Wendell Locke Field "Introduction to an Artist's Work" 2018

WENDELL LO C KE FIELD

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December 12, 2018 - January 27, 2019 Jackson Hole Artist Reception | December 29 | 5:00–8:00pm

WENDELL LO C KE FIELD Introduction to an Artist’s Work

Jackson Hole | Scottsdale | AltamiraArt.com

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The Day I Swam with a Bear Oil on Belgium linen mounted on board | 18 x 24 inches Enquire

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Introduction to an Artist’s Work Paintings as life; life as painting. This is the palindrome by which Wendell Locke Field has spent the past three decades, working to capture the beauty he finds all around him in his adopted home of Jackson Hole. Each painting suspends a moment of appreciation and acknowledgment, a treasured scene held and honored. As only an artist can. As only Field can.

In a world obsessed with action and distinction, Field renders scenes that coalesce and cohere— a courageous stance on stillness. He paints homecomings, restoring a sense of belonging, not recognized as missed until encountered in the presence of such peace.

Born in Kalamazoo Michigan, Field grew up on a dairy farm surrounded by lakes, woods, relatives and neighbors. In this idyllic place, he learned how to channel his curiosity into stillness and observation—the essential skill of a natureoriented artist. Field considers this the “beautiful struggle” of art-making, the mission “to be when everyone wanted me to do.”

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From Michigan, he moved to Laramie to study agricultural business at the University of Wyoming. Now, he lives in a yurt at the edge of Grand Teton National Park, an enclave reminiscent of his joyful childhood.

“Living in Kelly—its soulfulness, proximity to nature and the mountains—is a huge blessing that constantly influences my work,” Field says.

The Tetons frame his days as they do his paintings: a shaping of self and aesthetic, a contouring of present and future. A sense of quiet communion pervades his compositions: unhurried snowflakes fall on freshly-chopped firewood, portending the crackling fires to come; a homestead of accumulated effects—classic log cabin joined by a short bus, ranch gate (no fencing), road signs, propane tank, and

satellite dish—suggests time passing calmly in pace with generations. Integrity lived but not performed.

Guided by instinct, he lets his paintbrush explore representation and abstraction in tandem. Profoundly attuned to the color, he seeks out contrast, the seams between light and dark, warm and cool, density and luminosity. Or, as his late friend David Swift remarked one day after riding his bike by Field painting en plein air: “Your paintings are a marvel, a precise looseness with real affection and a palette that nails the joyous side of local color.”

A marvel indeed. Field embodies painting as play and practice, as heart and hand; paint as material and meditation; place as subject and soul.

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Red Chair and a Green Wheelbarrow Oil on Belgium linen mounted on board | 20 x 24 inches Enquire

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The Park House Oil on Belgium linen mounted on board | 24 x 36 inches Enquire

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West of Blacktail Butte Oil on Belgium Linen mounted on board | 36 x 24 inches Enquire

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Where Vince and Mosey Lived Oil on board | 11 x 14 inches Enquire

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Toward Thomas Murphy’s Barn Oil on Belgium linen mounted on board | 18 x 24 inches Enquire

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Looking Toward Sheila’s Place Oil on Belgium linen mounted on board | 20 x 16 inches Enquire

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Folds of the Earth Oil on board | 20 x 24 inches Enquire

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The Night Pete Met Alexi Oil on board | 40 x 28 inches Enquire

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172 Center Street | Jackson, Wyoming 83001 AltamiraArt.com | 307-739-4700

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