R. Tom Gilleon and Gary Ernest Smith | New Work

R. Tom Gilleon + Gary Ernest Smith NEW WORKS

Altamira Fine Art Scottsdale

az@altamiraart.com

Altamira Fine Art Scottsdale is pleased to present new work from two leading artists, R. Tom Gilleon and Gary Ernest Smith.

Pre-sales available. Call 480-949-1256, or email az@altamiraart.com.

STATEMENTS FROM THE ARTISTS

“My interests are so varied that it’s only natural that my art is varied. The subject itself isn’t as important as the emotion it evokes. What makes a good painting is the implication of a story being told and the visual connection between shapes.” ~ R. Tom Gilleon “I am constantly watching for imagery in everyday life that inspires visual interpretation in my painting. I am drawn to bold shapes and iconic imagery that symbolically goes beyond the surface.

Whatever the subject is, I strive for a deeper meaning.” ~ Gary Ernest Smith

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

R. TOM GILLEON

ALTAMIRA FINE ART SCOTTSDALE az@altamiraart.com

Tom Gilleon’s paintings portray the spirit and enchantment of the West, his artwork grounded in the geography, history and narrative of life there.

A master of color and composition, Gilleon manipulates formal elements to depict time-honored Western themes in new and inventive ways. His trademark teepee paintings suggest a mythical glow, as if illuminated by the moon or glowing embers within.

R. Tom Gilleon was born in 1942, and raised by his grandparents in the tiny outpost of Starke, Florida, near the storied banks of the Suwannee River. Gilleon’s grandfather had immigrated to the United States from Scotland. His grandmother, a full-blooded Cherokee, was descended from a band of tribal members who refused to partake in the infamous Trail of Tears.

Gilleon has garnered many top honors for his artwork. The Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, selected Gilleon’s painting “Northern Plains” for its permanent collection. Gilleon was the featured artist for the 2009 Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival. In March 2013, his painting, “Hair Apparent,” set a record at auction. He is the first living artist to have a solo show at the C.M. Russell Museum: Let Icons Be Icons: The Art of R. Tom Gilleon, August 16-December 28, 2013.

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ABOUT THE ARTIST:

GARY ERNEST SMITH

ALTAMIRA FINE ART SCOTTSDALE az@altamiraart.com

Categorized as a neo-regionalist by historians, Smith feels his work warrants a broader interpretation.

His art often celebrates the values of hard work and self-reliance, and, more recently, the evolution of contemporary rural America. These aspects of Smith’s life are the catalyst for his distinctive style.

Gary Ernest Smith was born on a cattle ranch in Baker City, Oregon in 1942. He earned his college degrees from Brigham Young University before serving as an illustrator in the U.S. Army for two years during the Vietnam War. He has been self-employed as a full-time artist since 1972.

Smith’s work is in permanent collections including the Phoenix Art Museum; Denver Art Museum; Museum of American Art; Springville Museum of Art; Buffalo Bill Center of the West and the Desert Caballeros Western Museum. Publications include Southwest Art, Art of the West, Western Art Collector, American Art Collector and Western Art & Architecture. A book of his work, Holding Ground: The Art of Gary Ernest Smith by Donald Hagerty, was published in 1999.

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SHOW CATALOG

ALTAMIRA FINE ART SCOTTSDALE az@altamiraart.com

R. Tom Gilleon pages 10-19

Gary Ernest Smith pages 20-29

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R. TOM GILLEON

ALTAMIRA FINE ART SCOTTSDALE

R. TOM GILLEON

Blood Mountain, Oil, 16" x 16"

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R. TOM GILLEON

Going to the Sun, Oil, 32" x 24"

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R. TOM GILLEON

Innocents in a Sense, Oil on Canvas, 58″ x 58″

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R. TOM GILLEON

Kola (Friend), Oil on Canvas, 16" x 16"

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R. TOM GILLEON

Metis, Oil on Canvas, 16" x 16"

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R. TOM GILLEON

Red Otter, Oil, 16" x 16"

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R. TOM GILLEON

Skull Society, Oil, 32" x 24"

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R. TOM GILLEON

Syzygy, Oil, 40" x 40"

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R. TOM GILLEON

Two Bulls, Oil, 16" x 16"

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GARY ERNEST SMITH

ALTAMIRA FINE ART SCOTTSDALE

GARY ERNEST SMITH

Looking West, Oil, 36" x 36"

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GARY ERNEST SMITH

Alkali Desert, Oil, 16" x 36"

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GARY ERNEST SMITH

Cloud Monuments, Oil, 20" x 20"

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GARY ERNEST SMITH

Coral Sand Desert Oil, 24" x 30"

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GARY ERNEST SMITH

Desert Evening, Oil, 24" x 30"

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GARY ERNEST SMITH

Desert Sundown, Oil, 16" x 24"

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GARY ERNEST SMITH

Sage Desert, Oil, 24" x 24"

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GARY ERNEST SMITH

Wild Flowers, Oil, 20" x 24"

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GARY ERNEST SMITH

Young Wheat, Oil, 40" x 40"

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