MORGAN WEISTLING
MORGAN WEISTLING
SEPTEMBER 10 - SEPTEMBER 23, 2018 | JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING OPEN HOUSE: SEPTEMBER 15TH, FROM 4-7PM ALL PAINTINGS SOLD BY FIXED PRICE DRAW AT 6:30PM BOOK SIGNING: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH, FROM 10AM - 12PM
“The title A Brush with History can be taken a couple of ways. I have been a professional artist for 35 years and so my ‘brush’ has quite a history of experiences. But also, my brush paints a historical time period of the American frontier and it’s inhabited by the world of characters that live on from painting to painting in a shared universe of my making. The latest paintings for this show are an extension of this universe. While putting together my new book, I was reminded of the many themes that have evolved in my work. This show was born from that introspection and it touches upon the importance of family, hard work, faith and community that helped shape the West. I never stray far from looking for the beauty of life and from being inspired by light but as always, I do so with a storyteller’s heart.” Morgan Weistling
JACKSON HOLE PO BOX 1149, 130 E. BROADWAY, JACKSON, WY 83001 (307) 733.3186 | WWW.TRAILSIDEGALLERIES.COM
LUPINE HILL OIL ON LINEN 30 X 26 INCHES $34,000
“Spring brings all manner of riches with color that adorns the hills nearby. These sisters are making their way down the hill with their picks of their violet treasures. I was struck by the swath of sunlight behind the girls, backlighting them as they descended into the shadows of the late afternoon. I wanted to capture this beauty of God’s creation that only graces us for a short time in the year so that it could always be enjoyed.”
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THE FLOWERED HAT OIL ON LINEN 24 X 18 INCHES $19,000
“Josephine decorated her favorite hat with picks from the nearby fields of wildflowers. It was the centerpiece of this idea as they flow into the surrounding flowers around her. As sunlight cuts its way into the room, it illuminates the scene in a unique glow of warmth and color.”
FLOWER CROWNS OIL ON LINEN 24 X 30 INCHES $32,000
“I have a fascination with flower crowns and in this painting I chose to depict the process of making these lovely headpieces. With flowers drying above and fresh flowers before her, this artisan adds the final touch of ribbons to the crown in her hands. As with many of the paintings I did for this show, shafts of sunlight invade the space of this interior and illuminate this moment frozen in time.” 4
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HOPE OIL ON LINEN CANVAS BOARD 14 X 11 INCHES $7,200
“Wearing one of the headpieces that is depicted in the painting Flower Crowns, this young angelic girl represents the virtue of Hope.”
THE LAUNDRY HELPERS OIL ON LINEN 30 X 26 INCHES $34,000
“When I am asked why I paint this time period, it is paintings like this that can help illustrate my answer. Pioneers of the American West were not soft. Their kids were not staring at screens for hours on end. I get great satisfaction from seeing any child learn responsibility and doing their part to help their families and this painting was inspired by that thought.” 7
THE LAW OIL ON LINEN CANVAS BOARD 16 X 12 INCHES $8,200
“My respect and admiration for the peace officers of this country comes with this portrait of a frontier lawman. Face cast in shadow, he stands before us as one of the men that have served and protected our society since its beginnings. When a new town was started in the West, one of the first things they needed was someone like this fellow to uphold the law.”
THE DUCKLINGS OIL 36 X 36 INCHES $60,000
“An open door is an invitation to visitors, human or otherwise. I have had the pleasure for the past 20 years of being able to study the fascinating world of children through my paintings. In this case, a bunch of baby ducklings were met with great enthusiasm. But at its core, as is with all my paintings, I am just as interested in the light I am going to capture as I am in the story I am going to tell. For me, the light is the story here. Both child and duck were bathed in this beautiful light coming in and it washed away the incredible smell these little creatures left!” 8
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THE BLACKSMITH SHOP OIL ON LINEN 24 X 18 INCHES $19,000
“Quite literally, the town blacksmith helped forge the new American Frontier. I have a deep respect for this art form and am drawn to the ways of smithing. With his hand cranked bellows firing up the coal embers, he prepares to fashion a much needed tool for a customer. Illuminated by the bellows, I sought to portray and celebrate the skills of this much needed craftsman of the day.� 10
MORGAN WEISTLING
Morgan Weistling is nationally recognized as one of America’s top contemporary painters. Following a fourteen year career as a successful illustrator in the Hollywood movie industry, he transitioned to easel painting in 1998 and instantly began his meteoric rise in the world of fine art. He was influenced early on by his artist father, on whose lap he sat and sketched at just 19 months of age. When he was 15 he began his serious art training in the Los Angeles area at Brandes Art Institute, run by Fred Fixler who was classically trained by famed muralist Frank Reilly. It was under Fixler’s tutelage that Weistling learned to paint by studying how light and tone tell the story of form. Interviewed for an article in Art of the West magazine, Weistling recalls, “Fixler used classical methods and still taught the rigorous approach. Great draftsmanship is the root of all great art. That’s how he trained me.” Other major influences include John Singer Sargent, Anders Zorn, Nicolai Fechin, Joaquin Sorolla and illustrators of the Golden Age of Illustration. At the age of 19, Weistling was recruited right out of art school by Bacon Reneric Design, the top advertising agency in Hollywood. For the next 14 years he created movie posters with every major studio in the entertainment business. While he thrived under the challenges presented to him in the highly stressful poster industry, he looked forward to a time when he could stretch himself more artistically. Today, the two-time winner of the coveted Prix de West Purchase Award is renown for his lush narratives of early American frontier life. With his skilled draftsmanship and use of light, he has been weaving stories that have captivated collectors for more than 20 years now. A master storyteller, each painting is a narrative, as he manipulates the focus of interest with subtle suggestions and impressions of forms that allow the viewer’s imagination to fill in the details. Whether creating a masterful composition with multiple figures or a single figure setting, Weistling’s canvases evoke a more gentle, gracious time and each conveys his own personal feelings about life, family, history and shared human experiences. Morgan Weistling and his artist wife, JoAnn Peralta, have two daughters and reside in Southern California.
AWARDS • • • • • • • • • • • • •
2000 Patrons Choice award in the Masters of the American West show at the Autry Museum 2001 Prix de West award at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma. Morgan’s painting, The Dance, is in the permanent museum collection 2001 Nona Jean Hulsey Buyer’s Choice Award at the Cowboy Hall of Fame’s Prix de West 2002 Trustees Purchase Award from the Autry Museum. Morgan’s painting, The Family Trade, is in the permanent museum collection. 2007 Patron’s Choice Award from the Autry National Heritage Museum for his painting “The Quilting Bee” 2007 Artist’s Choice Award from the Autry National Heritage Museum for his painting “The Quilting Bee” 2008 Patron’s Choice Award and the Artist’s Choice Award from the Autry National Heritage Museum show “Masters of the American West” for his painting titled “The First Dance” 2008 Prix de West Purchase Award for his painting titled “Indian Stories”. This painting now is in the National Cowboy and Western Heritage permanent collection. 2010 Patron’s Choice Award from the Autry National Heritage Museum show “Masters of the American West” for his painting titled “The Country Schoolhouse 1874” 2011 Patron’s Choice Award from the Autry National Heritage Museum show “Masters of the American West” for his painting titled “Where Stories Were Told”. 2011 Collector’s Choice award at the COEUR D’ALENE ART AUCTION 2013 Patron’s Choice and Artist’s Choice award for “The Country Doctor” 2014 Master’s of the American West Purchase award “Family Traditions” 11
JACKSON HOLE PO BOX 1149, 130 E. BROADWAY, JACKSON, WY 83001 (307) 733.3186 | WWW.TRAILSIDEGALLERIES.COM