Artist Focus
Artist Faye Gustafson focuses on the experience of the daily journey of life and the environment to tell the stories of the everyday people who end up in her work. She says, “The quiet pleasure of spending a lifetime providing wood for campfires, the discoveries children make while at play, feeling the crispness of a winter day [and] the pause to share a cup of coffee are a few of the ideas that have become paintings.”
Inspiration for her work comes from life and her imagination, often combining both to tell the story. Gustafson loves to seek out the substance that often lies under the surface to expose the excitement, emotion and, sometimes, the pain that is part of life. The minimalist realism of Gustafson’s work is a reflection of the Western lifestyle she enjoys.
Growing up on a cattle ranch, Gustafson had rich opportunities to observe a way of life including cattle, horses, dogs and other smaller critters that make up a ranch. It was while drawing that her dad taught her to look deep for the tiny hidden details that tell the story and character of each person and animal that makes them unique. Regardless of the subject matter, she spends time researching, working out ideas and rendering numerous thumbnails before deciding on the final composition.
Gustafson adds, “I am thankful to do what I love every day.”