Collectors of exquisite Western American art can barely sit still as one of the country’s premier auctions is right around the corner.
 
Beginning in a mere week is the eagerly anticipated Jackson Hole Art Auction, which features the absolute best that American Western art has to offer. The ninth annual auction will be held at Trailside Galleries in Jackson, Wyoming. Two sessions will offer collectors the opportunity to bid on coveted paintings and sculptures by both living and deceased masters. Session I will take place Friday, September 18, at noon at Trailside Galleries, and Session II will be held on the 19th at noon at the award-winning Center for the Arts venue. Previews of the artworks to be available at each session will take place on September 17 and 18, respectively.
 

Wayne Baize, “Shadows of the Evening,” oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in. (c) Jackson Hole Art Auction 2015

Martin Grelle, “Whitewater Passage,” 2015, oil on linen, 40 x 30 in. (c) Jackson Hole Art Auction 2015

 
Works by historical masters Carl Rungius, Eanger Irving Couse, and Olaf Wieghorst will be available, and particularly worth mention are a number of outstanding canvases by the renowned Albert Bierstadt. Organizers expect the most spirited bidding on Bierstadt’s “Wind River Country Wyoming” (circa 1860). In this painting, a lovely golden light falls across a distant valley and blankets a range of mountains along the horizon. Bierstadt’s masterful attention to atmospheric perspective and light create convincing expansive space that seems to stretch forever. Auction estimates for the canvas are between $1 million and $2 million.
 

G. Harvey, “Another Good Day,” oil on canvas, 20 x 30 in. (c) Jackson Hole Art Auction 2015

Bill Nebeker, “The Sippin’ Jug,” bronze 18/25, 21 3/4 x 10 x 6 in. (c) Jackson Hole Art Auction 2015

 
Indeed, the number of outstanding works in this year’s auction seems, unsurprisingly, all but infinite.
 
To learn more, visit Jackson Hole Art Auction.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

Asian culture has proven to be a strong influence on countless Western artists over the centuries. A large portion of that influence has been drawn from Chinese and Japanese cultures, but a recently hung exhibition seeks to shift the spotlight to Indian, Thai, and Sri Lankan subjects.
 
Southern Asia has an intensely rich artistic and cultural tradition that is seldom explored or highlighted in exhibitions. However, Schomburg Gallery in Santa Monica, California, is shifting that narrative with “American Artists and the Allure of the East,” which will explore how contemporary artists are expanding the artistic scope of “the East” to include the spiritual and cultural vocabulary of India, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Curator Rency Punnoose suggests, “The participating artists are not just some American artists painting some eastern images. Artists like Scott Burdick, Susan Lyon, and Richard Weinstein travel a lot to India and other eastern countries and experience the life and culture on a very intimate level.”
 

Stephanie Deshpande, “Applying Mehndi,” oil on linen, 18 x 12 in. (c) Schomburg Gallery 2015

 
Among the aforementioned, notables include Raj Chaudhuri, Karen Yee, Leah Waichulis, Suchitra Bhosle, and Sivananda Nyayapathi. Thirty-one paintings will be featured in the exhibition, including Chaudhuri’s “Offerings of Milk and Ash.” At center we find a seated elderly figure. Imaged in brilliant large strokes, the man extends his arm, holding a pail of milk over a smoldering fire. Stephanie Deshpande’s “Applying Mehndi” is also captivating. A tightly cropped scene, the painting displays the delicate process of tattooing using mehndi, or henna paste. The paste is squeezed through a tube and used to create beautiful and intricate designs on the hands and feet.
 

Susan Lyon, “Selling Hay in Udaipur, India,” oil on canvas, 30 x 20 in. (c) Schomburg Gallery 2015

 
Susan Lyon’s “Selling Hay in Udaipur, India” is yet another highlight of the show. Created in a beautiful palette of pastel hues with brilliantly luminous areas, a female figure walks gracefully across the center of the composition. Broad, simple, and shadowed forms surround the subject as she wades through the hay.
 
“American Artists and the Allure of the East” opened on September 9 and will be on view through October 10.
 
To learn more, visit Schomburg Gallery.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

Manmade beauties and natural vistas are seen through a modernist lens during a current group show in Denver.
 
A diverse range of talented artists feature in Saks Galleries’ “A Modern View 2015: Land, Sea, and Urban Scapes,” a gorgeous group exhibition that combines realism, impressionism, and more. Among the artists included are William Berra, G. Russell Case, Jane Christie, Kim English, Ralph Grady James, Ed Sandoval, Clive Tyler, and Seth Winegar.
 

Clive Tyler, “‘Majestic’ Bull Moose Teton Dawn,” pastel, 24 x 20 in. (c) Saks Galleries 2015

 
Ralph Grady James’s “Dancing Light” is an outstanding example. Scarcely populated, the seascape shows a lovely sunset as an almost blinding light cascades toward the viewer. In the upper right of the painting, a pair of seagulls are on the move, only seconds away from exiting the frame. Clive Tyler’s “‘Majestic’ Bull Moose Teton Dawn” is also noteworthy. Standing among a colorful arrangement of tall vertical trees is a stoic moose. Drawing our attention to the subject and crossing the strong vertical lines of the trees are subtle indications of sunrays, which illuminate the animal’s antlers.
 

Ed Sandoval, “Light Behind the Clouds,” oil, 28 x 22 in. (c) Saks Galleries 2015

 
Ed Sandoval’s “Light Behind the Clouds” is stunning in its saturation, simplicity, and individuality. Unlike many of the other artists in the show, Sandoval has boiled down his subject into large planes of strong color, creating a play on pattern as well as our perception of two- and three-dimensionality. For those with a love for impressionism, Walt Gonske’s “A Windy Morning” will undoubtedly please. Entering the canvas from the right side is an imposing rock cliff, which stretches across the center of the composition and nearly to the left edge of the picture. On close inspection, Gonske’s quick, expressive brushwork is highlighted. Details are virtually indiscernible as a play among purple, orange, blue, green, and yellow composes the cliff.
 

Walt Gonske, “A Windy Morning,” oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in. (c) Saks Galleries 2015

 
No matter your taste, “A Modern View 2015: Land, Sea, and Urban Scapes” will leave you wishing for more. The exhibition opened on August 28 and will show through September 19.
 
To learn more, visit Saks Galleries.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

Using energetic, feathery brushstrokes, along with skillful layering of colors, Michael Klein continues to enchant audiences with his latest oils.
 
Helping to lead the charge in the continued revival of representational painting is accomplished artist Michael Klein, whose still life paintings feature in a current solo exhibition at Maxwell Alexander Gallery in Culver City, California. Fifteen paintings, showcasing predominantly floral subjects, compose the show.
 

Michael Klein, “Orange Roses,” oil, 12 x 15 in. (c) Maxwell Alexander Gallery 2015

 
A gorgeous play between movement and quiet stillness characterizes Klein’s paintings well, especially “White Peonies.” Simple in subject but impactful in treatment, “White Peonies” displays a loose but controlled application of paint. The flowers show areas in which Klein has employed thicker paints, imbuing the subjects with a tactile texture that enlivens and activates the surface. The dark, unpopulated background allows the vibrancy and beauty of the flowers to harness the viewer’s extended attention.
 

Michael Klein, “Vanity Fades,” oil, 8 x 16 in. (c) Maxwell Alexander Gallery 2015

Michael Klein, “Fruit and Bowl,” oil, 12 x 18 in. (c) Maxwell Alexander Gallery 2015
 

“His passion is to depict an accurate representation of our human experience interacting with the created order around us,” says the artist’s website. “By poetically blending pigments from the earth, adding oil, and his inborn artistic capability he recreates the world around us and injects his personal spirit into each piece throughout the process.” Indeed, human experience comes to the fore in “Vanity Fades,” a magnetic painting that gives a nod to the Vanitas theme made popular in still life painting during the 16th and 17th centuries. A prominent skull confronts the viewer immediately at the center of the composition, reminding us of our mortality. The skull rests in front of a guitar, globe, books, papers, and an antler, emphasizing the transient nature of all earthly goods and pursuits.
 
“Michael Klein: Still” opened on September 5.
 
To learn more, visit Maxwell Alexander Gallery.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

The Industrial Revolution in Britain had a profound effect on landscape painters who were firsthand witnesses as factories and railroads slowly overtook the land. The biggest names of the era, including Gainsborough, Turner, Constable, and Monet, are on view now during an outstanding exhibition.
 
Visitors to the Utah Museum of Fine Arts have a tantalizing opportunity to view under one roof some of the biggest names in British landscape painting, and more. “The British Passion for Landscape: Masterpieces from National Museum Wales” offers a unique chance to survey in a single exhibition the rise of landscape painting in Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries. In addition to highlighting the influence of the Industrial Revolution, the exhibition’s story flows through the eras of Romanticism, Impressionism, Modernism, and even Post-Modern imagery.
 
While nearly every piece could be considered a highlight of the show, John Constable’s “A Cottage in a Cornfield” of 1817 is a worthy focus. Just beyond a wooden gate in the foreground, the viewer discovers a quaint cottage nestled in a golden field of corn. In typical fashion, Constable implies the scale and power of nature. In the foreground, a dark mass of overgrown trees, flowers, and shrubbery provides balance for the sun-bathed field beyond, but also seems to overtake the canvas itself. Constable’s choice of position also encourages the viewer to imagine the expanse that lies beyond. Nearly undetectable is a lone figure toward the left of the cottage, who is dwarfed by the scene. In this picture, as is true of many of Constable’s paintings, humans coexist with nature rather than control and abuse it.
 
“The British Passion for Landscape: Masterpieces from National Museum Wales” opened on August 29 and will be on view through December 13.
 
To learn more, visit the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

Mary Pettis
 “Russian Fisherman”
Oil on linen
11 x 14 in.
$1,560.00 (unframed)
www.marypettis.com
 
In her work, Mary Pettis – Expressive Realist – draws heavily upon her classical training and Russian influence. Mary has been juried into and won awards in national painting events and exhibitions from New York City to Scottsdale and Maui.
 
Her art has taken her to far corners in China, Russia, and much of Europe and she has exhibited at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Mary is recognized as an eloquent and respected speaker, teacher and mentor, teaching in the Upper Midwest, Tuscany, Venice, France, and Hawaii. 
 
Early in her career, Mary studied with Hungarian painter Bela Petheo, Richard Lack, at Atelier Lack and Daniel Graves, who later became the founder of the Florence Academy of Art. In the 1990s, Jim Wilcox introduced her to the “wet-in-wet” plein air approach and she moved her studio outdoors. Over the years she continued her studies with various teachers such as Zhang Wen Xin, Kevin MacPherson, Jove Wang, James Shoop and others.
 
Recently, Mary released her first ever “Catalog of Selected Works, by Mary Pettis”, available through her website in both in hardcover and softcover. This catalog contains 78 pages filled with a selection of Mary’s favorite paintings and inspiration, inviting the reader to go deeper….
 
“Through my art, I hope to share the profound peace, healing and joy that comes from looking deeply beyond the surface of this beautiful world.”
 
Mary lives along the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway in Minnesota. Her work along with information on galleries, exhibitions, and workshops can be found on her website at www.marypettis.com.
 
Mary Pettis
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.marypettis.com
Phone: 651-465-7012
 

Lynn R. Sanguedolce
“Art Divine”
Oil on Linen
36 x 30 in.

www.lrsanguedolce.com

“Life is this simple: we are living in a world that is absolutely transparent and the divine is shining through it all the time.” ― Thomas Merton
 
Recently I was asked by a friend to remember my first profound feelings towards art. This took some reflection. As a child, art was a magical experience. Later, painting began filling me with feelings that words betrayed. “Wonder” came close. Now, with more miles of canvas and life under my belt, I find there is something more waiting to be discovered. “Art Divine” is about that. This painting evolved as a result of my gratitude for the opportunities to immerse myself in something sacred in nature and art again and again.
 
“Celebrating Art of Women by Women”
August 14th -September19th
 
Haynes Galleries
91 Main Street
Thomaston, Maine 04861-3609
www.haynesgalleries.com

207-354-0605

Louis Escobedo
“News Report”
Oil
38 x 40 in.

www.717gallery.com/escobedo.html
[email protected]

717 GALLERY PRESENTS “SHAPES & HARMONY” SOLO SHOW BY LOUIS ESCOBEDO

On September 4, 717 Gallery opens “Shapes & Harmony,” a solo show featuring new works by Louis Escobedo, a nationally-recognized artist exclusively represented by 717 Gallery in Easton, Maryland.  Meet the artist at an opening reception on September 4 from 5-8pm during Easton’s First Friday Gallery Walk. The show runs through October 31.

Escobedo endeavors to capture the spirit of the moment in a painting.  “I’d rather finish the painting at the earliest point, as soon as the essence becomes evident. I’m not as interested in a literal representation; I’m more inspired by artistic harmony. I want to evoke a feeling about the subject, even a very ordinary one. We are so busy these days that we miss a lot of what is happening around us.”

www.717gallery.com/escobedo.html
[email protected]
 

Randy Pitts
“Fishing the Incoming Tide”
Oil on linen panel
24×36 in.
$3800.00
randypittsfineart.com

About the artist:
Randy Pitts grew up in northeast Florida. He graduated from the University of Florida in 1982 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, with a concentration on drawing and printmaking. After graduation he began his career in commercial art and worked as a designer for a number of advertising agencies in Jacksonville, FL. In 2001, Randy decided to take another path and dedicated his time totally to fine art. Since then he has primarily concentrated on the Plein Air style of painting and the challenges of capturing the variances of light, form and shape you see in his collection of work. Committed to refining his skills, Randy has continued his art education by attending numerous classes and workshops around the country. Currently, he exhibits in many local and regional shows and has won a number of first place awards.  Most recently, he won the Artists’ Choice Award at the prestigious 9^th annual Wekiva Paint Out in 2015. Randy’s work has also been featured on the cover of Arbus magazine. His artwork was also selected by Southwest Art Magazine to promote the Art of the Trees in their “Beyond the West” section.

Randy’s work is currently represented in Jacksonville by the:
Corse Gallery & Atelier, Jacksonville, FL
On The Waterfront Gallery, Apalachicola, FL

Recent Shows and Awards:
2015, Artists’ Choice Award, 9^th Annual Wekiva Paint Out
2014, First Place, Outside In Exhibition, Southlight Gallery
2014, First Place, Create! Home and Garden Plein Air Paint Out
2014, Best of Show, Create! Home and Garden Plein Air Paint Out
2014, Third Place, St Mary’s Plein Air Paint Out, St. Mary’s Georgia

Solo Exhibitions:
2014, First Street Gallery, Jacksonville, FL
2014, Vandroff Gallery, Jewish Community Alliance of Jacksonville

Randy Pitts is President of the First Coast Plein Air Painters, and an associate member of Oil Painters of America

Contact information:
904-608-4712
randypittsfineart.com