Stepping Out

Collector's Focus: Landscapes

Introduction by John O’Hern

David Wagoner wrote elegantly about the living forest in his poem Lost.

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here, And you must treat it as a powerful stranger, Must ask permission to know it and be known. The forest breathes. Listen. It answers, I have made this place around you. If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here. No two trees are the same to Raven. No two branches are the same to Wren. If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you, You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows Where you are. You must let it find you.

Claggett/Rey Gallery, Spring Renewal, oil, 30 x 36”, by Josh Elliott.

Eric Aho speaks of his “purposeful drifting” in a boat on a pond contemplating the forest on the shore and the energetic connection, the “synapse,” between them. “Standing before a canvas,” he says, “like standing in the woods, as it turns out, is much the same. It takes a moment for the eye to adjust to less light in the forest as much as it does to quiet the mind. Is this what Whitman meant by ‘unminding’—to just look without disturbance?”

His 90-by-80-inch canvas, Pond, is composed of rich, broad, gestural brushstrokes that suggest the impenetrable mystery of the forest. Henry Miller wrote, “We live at the edge of the miraculous.” The forest invites participation in its mysteries, letting it find you.

Thomas Paquette entered Millay’s woods allowing his “eye to adjust to the less light” as Aho comments. The woods are part of the estate of the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay in the Hudson Valley. He comments, “I was a resident at the Millay Colony, and besides all the work I had finished on site, there remained this one composition I have wanted to paint since then: A crisp early morning in fall, with the sun sifting warmly through the maple woods. I thought it would require a large canvas, but in the end and after a number of sessions, I felt I found the sense of place and moment that I was after on this small 9-by-12-inch panel.”

Top: Gross McCleaf Gallery, Millay’s Woods, oil on panel, 9 x 12”, by Thomas Paquette; Tayloe Piggott Gallery, Pond, oil on linen, 90 x 80”, by Eric Aho. Center: Principle Gallery, Allegrandia, oil on linen, 14 x 60”, by Gilbert Gorski. Bottom: Cathy Carey, Being in the Flow, oil, 36 x 48”; Claggett/Rey Gallery, Orchard Gate, Varian Ranch, pastel, 16 x 20”, by W. Truman Hosner.

He comments on his experience of trees: “It’s all about looking. What we see every day becomes invisible. Sometimes a glint of light or the shape of a tree catches your eye and connects you more deeply to the environment. I try to put in my paintings that nuance that other people may not see. I try to make sure they have that experience.”

Gilbert Gorski is an architect interested in the nature of man-made space. “Woods and forests,” he says, “serve as a vehicle for exploring the patterns and infinite labyrinth of nature-made space.”

Cathy Carey, Glowing Along the River, oil, 24 x 30”

His 14-by-60-inch painting, Allegrandia, is a celebration of paint as are the works by Aho and Paquette. As with all their paintings, his need to be experienced in the flesh, as it were. Their texture of pointillist dots of paint—which echoes the pixels of digital images yet is diminished in digital reproductions—rewards in person viewing.

Gorski, too, relishes the mystery and discovery of the life of the forest. “A few years ago,” he relates, “I came upon some books which confirm that trees, particularly in wooded settings, communicate with one another through root systems and fungus. I spend a lot of time walking in the woods as a living, thinking, interconnected system, perhaps not unlike the human mind. Most of [my] work investigates that perception-that not unlike the mind, woods are self-contained interiors, while at the same time, infinite in scale and complexity.”

Claggett/Rey Gallery, Evening Song, oil, 32 x 45”, by John Taft.

Throughout the pages of this special section, you’ll hear even more insights from galleries and artists on the genre of landscape painting. Keep reading to also receive feedback on establishing or continuing a collection.

Artist Deladier Almeida, represented by Blue Rain Gallery, paints landscapes inspired by his love of California, Tuscany and the Southwest. “His approach is defined by a rich palette, distinct brushwork and well-defined shadows,” explains Denise Phetteplace, Blue Rain Gallery executive director. “Often painting from an aerial perspective, his paintings capture the sense of traveling over the earth, geometric shapes of productive land passing in a mesmerizing array of shapes and colors. The images beautifully manipulate perspective, presenting us with compositions that pulse with life. When painting from lower points of elevation, Almeida is able to focus on smaller pieces of land or more specific formations, often bringing the viewer straight into the painting. Almeida is an important part of our stable of landscape painters and a standout among his contemporaries.”

Blue Rain Gallery, Morning Shadows, oil on canvas, 24 x 48”, by Deladier Almeida.

When looking to acquire a landscape painting, Phetteplace says to “recognize that collectors have many choices. It’s important to look for both refinement and innovation—as well as a style of landscape painting that suits your aesthetic sensibilities.”

Cathy Carey uses vibrant colors in natural settings to tell stories of the joy found in the natural world. “My primary goal is to engage viewers through color and brush strokes, and express the rejuvenating connection I feel with nature,” she shares. “I paint the joyous life energy that pulses in nature.” Pictured here are three fine examples of the artist’s expressive use of color and whimsical approach to landscape painting: Being in the Flow, Glowing Along the River and A View Forever. Find Carey’s work at InArt Gallery of Santa Fe, where she will be featuring her work this September.

Laura Pollak, Rest Stop, pastel, 12 x 9”

Carey also notes that the best way to build an art collection is to “pay attention to how a painting makes you feel and move forward on the ones that speak to you. I consider my paintings as an energy that collectors will spend their lives with, and develop a relationship. I want to ensure my paintings promote a positive frame of mind and will be good companions.”

A great admirer of Monet and Fechin, artist Barbara Cleary says, “I try to push the color (and some of the principals involved in color theory) in the direction that I think these artists might have if they were still painting today.” Cleary’s vibrant work certainly speaks for itself, as her varied and expansive collection of paintings transport viewers to a world of beauty and serenity. Her most prized and sought after Southwestern paintings, with their rich hues and intricate details, transport us to the heart of the desert, where the spirit of the land comes alive.

Blue Rain Gallery, Dusk Harmony, oil on canvas, 24 x 34”, by Deladier Almeida.

Cleary’s work is now held in many private and corporate collections throughout the United States, and has been acquired by five museums since her passing. Now a rare opportunity, select artwork has been made available for sale, with limited edition prints published on a semi-annual basis.

“One of the simple pleasures in life is immersing yourself in a magnificent landscape painting,” says Claggett/Rey Gallery owner Maggie DeDecker. “The details that present themselves—like a stroke of unexpected color clandestinely drawing your eye or a small figure giving the scene scale, these expressions can only be discovered if you can pause, gazing for an unmeasured amount of time. My husband Bill refers to this as ‘slow looking.’ Whether it’s a small vignette or a work of grand scale, these creations draw you in to the environment at a particular moment in time, presenting seasonal changes from a specific viewpoint—be it a bucolic vista or the rugged mountain terrain. We are honored that masters of their environments—like that of Josh Elliott, W. Truman Hosner and John Taft—have shared their transporting visions with us, and we would love to share them with you.”

Lynden Cowan, Secluded Pond, oil on canvas, 24 x 36”

Artist Mark Bowles, represented by Canyon Road Contemporary says, “People ask how I paint. I address the canvas directly, with a huge amount of trust that my intuitive inner artist will guide me. My heart pushes my work to find new ways of expressing what I see and how I feel about it. In effect, it’s the language of my soul. I try not to limit myself in what I paint or how I interpret what I see.” Whether working with a still life, the human figure or a landscape, Bowles’ immediate translation of that experience into texture, form and color expresses how he feels about what he’s seeing. “That translation, never predetermined, allows my work to move from direct representation to minimalism to abstraction and therefore, is ever-changing and personally challenging,” he says. “Each painting inspires the next response and the next interpretation. That is how my work stays fresh.”

Cathy Carey, A View Forever, oil, 30 x 40”

As a young girl, the day after school was let out each year, artist Lynden Cowan was sent to her grandmother’s home in rural Nova Scotia to help her every morning with the cabins she had put in after the government built a highway right through the middle of the family homestead. “By 10 a.m. I was free and roamed the woods and the beach area with my cousin,” Cowan shares of her early inspiration for scenes like Secluded Pond, pictured here. “This piece…is a scene from the Snively Reserve, which is a large wetland in the north west part of Oak Ridges in Richmond Hill and very difficult to access on foot, but when you are able to reach this area, you are one with nature and the nearby cities fade away.”

When collecting, Cowan believes that “art should be purchased because it ‘speaks’ to you, the viewer, not just for sitting on the wall,” she says. “When you look at my paintings, I hope you will think of the environment we all share and do your part to help create a healthier world.”

Top: Barbara Cleary, Sky Valley Road Cloud Series, oil on canvas, 36 x 48” ; Laura Pollak, Rushing Home, pastel, 16 x 20”. Center: Blue Rain Gallery, Fracture, oil on canvas, 40 x 30”, by Deladier Almeida; Laura Pollak, Ancient Spires, pastel, 11 x 14” . Bottom: Dale Terbush, A Place Just for Dream’n, acrylic on canvas, 12 x 16”; Canyon Road Contemporary, View of Red Mesas, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48”, by Mark Bowles.

Laura Pollak believes that inspiration is all around. “Whether it is the way the late afternoon light glances across a landscape or a glow that emanates from inside an abstract, it is always about the light.” Her wish, through her work, is to make connections. “I approach art by recalling a memory of a special place or invoking an ethereal vision that is other worldly. Whether it be sweet memories or wistful thoughts, when I’m at the easel, I hope to ignite those visceral feelings that bond my paintings with my collectors.” Pollak’s ability to create visual magic has garnered her top awards, and gained global attention in curated shows, museums, private collections and publications worldwide.

Top: Roxy Rich, Sunset at the Villa (Gershon Bachus Vintners, Temecula), oil on Arches oil paper, 22 x 30”; Roxy Rich, Sunny Day, oil on canvas, 18 x 24”. Bottom: Canyon Road Contemporary, Soft Wind, acrylic on canvas, 55 x 48”, by Mark Bowles; Dale Terbush, Winter Soon Will Call, acrylic on panel, 10 x 8”; Canyon Road Contemporary, End of the Day, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 50”, by Mark Bowles

When looking to own original art, Pollak says, “It is important to find something that pulls you in and bridges memories and feelings, by using the magic of light and color. As you see a ‘unique’ painting for the first time, and realize you just cannot live without it, one knows that a truly original piece of art can infuse energy into the soul for a lifetime!”

Roxy Rich is a Murrieta, California-based artist working with oil and watercolor who appreciates the simple things in life. She was gaining notoriety as a stand-up comedian in Los Angeles when in 2010, a life-threatening incident left her unable to perform. In search of tranquility and wide-open spaces, she escaped to wine country and returned to painting with a focus on the romances of life found in the beauty of living things. Her artwork is alive; exuding color and motion evocative of positive thoughts and reflection.

Dale Terbush, Just for You My Love, acrylic on canvas, 12 x 24”

“My purpose is to lure observers away from the vagaries of life by inviting them to experience moments of relaxation and tranquility,” Rich shares. “Heavily influenced by Monet and Van Gogh, I feel a painting is a partial glimpse into a scene, and my paintings are incomplete without the contribution of the thoughts and perceptions of the viewer.”

Roxy Rich, Merl Vineyard (Germany), oil on canvas, 18 x 24”

Artist Dale Terbush believes that “painting, like any of the creative outlets, is the blessing and the curse of having an obsessive relationship with your inner creative. You can become consumed by the desire to create your own individual version of beauty, and hopefully, you also realize that you have been given a magical key.” For Terbush, his key is when he enters his studio, where he feels set free to explore his landscape subject matter. “Visions start to pour out from my memory, my heart and my fingers onto the canvas. I revel in the moments when I watch as the painting starts to paint itself. Seeing a brushstroke or a smudge become something else. To suddenly see a mountain in the smudge, a distant waterfall in the brushstroke, a glorious silver edge of a cloud—a multitude of things appear when you allow your imagination to take over.” —