preserve what history is left through my artwork, and I love the research that goes into those types of paintings. My gallery is located in Ancestor Square and is part of the downtown Historical District, which I strongly support.
IS WATERCOLOR A MORE DIFFICULT MEDIUM THAN OILS?
A lot of people think transparent watercolor is a more difficult medium than oil. It's not more difficult, it's just different and seems to work better for some artists than others. The unique thing about transparent watercolor is that there is no white or black paint, and all white areas are created by allowing the white of the paper to show through. You cannot cover a darker value with a lighter one as in oils. Therefore the highlights must be planned in advance and left from the very beginning. And there is little opportunity to correct an error. If you get it too dark, it stays that way. You cannot scrape off the paint and start over as in oils.
When I start a painting the most critical step is the drawing. By the time I've completed the drawing I can actually visualize the whole painting because I've already studied the painting steps carefully in my mind. There are no "happy accidents" for me. Any accident is an unhappy one. The finished painting nearly always turns out like I saw it in the beginning. If it doesn't work, I destroy it.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PAINTING TECHNIQUES THAT ARE UNIQUE TO YOUR WORK?
I really don't have any "tricks" although they seem to be quite prevalent in watercolor. I use no opaque colors and no masking of any kind. I use a few favorite brushes consisting of a 2-inch wash brush, a 3/4-inch aquarelle and a few smaller synthetic brushes, all of which I buy locally. I never use expensive red sable brushes, because I think the synthetics work just as well. My paper is 140 or 300 lb. Arches cold pressed, soaked and stapled to a board. I usually tape the outside edges to avoid having to paint into the stapled area. My paints are a special brand developed by Daniel Smith, and are all rated permanent.
Most of my work is done in my studio, although I do love to sketch on location. I shoot snapshots wherever I go, and keep a large file for ideas. I'll do a bond paper thumbnail sketch with a few notes to identify light source and highlight areas, which I'll tape to the board along with any reference photos while I work. I never paint from someone else,s photos or paint a subject I haven't seen and researched myself. However I do take a lot of artistic license with everything I paint, in order to create additional drama and interest.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR STYLE?
Maybe a little art lesson might help here. Obviously, I paint in a representational style. That means that you can look at my artwork and identify the subject matter. Abstract art means the subject is altered and reduced to simple forms. Nonobjective art has an unrecognizable subject matter. Other styles are represented by "isms" which have more to do with techniques -- such as pointillism, impressionism or cubism. However, artists in all styles use the same building blocks of line, direction, shapes, textures, values and colors with the same goal: to organize them according to principles of design to create a work of art that evokes some emotion or feeling from the viewer. That is what visual art is.
Being a representational painter, I have to succeed on two levels. The viewer must first respond to my painting intuitively or emotionally based on the foundation of good composition and design, and second they must respond intellectually based on recognition or familiarity with the subject matter. Always, the fact that my subject is recognizable from nature is second in importance to the overall design impact of the painting. But if either one fails it makes the the entire painting unsuccessful. "Bad art" fails in one of those two areas.
Beyond that, I try to capture the viewer through the use of drama. I'll alter the light source to create dramatic light and shadow patterns, I'll manipulate the season to add interest, I'll change the local colors to create a mood, I'll be selective with the elements I include to direct the viewer's attention. I'll do whatever I need to create an image that involves the viewer. As an artist that is my job. But ultimately it is left to the viewer to decide if I've succeeded or not.
IS ART THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR LIFE?
No. Art is certainly important, but not the most important thing. My wife and family come first, then my church, then my art career and lastly my hobbies and community service. Keeping them all in proper balance is what we all struggle with. I feel very blessed and fortunate to have wonderful relationships and successes in all those areas. Like most artists, art is something I need to do, not want to do. But to be able to do it for a living is a wonderful blessing, and I have all my collectors to thank for that. But I thank the Lord each day for being able to live in a place I love, doing what I love to do, with people I care about. No one could ask for more.
