Tucson, Arizona-based gallery Settlers West ushers in the summer season with its annual showcase of original works by an impressive roster of artists. The Summer Showopens Saturday, May 3, with a reception at 5:30 p.m. and an intent-to-purchase draw at 7 p.m. More than 80 new works will be on display by a total of 43 artists, including Naomi Brown, Don Oelze, Robert Griffing, Rachel Brownlee, John Fawcett, Daniel K. Tennant and Cody Oldham.
John Fawcett, September Splendor, oil, 16 x 20 in.An oil by Fawcett titled September Splendor features a dog and two cowboys on horseback wading through a creek. “I was riding on our Colorado ranch last September with two cowboy friends, Cole and Davey, with their dog Loretta,” says Fawcett. “We were looking for strays, and the warm sunlight enveloping Willow Creek, the golden grasses and fall willows truly made this a day of ‘splendor.’” 
Rachel Brownlee, Seek My Heart in the Desert, sepia charcoal, 24 x 18 in.The inspiration for Brownlee’s charcoal Seek My Heart in the Desert is the artist’s sister. “We grew up as fifth-generation ranchers living on our family ranch in western Nebraska, riding horses nearly every day and working cattle. The sandhills are nearly a desert—the sand covered with a thin crust of grass [and] wind blowing the grass constantly,” she says. “My sister had such a heart for the place, for the atmosphere of our desert. She felt the spirit of it. The land gets into the soul of a person and like those who live on the ocean, they just can’t seem to get away from the draw of the place they grew up.” The sepia-toned portrait captures a three-quarters view of the subject as she looks downward in a pensive expression.
Naomi Brown, Lovely Evening, oil, 19½ x 34 in.
Daniel K. Tennant, Old Friends, gouache, 36 x 24 in.
A canon of classic novels like Oliver Twist, Robinson Crusoe and Paradise Lost make up Tennant’s 36-by-24-inch still life Old Friends. Many of the books have tattered bindings and cracked leather covers, revealing their age and the many people who handled them through the years. Tennant explains that he went to a used-book barn that houses 120,000 books and chose the ones that caught his eye. “I was intrigued with the beautiful designs on some of the books. The books by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Henry David Thoreau, John Milton, William Cowper and Harriet Beecher Stowe had the most elaborate designs on their spines. I also painted some books that were dusty, brittle and well worn,” says the artist. “Sadly, books are not as popular as they used to be. I for one will always read them as they are such a satisfying experience in the way they feel, smell and look. My painting is a tribute to this wonderful invention—the printed book.”
Cody Oldham, The Bachelor Party, oil, 18 x 24 in.Oldham depicts several bighorn sheep gallivanting around a field dappled with purple and yellow blooms in his oil The Bachelor Party. “[This painting] is based on a unique experience I had in Custer State Park in South Dakota. For about a half an hour, I greatly enjoyed watching and photographing this large herd of bighorn sheep in this valley full of wildflowers. These rams were chasing each other through the valley, ramming heads, and, I think, generally having a good time,” he says.
Denis Milhomme, September Reflections, oil, 16 x 16 in.
The upcoming Summer Show will feature artists Naomi Brown and Jonathan Noon for the first time. “We are excited to be showcasing their work,” says gallery manager Mike Salkowski. “The variety in subject matter and price points make this a great show for longtime collectors as well as newcomers to the Western art world.” —
Settlers West Galleries 6420 N. Campbell Avenue » Tucson, AZ 85718 » (520) 299-2607 » www.settlerswest.com
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