Ron Adamson

Ron is a sculptor of wood, bronze and stone. In the late 1980s, Ron began his technique in bronze sculpting in the remote mountain area of Libby, Mont.

The casting process is very time consuming from the beginning of the sculpture to pouring the piece in bronze. In 1990 Ron Adamson built his own foundry. One of his bronze sculptures, “Honkers,” won the Best of Show sculpture award from the Celebration of Western Art show in Puyallup, Wash., and was the first sculpture to be cast in his Montana foundry.
In July 1997 a commission to sculpt a life-sized man with a guitar from the Eagles song “Take it Easy” took two years for Ron to complete. On Sept. 11, 1999, the sculpture was placed on the corner of Kinsey and Main in Winslow, Ariz.
In October 2000, the Reno Film Festival presented actor Rod Stieger with a lifetime achievement award, which was sculpted and cast by Ron Adamson. More...

Rowdy Barry

Rowdy Barry loves his jobs… all of them. 
Rowdy Barry is one of the most well recognized bullfighters in professional rodeo. He’s been selected to keep bull riders safe at the most prestigious rodeos in the United States and Canada.

Barry has been a consistent fixture at some of the best rodeos in the country. He appears annually at well-known rodeos like the Reno Rodeo in Reno, Nevada, the El Paso Rodeo in Texas, the Sisters Rodeo in Oregon and the Horse Heaven Round Up in Kennewick.
He’s also a well-respected cowboy artist, a family man and the owner of Wild R Ranch, where he hosts the Rowdy Barry Charity Ride for people ride for their favorite charity or one of the organizers’ favorites.
His love of art started at an early age when his mother would keep her son occupied with paints, pencils and crayons.
In 2006, he designed the label for the Horse Heaven Round Up Red, a special wine made for the Benton Franklin Fair and Rodeo. Each year’s vintage features one of Barry’s works.
Barry, a long-time veteran in the arena at the Sisters Rodeo, provided the poster artwork for the 2008 event. In addition, he was the commissioned artist for national Wrangler Bullfight posters from 1992-1997.
He is also an accomplished bronze sculpture artist with a knack for acting who appeared in the 2009 movie, “Did You Hear About the Morgans?” starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Hugh Grant and Sam Elliott.
He lives with his wife Laura Lee who works as Lady Wrangler and two children, daughter Clay Noel and son Miles Rowdy in Kennewick, Wash. More...

Jim Bauer

Jim has farmed all his life. Four years ago, he put the farm into the Conservation Reserve Program in the Wilbur, Wash., area and decided to try his hand at art of some sort, something he’s always wanted to do.

With having lots of old farm equipment at hand, Jim decided to try to recycle it and make it into something people could enjoy around their home and yards.
His pieces range in size from brightly painted horseshoe flowers to a windchime more than six feet tall.

Cameron A. Blagg

Cameron A. Blagg, professional artist since 1974 is an American original, he has made his living and supported his family by creating and selling his artwork for most of his adult life.

In the pioneer or mountain man spirit, Cameron and his wife Pamela live in the remote Northwest corner of Montana near Bull Lake that is between Noxon and Troy, Mont., in a cabin built by themselves.
Here in the mountains Cameron gets the inspiration he needs to create the works of art that have become his trademark. Primarily self taught, Cameron paints from the heart and to leave a legacy of paintings and prints that make the viewer feel involved with his creations.
Cameron has won numerous awards even though he shuns competition saying that he “paints because he loves to paint and tell stories with his art. Not because he wants to be better than someone else.” His artwork can be found in private collections throughout the free world. More...

Sheila Bledsoe

Growing up in Montana and taking family vacations throughout the western states gave Sheila an appreciation for the beauty of nature and all its different settings.
Deserts, mountains or prairies each hold their own appeal with varied terrain, wildlife and climates.

In 1969, when Sheila was introduced to oil painting for the first time, she realized it was a great way for her to connect with nature on an even deeper level. As she learned more about painting through classes, workshops and trial and error, Sheila realized she was noticing things she had never noticed before – seeing mountains in brushstrokes, shades of color, textures and interests.
Sheila’s paintings are realistic interpretations of what she sees and loves. She likes to portray wildlife in its natural setting and she also paints close-up portraits of wildlife.
Most of Sheila’s work is acrylic or pastel. She often chooses a media based on the subject she’s working on and how she wants it to look when finished.
Sheila paints because it makes her happy, is calming and allows her time to spend with the things she loves. In the process, she hopes her work helps others see and appreciate wildlife and the splendor of their fleeting environment as natural resources that are both fragile and irreplaceable.
She likes to think her work has a positive impact on the things she enjoys. To further that goal, Sheila is currently working on a series of children’s books that will introduce young people to wildlife and the environment in a responsible way. More...

Barbara Conner-Reed

Barbara Conner-Reed is a native of Washington state and has been painting and working in the art field for 15 years. She now lives in Okanogan, Wash., with a new studio and is much inspired by her new surroundings.
Barbara is basically self taught, but has attended workshops by Dorisjean Colvin PSA, Ned Mueller, Fred Oldfield and Judy Sleight, to name a few.

In addition, she is just finishing writing and illustrating a children’s book on dragons and hopes to see it published in 2009.
Barbara paints realistic scenes of wildlife, horses, landscapes and sunset/clouds. Her work is primarily pastels but does occasionally turn to acrylics, oils and watercolors, especially when she does some of her abstract and impressionistic work.
Recently, she has been using a technique using sand paper, with turpenoid as a melting and blending agent.
Barbara has had many one-woman shows in galleries in Seattle, is in the Chumani Gallery in Madrid, NM, been in galleries on the Oregon coast and is presently showing in Ok/Omak area businesses and institutions on a rotating basis.

Patricia T. Cooper

Patricia, a fine arts/education graduate of Washington State University, works in charcoal, pastels, pen and ink, graphite, colored pencil, watercolor, oils and mixed media.

Her artwork depicts nature, wildlife, fantasy, history and her Japanese heritage. Interest in portraying the American Civil War in her art evolved from participating in Civil War re-enactments.
Her work has been exhibited at science fiction/fantasy/historical gaming conventions in the northwest and the Western Art Show in Toppenish, Wash.

LeElla Day

LeElla Day has been a Pacific Northwest artist for many years. A native of Washington state, she had the advantage of growing up surrounded by mountains and the beauty of Washington wildlife.
Born in Omak, Wash., LeElla started drawing at an early age with the guidance and encouragement of her mother, who dabbled in art at the time.

Those early years gave her a first-hand knowledge through observation of the wildlife native to this area.
Wildlife is her first love, but she also does western art, peoples’ pets, old barns and buildings, flowers and landscapes. She chooses to use oil, pen and ink, acrylics and watercolors.
Her love of animals and her ability to capture their eyes and personality on canvas has given LeElla an edge in her perfection and mastery of animal and wildlife art.
She has been painting for more than 40 years, and her work is collected by people nationwide as well as in Canada and England.
In 2005, LeElla was the featured artist at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Turkey Federation and the N.R.A. of Snohomish County. She participated in seven shows in 2005, earning four Best of Show awards and two Reserved Best of Show awards. At the Omak Western Art Show, LeElla received the Best of Show award as well as the poster award for an oil painting titled “8 Second Winner.”
LeElla’s love of her family and life in general is reflective of her love of all things, and is illustrated in her artistic abilities. She sees everything as a potential painting or drawing.

Cheryl De Groot

Before turning full-time to her craft in 1987, Cheryl worked the usual round of artist’s day jobs – cab driver, bartender, cannery worker – but also at Tacoma Boat, first as a welder and then as a rigger.

She credits the architectural quality of her one-of-a-kind bracelets, rings and brooches to the geometry of that job, its arc of cable and crane.
The Northwest’s cloaking weather and proximity to wildness have influenced her more deeply. Cheryl was raised in a small town on Puget Sound, once lived on remote Kodiak Island and spends time every summer as a working cowgirl, in order to “ride as far as I can ride in a day..”
A cultured pearl she chooses for a ring has the shape and texture of driftwood.
Cheryl works with patinaed copper, brass, silver and mixed metals. She cuts, stamps, casts, solders and finishes meticulously by hand.
She works with husband Dick Stein, a jazz disk jockey for KPLU.
With its rolling mill, pickle pots and tool-lined walls, her workspace feels straightforwardly functional. Outside, fronting the length of the workshop lies Cheryl’s single flowerbed, the best tended in the neighborhood, and riotous with color. More...

Tina Lee Fisher

I grew up in the rural Pacific Northwest. My husband and I have raised four children here, and have watched as each new generation has moved further from the land.

Even as our ways of life and coping with the environment change, I feel we still have a lot to learn from the early settlers and farm families, from whom many of us came.
Their courage and determination is apparent in the large tracts of land worked by livestock with primitive equipment, and in the small bustling towns built only from resources at hand.
Each of my paintings requires painstaking research on the times and equipment depicted, to correctly recreate and accurately elaborate my clients’ memories of old family homesteads.
I talk to local experts, visit historical societies and gather information from the family and the site itself in service of historical accuracy.
Documentation of this era is sparse, and the memories are fading for those who experienced it first-hand.
The choice of subject matter for my paintings resonates deeply with my own experiences on farms, ranches and airfields of my childhood.
I hope my work helps preserve the personal memories of our families and neighbors, captures our strength, faith and dependence on the land and allows these experiences to be passed down more intact and alive than they might otherwise have been. More...

George Flett

George Flett is a member of the Spokane Tribe and lives on the Spokane Reservation, where his family has played a prominent role in tribal affairs for many generations.

Upon graduation from high school, he attended the Institute of American Indian Arts, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, from 1964-1966. At the Institute, George studied painting and silver smithing.
Following service in the United States Army for two years, George worked in the museum field for more than 11 years.
He considers himself a “full-time Indian Artist” since 1983, working primarily in acrylic painting, as well as embossing of papers, ledger style drawing and silver smithing. He draws his images on not only ledger pages, but also maps.
His mother, a well-known storyteller, has passed the storytelling tradition down to him. In his book, “George Flett: Ledger Art,” he passes these stories down in accurate pictographic detail and compelling visual arrangements.

Barbara Forcier

Barbara Forcier is a lifelong native of Washington state. She studied for four years at the Redmond School of Fine Arts and has taken workshops from a variety of artists.

She began selling her paintings in the early 1970s, and was one of the first participants in the Ellensburg National Western Art Show. She also has shown at the Celebration of Western Art in Olympia, Wash., Western Reflections in Richland, Wash., Western Heritage in Great Falls, Mont., and numerous smaller shows in Washington, Oregon and Montana. Her paintings are owned as far away as New Zealand.
Her maternal grandfather was an artist and her paternal grandparents came west and met on a wagon train. Thus, came her love for art and all things Western. Her oil paintings show the nostalgia of the west and the glory and the magnificence of God’s creation.

Jack Fordyce

Feel the serenity of moseying along on a horse or the painful throb from a hoof to the foot as you view western art at its best. Sometimes reflective, other times laughable, Fordyce’s serious and humorous art will touch a spot in every heart.

His art is found in galleries, on cards, t-shirts and in private collections around the country.
City life has not buried the deep passion in Jack’s heart for country living and the ways of the cowboy. Jack’s every thought somehow channels itself back to the very core of his purpose in life – to paint the realities of a cowboy.
He was selected Cartoonist of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists in 2007.
Jack is a member and past two-term vice president of Cowboy Cartoonists International as well as a member of the Academy of Western Artists. More...

Ned Fox

After teaching art for 30-plus years, Ned now has time to follow his dream as a full-time artist photographer. He’s been doing photography for more than 40 years.

With his art background it gives Ned a better understanding of what he wants to say with the image he’s painting with the camera.
Ned is currently showing in four states, and he enjoys the quest for the perfect photographic subject but hasn’t found it yet; that’s part of the fun of photography.
His favorite saying is, “The artist is not a different kind of person, rather every person is a different kind of artist.”
More...

Gabe Gabel

For 30 years Gabe Gabel’s reputation has been growing as a quality sculptor and painter. She is now known nationwide and her name has become synonymous with anatomical and historical accuracy, but mainly for the incredible feeling of life in her work.

Horsemen of all schools have marveled at her ability to recreate the power and movements of all breeds with all their individual characteristics.
Her historical and Native American sculptures reflect her lifetime interest and study. She was involved as a docent and active participant in the living history recreation at the HBC Fort Nisqually in Puget Sound.
Home is now 30 acres of North Idaho meadow and forest where the family stock co-exists nicely with most of the plentiful wildlife. Much of the land is given to habitat diversity. Her husband, Emmette Jorden, is an elder on a council of the Texas Cherokee.
She prefers to keep her edition size as limited as possible – usually only 20 are released for sale – and the single artist’s proof always remains in her family’s private collection. She does not do partial casts or multiple sizes of her work. Her work is cast by quality foundries who stand behind their work. More...

John Geis

John was born in Winchester, Idaho, in this century but his sculpture in bronze depicts a lifestyle far removed from modern times. It is the lifestyle in which he grew up.

When he was still a young boy in the 1950s, he moved with his parents to a ranch on the breaks of the Snake and Grand Ronde Rivers.
His closest neighbor was five miles away. There was no electricity and the land was still lonely and wild. All labor depended on the muscle and skill of horse and man. John fell in love with this simpler life of yesterday.
His imagination absorbed tales the wranglers told of gunfights, horse stealing and moonshiners while he rode with them through history’s terrain.
“It takes a day’s horseback ride to get to these places,” John reflected, “so there are not a million other people there. You get the feeling it all might have happened yesterday!”
His bronze sculpture is a way for him of preserving this true history and passing it on for others to understand and enjoy.
All his work has been taken from personal experience or from history of the land he has personally covered. He considers himself a storyteller in bronze.
His stories in bronze mirror a keen sense of humor and a knack of observing the often poignant interaction between man, animal and circumstance. Independence of man,, and sometimes animal, is a recurring theme in his work.
John is patiently perfecting techniques to present his complicated story ideas. He has enough experiences he wants to chronicle through his art to last a lifetime.
His own independent lifestyle and firsthand knowledge of the “not-so-old West” inspire their recreation in his bronzes.

Cheryl Grunlose

Some of the best ledger art was done in 1820-1890 by the Plains Indians; today there are books that document ledger art from the plateau where I am from, including “I Will Tell of My War Story: A Pictorial Account of the Nez Perce War,” by Scott M. Thompson. Ledgers where mostly known to be documenting a significant event in a pictorial style of drawing.
Most ledger art was done on whatever an artist could find, discarded ledger books, cloth or maps.

Art changed from being shown on deer hides, buffalo hides and rock paintings to cloth and paper.
Ledger art is important to me as an Indian Artist: I do current and past stories on old antique papers. I can also recall stories that were known from the Colville Confederated Tribes.
The way I like to do my ledgers is to also include, an embossing of a beaded blanket strip from my families collection and collage work of ledger papers and transfer prints of old family photos and acrylic paints, mixed media.
 My hopes are in viewing my art you can also remember the stories from my ledgers. I also do stories of significant events from the past and even the present in representation of the Plateau.
Cheryl studied at Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, N.M., in museum studies and printmaking; Eastern Washington University, Cheney, Wash, art history, printmaking; University of Washington, Seattle, Wash, liberal arts, graphic design; Western Washington University, Bellingham, Wash., art history, minor in printmaking; and Crow Shadow Institute, Umatilla reservation, printmaking.

Sandra Haynes

Working primarily with scratchboard and oils, Sandra’s art is about our human connection with wildlife, landscapes and western life.

With a lifetime of close encounters with animals and now as resident artist for a wildlife rehab center in Oregon, Sandra is uniquely qualified to portray the character and heart of the beings with which we share the planet.
Sandra lives the western life and comes from generations of people closely associated with the land and cowboy traditions.
Her artwork and writing reflects the love for this unique way of life and is her way of giving back to the world with images that contribute to this continued heritage. More...

Lynnette Johnson

Lynnette Johnson is an artist who works in watercolor to paint nostalgic images of Victorian romance, childhood dreams and simple pleasures of country life. Starting at an early age, she has developed her art through various media and subjects to evolve a distinctive style.

The feelings her paintings evoke are a sense of well being and fond memories. Her work is highly detailed, whether in full-sized paintings, or in the many miniatures she creates. Lynnette has shown at international miniature art shows and recently won the “Judge’s Award for Excellence” at the World Exhibition of Miniatures held at the Smithsonian Institute. Her piece was chosen from more than 1,100 entries from throughout the world.
Lynnette is also known for her detailed scrimshaw, which she learned while living in Alaska, and bronzes. More...

Dan Jordan

Dan Jordan is a full-time artist, whose award winning pencil drawings and oil paintings portray the “Old West.” His intense interest in the lives of the people, the land itself and its native wildlife is readily apparent in the minute detail and accuracy of his work.

Being an avid American history buff naturally allows him to combine his artistic talents with his love for the “old west,” and all research is considered a pleasure rather than a tedious chore.
“The only difficult part of what I do is finding the right models that look the part – the faces must have character in order to be interesting.”
Since 1997, Dan and his wife Carol have taken the art studio on the road. “Doing 20 shows a year from a mobile studio has become a real challenge. It’s been fun taking my work to areas we’ve never been to before, meeting new people and making new friends across the country.”

patti Jouppi

I believe I was born an artist and an outdoor adventurer. I spent many days as a child following my father, or being carried, through the forests of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

It has always been within nature that I am content and it is nature that prompts the desire to create art.
A sense of adventure moved me to the Pacific Northwest where my husband and I climbed the rugged peaks, and explored the depths of the ocean.
My love of art moved to technical drawing as a cartographer, but to me that was just another way of expressing the natural world on paper.
Soon we were off to Alaska with a new baby girl and a new adventure to be had. Alaska is the place the native artistic drive in me rose again. I started to paint wildlife in pastel and sculpt wood, often with my children at my side.
After a long break from the arts, and several moves, I now find myself with an overwhelming drive to create from nature.
My love of Pacific Island, Alaskan and Northwestern cultures emerges from the wood and stone, and the fabric I paint on. I am learning from nature and from all those who share the artistic gift and hope to express nature the way it intends. More...

Diana Kivett

A Kentucky state native, Diana moved out of the state in 1996 and to Richland in 1998. About 10 years ago, she launched her artistic career in wood burning by burning dates on wooden eggs for her grandchildren’s birthdays.

It was around this same time that Diana hired Paul Jones as a maintenance person for housing units she owned. Her knowledge expanded through Paul’s willing tutelage.
Diana began to exhibit at woodcarvers’ shows, with her first wood burned piece taking first place. At rendezvous, Diana demonstrates wood burning to non-carvers.
At one time, Diana owned and operated a gallery. Her artwork has a varied audience, from carvers to painters, and is housed across the United States, including West Virginia.
Recently, she has traded the torch for a paintbrush, painting in conjunction with “Painting the West with Fred Oldfield.”
Her specialty continues to be wood burned eggs. As her skills progressed, Diana began creating flowers and fairies on eggs, and the fairies continue to be a strong presence in her work.
She has also learned to draw to ensure her work has its own style. Part of that process was working with Jerre Raven, who demonstrated her particular style.

Anita Klein

Growin’ up doodlin’ on any spare scrap of paper, Anita was encouraged from an early age to develop her natural scribblin’ tendencies into a career in art.
A fascination with T.V. westerns grew into full-blown horse crazies.

One ride led to another and the next thing ya know, Anita was crowned as princess of the Cloverdale Rodeo.
The subsequent tour of B.C. rodeos gave Anita a deeper appreciation for the excitement of rodeo, still a favorite subject for her “serious” art stuff.
She went on to receive her formal fine art education at the Emily Carr College of Art and received an Associate Degree in Design from Kwantlen College. She began her career as a graphic artist and cartoonist until moving to northern B.C. where Anita returned to the fine arts.
Using a variety of mediums, Anita’s work is recognized by its lushness of color and bold sense of drama. Her subjects are varied but her love of horses, nature and the western life are evident in her art. Her humorous work features colorful cowgirls, their horses and dogs and the crazy things that can happen when you mix the three. Anita resides and works in Cloverdale B.C.
Anita is a member of Cowboy Cartoonists International, Westcoast Cowgirl Artists and an active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists. More...

Robert Krogle

Robert Krogle was born in Santa Monica, California in 1944. After high school Robert applied to Chouinard Art Institute of Los Angeles and was accepted but after two years was called to duty by the California Army National Guard.

He spent five and a half months in Vietnam and was awarded the bronze star and purple heart for his service. Upon returning to civilian life, Robert completed his last two years of art education in 1970.
Within a year of graduation Robert was working at Rosenfeld, Palombi and Dilts, an art studio in downtown Los Angeles. He illustrated for many prestigious companies such as Microsoft, Continental Airlines and Mattel toys. In 1973 he decided to start his own studio, freelancing for the movie, recording and theme park industries. During his 31 years as a top illustrator Robert had representation in Los Angeles, Denver, San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Atlanta and has received many awards from the Los Angeles and New York Societies of Art. He has lectured at Long Beach State University, Laguna School of Fine Art and has been a guest instructor at Art Center School of Design in Pasadena, California.
Robert has drawn inspiration from Russian and European impressionist painters, and from such masters as John Singer Sargent, Spanish painter Joaquin Sorolla and 20th century artists John Asaro and Richard Schmid. More...

Linda Kubik

Linda Kubik’s passion and enthusiasm for textiles began early. She holds a degree in clothing, textiles and art from the University of Washington. Her training in clothing design led her to produce fabric and design patterns for sewers and weavers.
Linda’s first book, Sew Something Special, Sewing with hand-woven fabrics, detailed innovative techniques for handling hand-woven fabric.

She’s completely revised and updated the material for a new book, Sew Something Special, Fibers, Fabrics, Handwovens & More.
Linda is the designer of the Elements pattern line of multi-sized patterns that are fabulous in handwoven fabrics.

Although Linda travels and teaches, she is primarily a studio artist creating hand-woven and/or hand-died fabrics for the home sewing market. More...

Molly Kubista

Molly Kubista is a member of the Samish Tribe of Washington state. Born in Seattle and raised in Liquid Sunshine, she perfected her style of horses for which she is known for.

Whimsical and at times humorous they also contain power and movement, but her work is diversified doing also jewelry, old-style beadwork and painting. Her work reflects the history of her native people specializing in the style of the 1800s.
Molly’s work has been purchased from around the globe including Germany, France, Hong Kong, Australia, England, Austria, Netherlands, Africa, Sweden and all of the United States.
Molly has shown at the Smithsonian, Heard Museum, Fort Vancouver, Museum of Natural History, Tamastslikt Institute, Santa Fe Indian market, Indian Art Northwest, Ziibiwing Center and Oregon Historical Society.

Mike Kuest

Mike Kuest started working with a freehand plasma machine after he and his wife, Linda, attended the 1998 Deutschesfest in Odessa and, although they enjoyed the ironwork available, were surprised by the prices.

Mike launched his business making the metal silhouettes for friends and family. As the word about his work spread, the couple realized upgrading their equipment was necessary to increase productivity as the demand for their work became greater.
Using a computer graphic plasma machine purchased in Canada and connected to a computer, Linda programs in the graphics and the large machine begins cutting the design.
Mike continues to do some freehand and detailed work for the business, but the endeavor is a partnership with his wife, who now runs the machine. For the last several years, the finished products are powder coated for a weather resistant, easy-to-maintain piece of art. More...

Paul Langston

Paul has lived in Washington most of his life. Early exposure to the wonderful variety and beauty of the Pacific Northwest has influenced his art. His style of art on canvas and wood is realistic and detailed.
Favorite subjects include flowers, lighthouses, rustic barns and landscapes. His mediums of choice are oils, watercolors and mostly Myrtlewood for burning.

Paul has been in many art shows, local fairs, exhibits and galleries. His most memorable painting was his involvement on the 34x9-foot mural of the Challenger Space Shuttle in the Auburn Post Office.
Paul is a current member of three art organizations: Mountain Valley Arts, Rainier League of Arts and the Kent Valley Arts. He is also a member of Northwest Woodcarvers Club.
He has taken art classes from several well-known artists and at Green River College. Also, he has demonstrated his art at clubs, fairs, libraries and community centers.
Paul’s primary interest has been a combination of woodburning and woodcarving on different types of wood. He depicts scenes of nature, animals, barns and lighthouses on the grains of wood. He has been able to use woods such as Myrtlewood and Basswood to create unique images. His woodburning pieces are often one-of-a-kind.

Marivi Lavides

Marivi grew up in a land of vivid sunsets and luscious sceneries of the Philippine islands. As a child, whenever she watched a sunset, it felt as though an artist had gone wild with splashes of vibrant color. Her interest in art was nurtured from a very early age.

When she came to San Francisco in 1967, Marivi was immediately captivated by its culture and beauty. Not surprisingly, she ended up attending the Academy of Arts. Her passion for art has gone unabated through the years.
In 1997, Marivi moved to the state of Washington and was introduced to a whole new range of visual images and influences. She decided then to become a full-time artist. Marivi has also taught Mixed Art classes at the Richland Community Center.
A child looks at life with a sense of wonder. Marivi’s aim is to get viewers to recapture that sense of wonder through her art. More...

Sue Leetch

A native of Anchorage, Alaska, Sue Leetch is a self-taught artist who has always loved horses, cowboys and Native Americans as well as a variety of subjects. “I’ve been painting since I was knee high to a grasshopper,” she said, and comes from a musically talented family. After living in Moses Lake for 17 years, Sue moved to Ritzville the end of 2009 and loves it. “It’s so peaceful and quiet. The folks are so nice.”

Jim Lisk

Jim is a self-taught artist who enjoys drawing humor. His cartooning began at the age of 10.Jim once worked in Seattle as a staff cartoonist designing novelty t-shirts.

In 1993, he won a gold medal at the Cowboy Cartoonists Humor Expo in Cody, Wyoming.
He is a member of Cowboy Cartoonists International. With more than a half century of creating humorous drawings, the Leanin' Tree Greeting Card Company recently selected one of Jim's pieces to include in its lineup of cards. More...

Douglas MacArthur

Douglas, a retired cross-country trucker and former bull rider who is considered the local expert on Umptanum Road in the Kittitas Valley, can add jack-of-all-trades, cowboy, chauffer for a horse trader traveling across the country and amateur landscape photography to his repertoire.
Sometime in the early 1980s, Douglas bought a Pentex Spotmatic 35mm manual camera, hoping to emulate the art of Ansel Adams.

With a natural eye and a passion for old barn beauty, Douglas ventured on taking pictures of long discarded homesteads in the northwest, capturing the weathered beauty of life in decay and bringing back some of its beauty for all to enjoy.
In the summer months you can find Douglas at the Ellensburg Farmers Market selling his photographs. If you happen to be in possession of an old homestead that needs photographing stop by and let him know! Old outhouses make great bathroom art for those big city folk!

Randy McIntyre

Randy’s love for the history, mountains and wildlife of Northwest Montana shows in each of his paintings. Randy began his professional career in art when he and his wife opened their first gallery/studio in Dayton, Wyo., in 1979.

In 1984, with their three daughters, they moved to Eureka, Mont., where Randy started The Natural Canvas Art Studio.
Randy does many commissioned paintings on hide, horn, bone and other natural surfaces; however, it is his canvas works that have made him a popular western/wildlife artist.
This year Randy received the honor of being the first “Treasured Montana Artist” sponsored by the Montana Secretary of State. Eighteen of his original paintings were displayed in the Montana Secretary of State’s lobby, at the State of Montana Capitol Building in Helena January through April of 2009. More...

JD Mackin

The late J.D. Mackin, western artist, was a serious and dedicated artist. Some may dispute this, claiming that his time was spent hunting, fishing and training bird dogs.

A fifth generation Montanian, J.D. grew up in Glacier National Park in the Lake McDonald area. It was there in his younger years that he spent much time watching his artist neighbor, Ace Powell. Ace was just beginning to make his mark in the art field and J.D. absorbed early lessons like a sponge.
“In spite of hard times,” J.D. said, “Ace was the only man I knew (except maybe a bootlegger from up the North Fork) who really enjoyed his work.” It was during his time with Ace that J.D. decided to become an artist. “But,” as J.D. related, “the problem was my hunger pains were getting in the way of my ambition.” So he temporarily put off his career plans.
Working at a variety of jobs, from painting bridges to selling cars, J.D. and his wife Lola raised five children. His fine art painting was never out of mind. Eventually he took the big step and dedicated to become a full-time artist, a decision he had worked toward for many years.
Although J.D. called himself an “internationally unknown” artist, his art is in many galleries and collections across America.
His wife, Lola, continues to participate in area art shows with J.D.’s signature pieces.

Joel Olson

I am Joel Olson and I started out life as a kid and I have sort of tried to stay that way. I have been a farmer, cowboy, logger, miner, cement mason, artist and lifelong student of the Beast called Horse.

Now that I am retired, I am having a lot more time to devote to my art and I am enjoying it.
I am having a great time producing my art – drawing, painting and sculpting, and I especially enjoy the friendships and camaraderie of all the wonderful folks – kids and adults – that I have had the opportunity to get to meet and know through my art endeavors.
Have yourselves a real smooth day and God be with you as I don’t have time.

JG Rankin

John Rankin was born in Whittier, Calif., and grew up in Spokane, Wash. He studied graphic arts and architecture at the University of Idaho and then moved to Seattle in 1979.
While in Seattle, he worked on various projects for Bumbershoot, Northwest Folklife Festival, Pacific Science Center and the Seattle Center.

After moving to Adams County in 1991, John has been involved in creating artwork for the Lind Rodeo, City of Ritzville and numerous organizations in Adams, Lincoln and Grant Counties. His studio since 1994 has been the Flying Arts Ranch in Ritzville where most of the works are on display.

Jerre NightHawk Raven

Raven uses the tribal name of her Comanche-Cherokee grandfather for her home studio/business, GoldenHawk Gallery. She is enrolled with the Cherokee Tribe.
She works in any medium, producing a diversity of subjects from preferred Indian and western, horses and wildlife to Grecian and Tuscanny scenes. Most commissions are for portraits.

Raven’s work is in galleries and private collections in the north and southwest states, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands and Japan. She is a member of the Thunderhorse Intertribal Club in the Tri-Cities. She was nominated in 1992 for the Governor’s Ethnic Heritage Award and was chosen Artist of the Year in 1996 for RADCON.
Carol Jean Davis used Raven’s illustrations in the book See South Central Washington. Raven is among the 200 artists featured in Northwest Artists, a collection of notable Northwest Artists. In February 2002 she was accepted as a member in the prestigious Indian Arts and Crafts Association.
“Children of the Red Road,” the first series by the Sequoyah Greeting Card Company, features Raven’s ink drawings of Indian children. In 2006, Raven was the featured artist at the Toppenish Western Art Show.
Raven was one of a limited number of artists invited to photograph during the filming of “Dances with Wolves” in the fall of 1989, the demanding accuracy of the 1850s era made for in-the-field sketches and painting reference.
Lasting friendships were forged with the artists, actors, Lakota Indians and the working hands on the multi-thousand acre working ranch by the Cheyenne River in South Dakota.
For 15 years, Raven has served on the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services Local Indian Child Welfare Advisory Committee.
She was an adjunct instructor at Columbia Basin College for seven years in Pasco, where she maintains a home studio and, as time allows, teaches drawing.

John & Jean Richards

John and Jean Richards continue to practice a technique that started more than four centuries ago in Japan – the raku firing of pottery. They use the current raku process of glazing a greenware piece with raku bisque and firing it in a kiln that can be opened.

They use shredded newspaper, straw, leaves, dried flowers and other burnable material a reduction chamber to attain rich colors, textures and patterns, which are a result of how the piece reacts in the reduction chamber and water cool down processes.
In conjunction with raku firing, the couple enjoys creating horsehair pottery. The same equipment and most of the process is the same as raku, yet horsehair pottery produces something expressly unique.
Static electricity in the hair and the extreme heat makes the hair dance around the pot where it adheres to produce squiggly lines and smoke marks. Each piece is one-of-a-kind.

Tobe Robbins

Coming from an art background, and having a BA in Studio Art, a BA in Art History, a MA in Studio Art, with a BA in Economics thrown in for good measure, I worked in different disciplines: sculpture, jewelry and watercolor, taking photos only to use for painting.

After a while, it was easier to create a good painting than it was to make a good photo. So I started concentrating on photography, which led me to the large format black and white process.
Working with a large format view camera brought me to the understanding of photography. Using the adjustments on a view camera: the front and back swing, tilt, shift, rise and fall, gave new meaning to focusing and composing a photograph.
The back swing and tilt control perspective, and the front swing and tilt control what part of the photo is in focus; lengthening or shortening the bellows sets general focus. Shift, rise and fall are used for composing.
All of this is judged by looking at the ground glass on the back of the camera with a dark cloth over my head with the lens open.
Since the camera does not have a light meter or anything to tell me how to set the exposure, a hand held light meter, experience and gut feeling is used. The film is in a separate holder that is slid in front of the ground glass.
Once a negative is exposed, it must be developed. This consists of putting the film in a developing tank, soaking it in water, then developer, followed by rinsing, then soaking in fixer, again soaking in developer, washing for 30 minutes, soaking in photo flow and hanging it to dry. This process takes about one hour, not counting drying time.
After the film dries, it is ready to be placed in a sleeve; a contact print is then made. From this, I decide which negatives to print.
Printing is done with an enlarger and using test strips to find the correct exposure. Once this is determined, a full 8x10 sheet is printed, followed by several others to fine tune the print. Each sheet is soaked in developer, stop, fixer, hypo cleaner and washing for one hour. Now the prints are ready for toner.
I tone with either Selenium or Sepia. Selenium toning is done by soaking the photo in the Selenium solution, rinsing, soaking in hypo cleaner, and washing for an hour. Sepia is a multiple-step process: bleaching out the silver from the photo, washing, soaking in toner, rinsing, soaking in hypo cleaner and washing for an hour.
After the photos are dried, I examine them to see which exposure time gave me the best results. If I am not satisfied with the results, it is back to making more test prints. Going from a negative to a master photo I am satisfied with takes from two days to several weeks.
Once I get a working master photo to match printing tones, I can start printing the photo for sale. I go through the same process to get a saleable photo as I do to get a master print.

Maria Ryan

Maria Ryan is an accomplished artist and designer who has been winning awards and pleasing collectors around the world for the past 30 years for her paintings and designs of all types of wildlife and its habitat.

She is a graduate of the Graphic Arts Preparatory School of New York and received her formal art education at C.W. Post College in New York.
She has completed 540 workshop hours at Huntington Fine Arts School in New York and studied with many internationally renowned wildlife artists in workshops in the United States and Europe.
Following six years residence in Europe, she lived in Tampa, Florida, and in 1998 moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Her studio overlooks an extensive wilderness with abundant wildlife for continual inspiration.
For several years, she was a docent at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, which further broadened her knowledge, creativity and dedication to wildlife purposes.
She is an active conservationist supporting numerous organizations with fundraising, teaching and donations of artwork. The Nature Conservancy commissioned Maria Ryan to create the artwork for its brochure and the many pictorial trail signs at the Cougar Bay Preserve on Lake Coeur d’Alene.
Maria Ryan has recently taken her wildlife art to a new medium, transcending it into the three-dimensional Trail of Painted Ponies with a Masterwork Pony as well as original figurine size ponies.

Her embellished Masterwork Pony, “Native Jewel,” also graces the cover of the new 2006 “Trail of Painted Ponies Collector Edition” book. To further extend her new and exciting direction, she has added her beautifully hand painted wildlife and horse figures as a continuation of her artwork. More...

Donna Schroeder

Donna’s portrait and wildlife art reflects her soul and passion for her art. With each stroke she works towards a piece of art that will capture the likeness and personality of her subject and bring it to life.

Paintings can be a timeless treasure of those we love.
Donna lives in Olympia, Wash., with husband Bob. They have two grown children and three grandchildren. All have been or will be her models for her paintings. Her studio is in her home and she spends countless hours there creating her masterpieces. Besides painting Donna enjoys hiking and photography.

Donna belongs to the Northwest Artists association and was published in their first coffee table book in 2006. She is mostly self-taught. Her art is in private collections and has won awards in the Northwest.

Carol Ann Schwisow

Creative arts have always been a part of Carol’s life and interests. She has encouraged her sons and grandsons to have paints, paper and pencils available, and exposed them to art work of others.
Carol enjoyed sharing art with children and often volunteered for projects in the school system.

She started painting in oils as a young mother in the little town of Twisp before coming to Ritzville. Through the years, Carol continued to take workshops and taught oil painting to people in the Ritzville area. She often use the local terrain, barns and windmills in landscape paintings. Watercolor has become her choice of mediums in the last 20 years, often using photos of her flowers to refer to. Carol enjoys growing and using flowers in her home as focal points and still life paintings.
Recently, Carol has started adapting her realism to fabric and has been experimenting in fabric arts.
Carol has participated in the PAS private show the last three years in the Seattle area as well as featured her work in her former gift show, The Cellar of Treasures. Carol presently has artwork displayed at Sunny Spot Floral and Gifts in Ritzville.

Mike Scovel

Mike Scovel’s artwork has been as much a part of western life as spurs, bits and saddles. For more than three decades, his humorous paintings of everyday, down home people have been featured on millions of gift products around the world.

“Mike Scovel’s extraordinary ability to paint caricature in a fine art manner is unchallenged,” says Ed Trumble, founder and CEO of Leanin’ Tree Publishing. The Boulder based greeting card company has used over 300 Scovel paintings on a wide range of products since 1979.
One of the most diverse artists today, Scovel has found success with both fine art and what he calls “fine art cartooning.” While his humorous paintings continue to gain in popularity, Scovel also does serious paintings and sculpture, both of which have won numerous national awards. His client list for monumental sculpture includes cities, foundations and corporations. 
Scovel’s work has been featured in many national publications including the Saturday Evening Post, The American Cowboy, Southwest Art and Western Horseman and has been displayed in a number of museums including the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum with permanent works in the Leanin’ Tree Museum of Western Art, the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame.
In 1997, Scovel pared his show schedule down to one per year to allow for more studio and production time - a decision he remains very comfortable with. In addition to that exhibit, Scovel holds an Open Studio show in the fall to showcase new work. More...

Crystal Smith

Crystal lives near Thorp, Wash., with a menagerie of animals: two Quarter horse mares, a Shelty dog and a tuxedo marked barn cat rescue.

Of course, the covey of quail and the swarm of hummingbirds that appear daily for handouts are also part of the family.
Her work reflects the beauty of her surroundings and the joy of “just living” demonstrated by the animals and people around her.
Using either pencils or acrylics, she captures the warm fuzziness of a cat sleeping in a sunspot, the satisfaction of a hard-earned trophy bit and the beauty of scattered sunshine on horsehide when it’s filtered through fall leaves.
The things that make life in the country special… More...

Darrell Sullens

Darrell began studying drawing and painting as a teenage student of Herman Keys in the 1950s. While in high school he attended evening classes at Whitworth College.

After military service, Darrell refreshed his art interests with illustration classes at Spokane Falls Community College.
He taught drawing and painting at the Corbin Art Center. In 1978 Darrell and his wife started Ra-Tel’s Art Supply in Spokane. The technical aspects gained during this time have proved invaluable. During this time Darrell gave lectures and presentations on conservation at local colleges and universities.
The business was sold in 1998 and Darrell has been painting full time in his Spokane studio.
Darrell’s paintings are in collections in Ireland, Florida, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, California, Oregon and Washington. More...

Tim Sullivan

A fourth-generation Montanan, Sullivan has an intimate knowledge of the Rocky Mountain West. Born in Helena, Mont., in 1949, he spent his formative years in western Montana’s Bitterroot Valley, where he encountered a wealth of wilderness experiences that would later provide the inspiration for his artwork.

Sullivan began his career as a painter, but turned exclusively to sculpture in 1979. During the course of his long career, Sullivan has earned the respect and recognition of colleagues and institutions throughout the American West.
His commitment to his artistic practice – an understanding of the foundry process and a constant willingness to explore and expand his technique – make his work unique and of consistently high caliber.
Sullivan’s understanding of the West, born of his experiences “being there”, have tempered his imagination and contribute to the authenticity one finds embodied in his art.
More...

Teapotter & Jones

Drawing on a background of fine arts in college and a lifetime of observing her dad draw and paint in oils, Maggie Jones branched into her own artistic expression by creating designs in layered paper.

Through the course of 14 years, she created more than 30 designs in paper, making each one into a numbered series.
The stress of cutting each design by hand with a small art knife caused Maggie and her husband, Ken, to explore the possibilities of creating these pieces in metal. About five years ago, they discovered the wonders of a water jet machine that had the capability of producing intricate designs in steel.
Maggie still designs with paper, sending the completed drawings through the water jet process. Ken puts texture on each section of metal, welding them together and heated the finished product carefully to bring color to the design.
Ken and Maggie create their beautiful artwork in a large shop adjacent their home in Newman Lake, Wash. More...

Tina Reeve Tharp

A rural childhood offered many opportunities to develop my creative nature. Tina is the youngest grandchild of early pioneer author, U. E. Fries, of From Copenhagen to Okanogan and his wife, Anna Catherine.

They homesteaded at Green Valley Farm in Okanogan’s North Star area, Washington Territory and valued the arts as a standard of success. Parents Hubert and Louise Reeve patiently encouraged Tina to use any artistic materials she could find on their property. Her mechanical genius father supplied tools, even if she occasionally blew a fuse. Poor eyesight challenged her; trial and error were her first instructors. She carved the fruit woods they pruned in the winter, painted and drew on paper, learned sewing skills through 4-H, hitched horse gear, constructed and welded sculptures.
During high school years,Tina won her first large purple rosette for best Hereford heifer and received another grand champion ribbon for a pen and ink floral at the Okanogan County Fair.
Tina earned her teaching degree from Washington State University. She has taught fine arts in Republic, Bridgeport and Selah schools and currently teaches at Pateros School District.
She began displaying her art at local shows in 1978. In 1982, Tina entered the juried Ellensburg National Western Art Show and was accepted. Since then she has been juried at MONAC in Spokane, C. M. Russell in Great Falls, Fred Oldfield’s Celebration of Art in Olympia and Puyallup, Trails West in Vancouver, Walsdorf’s Western Art in Spokane, Omak Stampede Art Show, O.C.A. Western and Native Art Show, and Western Art Shows in Richland, Moscow, Toppenish, Issaquah, Bend, Portland, St. Paul Rodeo Wild West Art Show, St. Paul, Ore., and currently at the Clymer Museum, Ellensburg, Wash.
Tina also was named best multi-media artists in 2007 and 2008 at the O.C.A. Western and Native Art Show as well as numerous other awards at shows and auctions.
She composes designs throughout the day and she is inspired mostly by nature. It is a rare advantage that her teaching profession also is her business and hobby. Tina creates in multiple art mediums, including painting, sculpture, printmaking, pottery, drawing and calligraphy.
Tina’s art is collected by private and corporate collectors in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Japan, Russia, Scandinavia and Europe.

Rick Urdahl

Rick Urdahl is a third-generation, full-time artist who has been a fixture at most western and wildlife art shows and gatherings in the western United States for nearly 30 years. He has received numerous awards and is always a must see at the shows’ “Quick Draws.”

Rick was born and raised in the Gallatin and Madison valleys of south central Montana. The Bridger and Tobacco Root mountain ranges were also his stomping grounds. He studied art at Bozeman Senior high school, Montana State University and Eastern Washington University. During his years as a student, Rick spent his free time hunting, fishing and playing golf in this area he describes as “a sportsman’s paradise.”
Rick is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys building his own fly and spinning rods, tying his own files and using them. Rick also enjoys golf and coaching baseball.
The subject matter of Rick’s work comes from numerous hunting and fishing trips throughout the western U.S. and Canada. He also paints many pieces from memories of his Montana upbringing and scenes on location at his family’s summer retreat on the Madison river near Ennis, Mont.
The major body of Rick’s works is in the watercolor medium. His watercolor technique is unique and he feels he has attained his goal of painting pieces that are recognized as his without having to check the signature. Within the body of Rick’s work are two sold-out bronze sculptures, pen and ink drawings, pencil drawings, etchings, oil paintings, acrylic paintings and wood sculptures.
Rick’s artwork has been included in the prestigious Charles M. Russell Art Show and Auction in Great Falls, Mont., where he has participated for 25 years. His work has been juried into this auction and has also participated in the invitation-only quick draw event. Some of his numerous awards include Best of Show wildlife award at the Boy’s Club of America National Western and Wildlife in Rapid City, SD; Best of Show at the Oregon Trails National Western and Wildlife Show; and the prestigious Roughrider award – one of only 12 ever awarded at the Roughrider International Art Show in Williston, ND.
Rick and his showroom partner, J.D. Mackin, also won the Best Room Award at the Ellensburg National Art Show. Rick was awarded the Cheney, Wash., Rodeo Poster five years in a row. The Western Reflections Art Show in Richland, Wash., and the Spokane Western and Wildlife Art Show are also yearly events. One-man gallery shows, smaller regional shows and private showings round out Rick’s busy schedule. After 28 years, Rick’s work hangs in collections throughout the world.

Julie Van Sant

Julie Van Sant was raised in Colorado, and earned a minor in art from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

She then headed for the mountains, and has been following the continental divide and her love of creative expression ever since.
While living in New Mexico, the opportunity presented itself to learn the art of silver craftsmanship from one of the more successful artists in Santa Fe. The flavor of the southwest, as well as the spirituality of the Native Americans, began to influence and mold her work.
In 1995, a move to Montana opened yet another creative door to design inspiration. Her love of the west, be it southwest or northwest, continues to influence her work to this day. More...