Den Schofield
Schofield focuses on the 19th century, with most of his paintings depicting either historic mountain men or cowboys. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Schofield is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Art and worked as an illustrator for about 25 years. Collectors can learn more about the publishers and studios with whom he worked on his official website. He is currently working on several paintings including a mountain man moonlight scene and a painting centered around the Pony Express.
501 Peak Drive, Riverton, WY 82591
Thomas Moran (1837-1926) went to the Yellowstone region in 1871 on the Hayden Geological Survey. His painting, The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, 1872, was purchased by the federal government and was instrumental in convincing congress to establish Yellowstone as the first national park in 1872. The following year he accompanied John Wesley Powell’s geological survey of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Moran said, “Of all places on earth the great canyon of Arizona is the most inspiring in its pictorial possibilities.”
Moran Point on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is named after him, although some say it is named after one of his painter brothers, Peter. It is a favorite site for many painters at all times of day and in all kinds of weather.
Amery Bohling comments, “Moran Point is something I have painted so many times. It is such a stunning location. The rock formations and the distant canyon come together to make
a beautiful composition that occurs naturally.” Her painting Moran Point, gives the rocky promontory a presence against the vastness of the canyon. It rises up proudly along the rim.
An Arizona native, she studied painting at the University of Arizona and studied plein air painting in France. She finds that the canyon provides “a limitless supply of inspiration.” She paints plein air studies on site, augments them with photographs and creates the majority of her paintings in the studio. She expresses “a desire to paint the landscape in its natural state and to preserve these beautiful locations for others to enjoy and future artists to visit.”
In his painting The Final Light, Bill Cramer backs up a bit, places a gnarled tree in the left foreground to add to the sense of depth and, taking a slightly higher vantage point, places the rock formation more into the context of the canyon. Both painters demonstrate atmospheric depth by softening the distant buttes in the canyon.
Cramer grew up in California and received his fine arts degree from California State University Long Beach. He and his wife moved to Prescott, Arizona, to be near the landscapes both enjoy. The physical experience of a landscape is as important to him as its visual aspects. He says, “Any landscape worth painting is more than the obvious visual elements. The push of an evening breeze, the feel of sun-baked sandstone, the scent of sagebrush or the sound of a raven suddenly overhead are examples of the many unseen elements that inform my work. I’m satisfied when a painting is as rich as the landscape that inspired it. My goals are to keep exploring the Southwest’s wild places, search for new ideas and express what I find exciting about landscapes and about painting.”
Moran, too, fully experienced the life of the lands that are now national parks, waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of a wolf “crunching the bones of a rabbit we had eaten.”
Bohling and Cramer echo Moran’s modus operandi. “In working I use my memory,” he wrote. “This I have trained from youth, so that while sketching I impress indelibly upon my memory the features of the landscape and the combinations of coloring so that when back in the studio the watercolor will recall vividly all the striking peculiarities of the scenes visited.”
This special section calls attention to the artists that celebrate national parks through their painterly creations. Continue reading to visit the minds behind breathtaking masterpieces.
This year marks the 12th annual Grand
Canyon Celebration of Art at the Grand Canyon National Park from September 12 to September 20, where visitors have the opportunity to watch artists paint along the South Rim. There will also be free artist demonstrations scheduled at various canyon locations.
Cramer will be a returning artist to the event. “In the predawn hours, the artist arrives at the South Rim and sets up his easel with anticipation,” he states. “If nothing else, creating art, like planting a seed, is an act of optimism. Visitors from around the world gather too. Sunrise at the Grand Canyon is a time of great beauty, and for many, a time of renewal. Everyone watches.”
Visitors will also see Western landscape artist Mick Mcginty, along with painter and adventurer Betsy Menand. Mcginty’s piece Night Watchman is an example of re-creating the drama and feeling behind his visits to the canyon; the lighting on the rock formations that have always stuck with him. Menand loves to paint and sketch images gathered from her outdoor adventure photographs. She adds, “Exploring the wild landscapes and national parks of the Southwest is where you’ll find me.”
The Grand Canyon inspires many others such as Dawn Sutherland from Flagstaff, Arizona.