Member Profile-Mick Doellinger

Society Of Animal Artists Member Profile
Mick Doellinger
Signature Member
Sculptor, USA

Mick Doellinger has lived in the United States since 2003, but grew up in Australia where he gained many of the skills he uses today in his sculpting. He started sculpting taxidermy manikins in the late 1970’s and gained International industry recognition for physical accuracy and unique artistry.

Doellinger melds this working knowledge of anatomy and sculpting with a deep understanding of animal behavior and psychology that he gleaned from years of guiding and wildlife management in the Australian outback.

Mick’s work reflects his fascination with nature and art by blending the two in a tradition that has inspired countless artists thru the centuries. For the past 30 years Mick has honed his sculpting skills and developed a style that has not only become his “voice”, but is a reflection of his artistic process.

http://doellingersculptures.com/

Member Profile-Gunnar Tryggmo

Society Of Animal Artists Member Profile
Gunnar Tryggmo
Associate Member
Painter, Sweden

 

 

Born in 1969 and raised in Sjöabro, a scenic spot deep in the middle of the forest in Småland, which is a province in southern Sweden. The forest’s diversity of animals and birds caught my interest early on and became a natural source of inspiration. I shared this artistic interest with my uncle, who encouraged me from a young age, and it was he who took me to my first show.

After high school I moved to Helsingborg,  a city in southern Sweden which faces Denmark, in order to study painting and drawing at Sundsgårdens college. Today I live with my family in Viken, a small village outside Helsingborg, where I practice my art. I continue to be inspired by nature and in particular by animals and birds in their natural environment, such as the Swedish landscape which ranges from the coastline to the heavily-forested interior. In 2007 I went on a safari trip to Tanzania and experienced at first hand Africa’s wildlife. This was a majestic experience that has ever since been a major inspiration in my art.

http://www.gunnartryggmo.se/

WildArt Mongolia Expedition

"American Artist Susan Fox-The WildArt Mongolia Expedition"

Susan Fox Featured at Art Event in Mongolia

On September 22, 2012 during her most recent trip to Mongolia, Society of Animal Artists Signature Member and Board Member Susan Fox was the guest of ArtiCour Gallery in Ulaanbaatar for an art event "American Artist Susan Fox-The WildArt Mongolia Expedition". She was the first artist to be featured in the Gallery's new International Visiting Artist Series. Besides providing information and answering questions about the upcoming WildArt Mongolia Expedition, Susan displayed watercolors that she had painted on location at Hustai National Park, did watercolor demos and gave a presentation in the evening about the Expedition, her paintings, a fast sketching technique and using an iPad as a sketchbook. Her talk was attended by over 30 people, many of them art students, but also some of the most prominent artists in Mongolia, whose studios she visited the next morning.

Susan is now represented in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia by ArtiCour Gallery.

 

Member Profile - Lindsay Scott

Society Of Animal Artists Member Profile

Lindsay Scott

Signature Member

Painter, New Zealand

Nationally renowned artist Lindsay Scott is acclaimed for her dynamic and precise oil paintings and her exquisitely detailed pencil drawings, all of which convey the drama and spirit of African Wildlife. With a background as an illustrator, a botanical researcher and a biologist, Scott is an avid observer of nature, and her works reflect her close study of animal life, conveying a candid sense of firsthand experience while capturing intimate emotional moments.

Having grown up in Africa at an early age I developed a deep and abiding passion for the natural world. I try in my paintings and drawings to capture what I "feel" about this wonderful place, beyond just how it looks. It has so many moods, not only the action-packed excitement, but the magic peaceful times, with magnificent creatures going about their daily lives in that vast and fascinating arena that is Africa. A constant challenge is to capture some of the essence of this awe inspiring vastness and beauty on a canvas or piece of paper. I very much regard animals as individuals and try to make my representations of them "portraits" rather than just studies of a species.

The National Museum of Wildlife Art has acquired two major paintings of Scott's for their permanent collection. Other major public collection's that include her work are the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, San Bernardino County Museum of Art and Standard Bank of South Africa. Lindsay's work has been exhibited at the Natural History Museum in London, England and been auctioned at Christie's and Sotheby's in London. Her paintings and drawings are in great demand at some of the finest Art Galleries in America and England.
 
When she is not travelling around the world in search of new subjects, Scott and her husband Brian McPhun live and work in the Matakana Valley, in New Zealand.

http://www.lindsay-scott.com/

Savvy...

Savvy Collectors, Savvy Artist, Derek Robertson

 

Last year, I exchanged a flurry of emails with Scottish wildlife painter, Derek Robertson. In the course of our discussion about the possibility of including a few of his works for an exhibition I am organizing, he pointed out to me that the works I was considering, though previously purchased and now owned by collectors, were never-the-less, all available for exhibition. In Derek's words, "Those already sold have loan agreements with purchasers."

When I read Derek's email, I almost couldn't believe my eyes. Though I've worked with wildlife artists for 35 years, I've never before experienced something like this, particularly in the U.S. or Canada. So I replied, "Could you share with me the terms of your loan agreements with your purchasers. That is something I would like to recommend to other artists." 

Derek's response: "The agreement I have is informal: An email exchange agreeing a loan period of up to a year should I need it and an offer to lend a painting or print of similar size to fill the space on their wall in return." To which he added, "Although I would have to credit my wife who is good at making me get organised....she now works for the Tate Galleries whose curatorial staff seem to strongly share your view."

A former museum man myself, I can understand the advice Derek's wife gave him, since collectors are sometimes unwilling to part with their purchases for museum exhibitions. In Derek's case, his collectors are to be complimented not only for their affability, but also for their wisdom and sophistication. By agreeing to lend works back for display, Derek's collectors are supporting Derek and his career. But they are also helping themselves by creating a history for the artwork they happen to own. This history, known as "provenance" among connoisseurs, imbues artworks with real added value. To appreciate this, just go to Christie's or Sotheby's or most any other reputable auction house, and you will see that they rely heavily on an artwork's individual history to establish and justify value.

Derek's savvy and the savvy of his collectors should be followed as a model by North American artists lucky enough to have their work requested for display in galleries and museums. Thank you, Derek, for sharing that with me. 

Written by,
David J. Wagner, Ph.D.
Curator/Tour Director

Member Profile - James Coe

Society Of Animal Artists Member Profile

James Coe

Signature Member, Board Member

Oil Painter, USA

Growing up in the suburbs of New York City, he was fascinated early on by the egrets and shorebirds he noticed in nearby salt marshes, and he taught himself to identify the birds he spotted around town. He began to paint as a teen when he and a friend set out to compile a guide to the local birds.

Jim went on to Harvard, where he earned a degree in biology (with the goal of becoming an ornithologist), but received little formal training in art until he attended Parson's School of Design in New York as a graduate student.

Immediately after earning his master's degree at Parson's Jim shifted gears and immersed himself in the art of field guide illustration. He contributed work to several books, including the recently reissued Easy Bird Guide: West, and Birds of New Guinea, and to Frank Gill's classic college textbook Ornithology. But he is best known as the author and illustrator of the acclaimed Golden Field Guide Eastern Birds, first published in 1994, and reissued in 2001 by St. Martin's Press.

Finally, after more than fifteen years of painting nothing but bird identification plates, each carefully rendered in watercolor and gouache, Jim stepped back across the divide into the world of 'fine' art, and he turned his attention to painting landscapes in plein air. He found that many of the skills needed to capture the fleeting light and dynamic conditions of the landscape are analogous to those he had previously developed for sketching an active bird as it foraged or preened. Both rely on careful observation, practiced visual memory, speed, and instinct. But the vigor and physical energy that it takes to dash a quick field study in oil paints were new to Jim's work at that time, and they clearly helped shape his approach to painting.

James was Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum's prestigious "Birds in Art" 2011 32nd Master Wildlife Artist. Jim also shows in most of the annual exhibitions hosted by the Bennington Center for the Arts; in 2009 he was the grand prize winner of their inaugural Laumeister Fine Art Competition. And in the fall of 2011, his membership status with the prestigious Oil Painters of America was promoted to Signature Member.

http://jamescoe.com/

Sea of Cortez Exhibition

SEA OF CORTEZ EXHIBITION

March 16 - June 2, 2013

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Art Institute

Tucson, Arizonia

Thirty American artists from throughout the U.S. who participated in a field trip to San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico, in 2011 to produce a body of work for a museum exhibition entitled The Sea of Cortez, will have their work displayed at The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Art Institute from March 16 through June 2, 2013.   Participating artists include: Linda Bittner, Carel Pieter Brest van Kempen, DeVere Burt, Andrew Denman, Kim Diment, Kim Duffek, Cathy Ferrell, Susan Fisher (who also serves as Director of The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Art Institute), Susan Fox, Mary Garrish, Ann Geise, Shawn Gould, Mary Helsaple, Heiner Hertling, John Kobald, Molly Moore, Deian Moore, John Pitcher, Don Rambadt, Paul Rhymer, Rebecca Richman, Carolyn Thome, Christine Sarazin, Rachelle Siegrist, Wes Siegrist, Martha Thompson, Sue Westin, Ronnie Williford, Nicholas Wilson, and John Agnew, who had to withdraw from the field trip for medical attention, but will still exhibit in the exhibit.
 
The Sea of Cortez field trip was organized by David J. Wagner, L.L.C.  Leading the field trip was Richard C. Brusca, Ph.D., who serves as a member of the Science Faculty at the University of Arizona.  Recently retired from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum where he directed the ASDM Press and served as ASDM Senior Director of Conservation & Science, Dr. Brusca is widely recognized as a leading authority on Sea of Cortez studies. Field Trip ground transportation was made possible by The Susan Kathleen Black Foundation while boat transportation was provided by Glenn and Martha Thompson.  
 
The Sea of Cortez exhibition will include plein air paintings, botanical illustrations, field sketches, wildlife paintings and sculptures, photographs, and other media including casts of Sonoran wildlife tracks. Serving as Curator for the exhibition is David J. Wagner, Ph.D.
 
The sea is central to its mission of The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Art Institute, as explained on its Sonoran Desert Studies webpage: "the Sea of Cortez divides the land portion of the Sonoran Desert into two halves, the Baja California Peninsula on the west, and the states of Arizona and Sonora [Mexico] to the east . . . The coast of The Sea of Cortez (also known as the Gulf of California) is characterized by 300 estuaries and other wetlands . . . a unique ecosystem that is home to a rich community of plant and animal life. They are key components of the Gulf's marine food web, generating primary production and releasing nutrients to the sea, and serving as breeding and nursery grounds for numerous fish, invertebrate, and bird species, and even some marine mammals and reptiles."  
 
The Sea of Cortez exhibition will focus on the flora and fauna that inhabit the environments around San Carlos, Mexico, including the sea's incredible marine life, the region's desert topography, the Estero el Soldado mangroves (one of the most pristine lagoons left in the Gulf), Nacapule Canyon, and scenic overlooks such as Mirador with sweeping vistas, sheer cliffs and the sea below.

 

Christina Penescu - Member Profile

Society Of Animal Artists Member Profile

Christina Penescu

Signature Member

Scratchboard, USA

Christina Penescu was born in Bucharest, Romania, 1988. Her family relocated to California when Christina was a year old. Since early childhood, her passion for art and nature was very apparent. As a child she loved to collect books about animals and spend her time outside in nature. Cristina has experimented with a variety of mediums and styles and recently has made the transition to realistic wildlife art, which she feels has always been her true calling in life. She enjoys painting a wide variety of wildlife subjects, however wild canids, especially wolves, hold a special place in her heart and have been a recurring theme in her art since childhood. Cristina is has had no formal training and is a self-educated artist. She has experience working in a variety of mediums, however she prefers acrylic and scratchboard. Her artwork is very detail oriented and she aims to bring the viewer an up close, intimate look at nature. She hopes to inspire the world through her depictions of the natural beauty around us. Cristina is currently at the beginning of her career as a wildlife fine artist but has already begun to carve a niche for herself in the field. She recently was accepted as a Signature Member of the world-renowned Society of Animal Artists. Cristina is also a member of Artists for Conservation and the Marwell International Wildlife Art Society.

Pokey Park - Member Profile

Society Of Animal Artists Member Profile

Pokey Park

Associate Member

Sculptor, USA

Pokey Park (Marie Whittle-Webb Park) was born and spent her formative years in Coastal Georgia. Pokey's earliest memories are the play of light and shadow in the live oak forest, the designs in driftwood and shells, the patterns created by wind and tide, the dance of wild animals, the flight of birds, and the force of storms. Those early impressions have greatly influenced her art and life.

Pokey spent 33 years in the Pennsylvania countryside and the Massachusetts Coast, sailing waters from Chesapeake Bay to Nova Scotia all the while studying plants and wildlife, drawing and creating sculptures from those images. She has traveled the far reaches of the earth and loves most to embrace things that radiate honesty, kindness, and openness. As a transformer of energy, Pokey captures the essence of life forces in her bronze sculptures.

She has a BFA from the University of Georgia where she first experimented with bronze casting under Leonard DeLonga. She also works in clay, wood and stone. Pokey taught art to both adults and children when she lived on the East Coast. She now divides her time between Tucson, Arizona and Ridgway, Colorado. Her work ranges in scale from a few inches to more than ten feet and has been enlarged or downsized for site specific commissions. Pokey has public installations in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and her work is in private collections across the United States.

Walt Matia - Member Profile

Society Of Animal Artists Member Profile

Walt Matia

Master Distinguished Signature Member

Sculptor, USA

Walter Matia was educated at Williams College in Massachusetts, where he earned degrees in Biology and Art Design. Much of his training was attained during a long apprenticeship in the Exhibits Department of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

After leaving the Cleveland Museum, Walter worked for eleven years with the Nature Conservancy, a national non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of endangered species and unique habitats. He served as the organization’s vice president in charge of land management.

He began casting bronze sculptures in 1980. Initially, he concentrated on bird life, over the years he has worked on sporting dogs and other mammals. In 1987 he began a series of large fountain and garden pieces. In 1989 the Blair House Restoration Committee placed one of his fountains in the formal garden of the United States President’s Guest House. To complement the fountain, Walter produced a bronze wall frieze for the Blair House in 1992.

His works have been exhibited and purchased by many prestigious museum, corporate and private collections. A very impressive list can be found on his website.

He is a Master Artist with SAA meaning he has won 5 or more Awards of Excellence and a past Master of BIRDS IN ART at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum of Wausau

You can read more about him and see more of his work on his website www.waltmatia.com

Mort Solberg - Member Profile

Society Of Animal Artists Member Profile

Mort Solberg

Master Signature Member

Painter, USA

Morten E. Solberg is an artist's artist. He is versatile in all mediums. He paints in oil, acrylic and watercolor and his techniques range from photo-realism to total abstraction. Years of pursuing his craft via design studios and commercial art brought Mort to the West.

Mort attended The Cleveland Institute Of Art studying painting and design. He shed his commercial ties and concentrated on fine art and has been painting full time since 1970. After moving to Southern California's Orange County in 1968, he firmly established himself in the art world with memberships in the American Watercolor Society, the National Watercolor Society, the Society of Animal Artists, Wildlife Artists of the World, Knickerbocker Artists and the Society of Master Impressionists, as a lifetime Master member.

Awards and inclusions in prestigious collections followed. His paintings have graced the covers of numerous magazines, and he has been featured in American Artist, Wildlife Art News, Art West, Watercolor, Sports Afield, Sporting Classic, Southwest Art and Orange County Illustrated. In 1986, American Artist chose Mort as their "Artist of the Year". His accomplishments have earned him listings in Who's Who International Biographies, Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Art, and Who's Who in the West. In 1993, Mort was elected to U.S. Art Magazines "Artist Hall of Fame". In 2001 Wildlife Art Magazine established Mort as a "Master Artist". Mort's work has been published as limited edition prints since 1977.

Mort's work has taken top awards in many of the exhibitions he has entered, including the American Watercolor Society, the National Watercolor, the Society of Animal Artists and the Arts For The Parks Grand Prize of $25,000 and Gold Medal. His work is represented in many collections including the Smithsonian Institution, National Gallery of Art, National Academy of Design, The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Museum Of Art, The Dunnegan Museum Of Art, The National World Museum Of Environmental Art, American Artist Magazine, Wildlife Art Magazine, National Parks Academy For The Arts and many private and public collections.

Kent Ullberg - Member Profile

Society Of Animal Artists Member Profile

Kent Ullberg

Master Signature Member

Bronze and Steel Sculpture, USA

A native of Sweden, Kent Ullberg is recognized as one of world's foremost wildlife sculptors. He studied at the Swedish University College of Art in Stockholm. He also worked at museums in Germany, the Netherlands and France. He was curator at the Botswana National Museum and Gallery and in the U.S. at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. He has made his home permanently in the United
 States where he now lives on Padre Island, Corpus Christi, TX. He also maintains a studio in Loveland, Colorado.

Ullberg is a member of numerous important art organizations that have honored him with many prestigious awards. These include, in New York: the Allied Artists of America; the National Arts Club, the National Sculpture Society; and the Society of Animal Artists. In 1990 his peers elected him a full Academician (NA), thus making him the first wildlife artist since John James Audubon to receive one of the greatest tributes in American art. His memberships outside New York include: the American Society of Marine Artists; Nature in Art, in Sandhurst, UK; and the National Academy of Western Art in Oklahoma City, OK which awarded him the Prix de West, the foremost recognition in western art.

He is best known for the monumental works he has executed for museums and municipalities from Stockholm, Sweden, to Cape Town, S. Africa. His Fort Lauderdale, FL and Omaha, NE installations are the largest wildlife bronze compositions ever done, spanning several city blocks.

John Seerey-Lester - Member Profile

Society Of Animal Artists Member Profile

John Seerey-Lester

Signature Member

Oil and Acrylic Painter, USA

World-renowned artist John Seerey-Lester was born in Manchester, England, where he grew up with a sketchbook in hand. Receiving his first commission at the early age of 13, John became a professional artist in 1974. For some ten years prior to this, John was a journalist, freelance writer, editor of several magazines and worked in advertising and public relations in both the private sector and local government in the UK. Before painting wildlife, John painted figurative works and portraiture, which he still undertakes. On his travels to different parts of the world, he continues to do figurative work between his wildlife paintings.

John has received many awards and much recognition for his outstanding achievements in the field of wildlife art. He was presented to His Royal Highness Prince Phillip and was commended for his work in conservation. He has been chosen to exhibit works in the prestigious Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum's "Birds in Art" and "Wildlife: An Artist's View" shows each year since 1983, and his paintings are in their permanent collection. He has also displayed in several other museums such as the Gilcrease Museum , the National Museum of Wildlife Art, and in many other permanent collections such as Bennington Center for the Arts and Nature in Art Museum. He is a member of Oil Painters of America and is the Artist of the Year at the Southeastern Wildlife Expo in Charleston for 2004.

Recently John has become well recognized for his paintings depicting historical hunting scenes. A book entitled LEGENDS OF THE HUNT feature this series of paintings.

Robert Glenn - Member Profile

Society Of Animal Artists Member Profile

Robert Glenn

Signature Member

Bronze Sculpture, Tanzania

Robert Glenn was born in Kenya in 1940 and his interest in art and natural history formed at an early age. A fascination with birds and all living things led him to the Nairobi Museum of Natural History. It was at the museum where he met the curator of ornithology, John Williams and quickly established a long and enduring friendship that greatly influenced his life’s work.

At the age of 14, Glen was invited to serve as an expedition assistant to Mr. Williams, collecting research specimens of birds for European museums. Two years later, he was accepted to serve a three-year apprenticeship in the renowned taxidermy studio of Coloman Jonas in Denver, Colorado. It was here that his interest in sculpture and design took hold. Returning home, Robert began a transition from taxidermy to sculpting animals in the European tradition of Animaliers, working in various media before casting his first bronze in 1970.

Rob's work has met with great success worldwide and is represented in many private collections, including her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, His Highness the Aga Khan and the late Kenyan President Jomo Kenyatta. He has had many solo exhibits all over the world.

Glen’s public commissions include one of Texas’ proudest monuments and one of the largest equestrian sculptures in the world, the Mustangs of Las Colinas in Irving, Texas.

Today, Rob continues to work out of his simple camp studio, where he has lived for the past fifteen years with his partner, the accomplished painter Sue Stolberger. Together Sue and Robert inspire each other's work as well as their passion for natural history, ecology and conservation.

Our highest award!

Award of Excellence

The Society of Animal Artists highest award!

The highest honor presented by the Society of Animal Artists, it is awarded to those pieces judged to represent the highest standards of artistic excellence.

The jurors for the Awards of Excellence are chosen by the venue which is hosting the the exhibition. Their proposed list is submitted to the SAA board for approval.

Therefore, while the selection of the work that will be in the show is done "in house" by SAA members who are asked to serve by the Jury Committee, the awards are given by a different set of non-member jurors every year and include museum directors and curators, gallery owners and other qualified individuals.

The judges are asked to select a minimum of six (6) recipients for this award - and no more than ten (10).
Work is to be selected on the following criteria: A. Creativity B. Design and Composition C. Demonstrated Mastery of Medium. Subject matter should NOT be a factor in determining the excellence of the ART.

The Awards are given as medallions with the artist's name and date engraved on the back.

Call to Artists! America's Parks

Call to Artists!

AMERICA'S PARKS Through The Beauty of Art 

Entries Must Be Postmarked by October 15

AMERICA'S PARKS Through the Beauty of Art is an exhibition competition open to all artists, the purpose of which is to recognize and promote excellence in original artworks depicting any North American park (national, state, provincial, county, city) in Canada, Mexico and The United States. Selections will be made by a professional jury consisting of: M. Stephen Doherty, Editor, PleinAir™ Magazine; Susan T. Fisher, American Society of Botanical Artists Past President and Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Art Institute Director; and Todd Wilkinson, Managing Editor, Wildlife Art Journal.

The 2013 inaugural exhibition of AMERICA'S PARKS Through the Beauty of Art is scheduled as the first of three, with others to follow in 2014 and 2015. The 2013 inaugural exhibition will premiere in Bolivar, Missouri from March 17 - April 14, 2013 at The Ella Carothers Dunnegan Gallery of Art. The Dunnegan is a noteworthy museum that has hosted such notable traveling museum exhibitions as Art and the Animal of The Society of Animal Artists, Blossom ~ Art of Flowers sponsored by The Susan K. Black Foundation, Exquisite Miniatures by Wes and Rachelle Siegrist, and Paws and Reflect: Art of Canines, all of which have toured under the auspices of David J. Wagner, L.L.C. The Dunnegan has also had a tradition of hosting park art exhibits, notably, ARTS FOR THE PARKS. Coincidentally, David J. Wagner proposed the very first tour of the ARTS FOR THE PARKS exhibition, served as a Juror for that exhibit, managed the ARTS FOR THE PARKS tour for its first five years (1988-93), and served on the Advisory Board of its parent organization, the National Park Art Academy. AMERICA'S PARKS Through the Beauty of Art is an entirely new initiative, produced by David J. Wagner, L.L.C.

Original artworks depicting subject matter found in any national, state, provincial, county, or city park, or any park of any other such unit in Canada, Mexico, and The United States is eligible. Original, two-dimensional art completed in 2010, '11, or '12 is eligible. Eligible media includes: oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, mixed media, pastel, pencil, pen and ink, tempera, batik, alkyd, scratchboard, and original prints (e.g., lithograph, etching, engraving, serigraph). Ineligible media includes: any media not listed above such as computer enhanced or generated artwork, photography, reproduction prints, sculpture, video. Not including frame or mat, the maximum size for entered artworks is 900 square inches. Calculate by multiplying the horizontal and vertical dimensions. Example: A 30" x 30" painting would equal 900 square inches. Entries must be postmarked by October 15, 2012.

Awards include: America's Parks Curator's Choice Award, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Juror's Choice Award, PleinAir™ Magazine Juror's Choice Award, Society of Animal Artist's Wildlife Art Award, Susan Kathleen Black Foundation Floral Art Award, Wildlife Art Journal Juror's Choice Award.

For a Prospectus (Entry Form) email: americasparksartexhibit@yahoo.com

Visit: http://davidjwagnerllc.com/competitions.html 

Or by clicking here.

Book Signing at the Art and the Animal reception

American Wildlife Art

Book signing!

Friday, October 5, 2012

The Society of Animal Artists

52nd Annual Exhibition Artists’ Reception

The Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum

Oradell, NJ

David J. Wagner, Ph.D., will autograph copies of his book, AMERICAN WILDLIFE ART,  at the Friday, October 5 Reception for the 52nd Annual Exhibition of The Society of Animal Artists at The Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum.   Proceeds will benefit The Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum thanks to a generous donation by The Susan Kathleen Black Foundation.

American Wildlife Art...
Bookshelves abound with accounts of wildlife artists and their artistry, but no book is truly comparable to American Wildlife Art. In American Wildlife Art, scholar David J. Wagner, tells the story of this popular genre’s history, shaped by four centuries of cultural events and aesthetic and ideological trends, from its beginnings in colonial times to the monumental works of the present day. In his insightful accounts of the artists, events, and trends at the heart of this uniquely American art form, Wagner explains how the aesthetic idioms and imagery of American wildlife art have evolved, how its ecological ideologies have changed with changing circumstances and ideas about animals and their habitats, and how artists and entrepreneurs developed and influenced the market for wildlife art.

Wagner’s history begins with the works of John White and Mark Catesby, artists who documented the flora and fauna of the New World and presented Europeans with a view of both the economic potential and the natural wonders of the then sparsely settled continent. After the American Revolution, as the new nation grew, artists such as Alexander Wilson and especially John James Audubon caused the course of American wildlife art history to turn and advance, setting the stage for Arthur Tait’s collaboration with Currier & Ives, which brought wildlife art to the masses,  and the work of Edward Kemeys, whose impressionistic sculpture captured the essence of disappearing wildlife like the wolf and buffalo at the same time that prominent Americans like John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt promoted wilderness preservation and the ethics of sportsmanship. As Wagner’s narrative moves to the twentieth century and beyond, it embraces in revealing detail the lives of artists Louis Agassiz Fuertes and Carl Rungius, painters who were among the most influential wildlife artists of their time. Wagner’s account concludes with portraits of recent and contemporary wildlife artists such as Ray Harm, Robert Bateman, Bob Kuhn, Roger Tory Peterson, Stanley Meltzoff, and Kent Ullberg—artists whose work at once departs from and embodies the legacies, traditions, and innovations that informed and preceded it.

Through a rich array of illustrations and its incisive text, American Wildlife Art will appeal to collectors, conservationists, and artists—to everyone who already enjoys wildlife art or who is learning about it for the first time. Wagner’s authoritative and even-handed prose brings this compelling art form to life, reminding us of the treasures found on America’s wild lands.

David J. Wagner...
David Wagner joined the Society of Animal Artists as Tour Director in 1987. He served as Director of the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum from 1977 to 1987.  David has also served as Curator of the Society of Animal Artists sculpture courtyard at National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. from 2002 - 2007.  He earned a Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota and wrote his award-winning, two-volume dissertation on wildlife art prints.

   

Julie Bender - Member Profile

Society Of Animal Artists Member Profile

Julie Bender

Signature Member

Pyrography, USA

An artist-at-heart as a child and through college, Julie Bender earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1980. However, it wasn’t until 2002 that she serendipitously stumbled across the art of pyrography. Self-taught in this medium, her strong passion for it is now matched by the accurate and artful portrayal of her subjects.

Her fiery depiction of nature and wildlife makes an uncommon departure from that of conventional paintings. However, Julie proudly aligns herself with such artists and continues to break ceilings in a world of fine art that is steeped in tradition and normally reserved for those who engage in more commonly universal media – the same world that now readily extends her invitations into prestigious shows and exhibitions.

Julie's work is regularly accepted into Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum's BIRDS IN ART and our annual juried show ART AND THE ANIMAL in which she has received several awards. Her work has hung in many museums and she has been featured in many books and magazines including Western Art Collector Magazine , SPORTING CLASSICS, Southwest Art Magazine and Horses in Art magazine.

To Learn more about Julie and her e work please visit www.juliebender.com

   

SAA artist Greg McHuron passes

Society of Animal Artists

Signature artist 

Greg McHuron 

 Passes away at age of 66

Greg McHuron at his easel

American painter Greg McHuron passed away Tuesday July 24, 2012 at his home in Jackson Hole , Wyoming.

“Painting oils and watercolor/gouache en plein-aire for the past 35 years, I am inspired by and able to distill my passion for nature in a direct and personal manner by painting my emotional response to the WOW that I see as I watch scenes unfold.  People have said that they are immediately struck by my strong sense of design--then, the interesting color combinations, juxtapositions, and light and dark patterns.  The common thread in all my work is that I was THERE - that I have experienced what I turn my brush to.  I paint the west from Alaska (above the Arctic Circle) to the southwest doing whatever it takes to get the painting - standing in rivers, on the edge of cliffs, in a bobbing raft down the Grand Canyon or on a ship along the coast up to Alaska, riding horseback into wilderness areas, or accidentaly finding myself in the middle of a buffalo stampede.”
-Greg McHuron

From Greg’s website, please visit www.mchuronstudio.com to read more about Greg and his work.

"Mussel Lion Haul Out"

Oil, 48" x 54" 

“The artist had courageously battled two bouts of illness and in between created some of his most inspiring work. He was 66. Our thoughts are with his wife, Linda, and family. A look at Greg's career will appear here in the days to come."

- Wildlife Art Journal

"Sentinels"

Watercolor/gouache, 9" x 12"

“Much of McHuron’s work was shown and sold through Trailside Galleries in Jackson. Managing partner of the gallery, Maryvonne Leshe, spoke with JH Weekly only minutes after learning of McHuron’s passing.” 

“I remember the first time I ever met Greg,” Leshe recalled. “I was out driving around, looking at the scenery and saw in the distance a man in a hat in front of an easel painting the Cathedral Group. I stopped and got out and stood behind him for quite a while. He knew someone was there but he never turned around. He continued to work, ignoring me. Finally, I stepped up beside him and told him it was a beautiful painting. ‘Thanks,’ he muttered gruffly without ever looking up.”

-By Jake Nichols, JH Weekly
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"Early Walkabout"

Oil, 24 x 36 

To learn more about Greg and his work please visit www.mchuronstudio.com

    

Gary Staab - Member Profile

Society Of Animal Artists Member Profile

Gary Staab

Signature Member

Multi Media Sculptor, USA

Gary Staab produces natural history and prehistoric life models for museums, publishing and film. Gary worked to create the first exact 3D replica of King Tut’s mummy based on a translation of the latest CT scans and scientific data. The replica went on display for the first time as part the New York City presentation of 
Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs in 2011.

Staab’s recreations and sculptures embellish the halls of the Smithsonian, the British Museum of Natural History, the America Museum of Natural History, The BBC and many others. His work has also been featured on the Discovery Channel, in National Geographic Magazine and Dorling Kindersley Publishers. He has been the recipient of the prestigious John Lanzendorf Paleoart award for sculpture, presented by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, four times. Staab earned a degree in Art/Biology at Hastings College and interned at the Smithsonian Institution and the British Museum of Natural History. His work and eclectic studio demonstrate a flare and passion for natural forms both past and present. He was employed by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in Colorado as a sculptor for seven years (where he still holds a research associate position). Staab has also worked for the past 14 years as a freelance sculptor for such institutions as: The National Geographic Society, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Miami Science Museum among many others.

To learn more about Gary Staab please visit www.staabstudios.com