Dustin Van Wechel
Transcending nature
Late in 2019, Colorado painter Dustin Van Wechel took a series of trips to Alaska and Canada. For a wildlife artist, he was in the Promised Land.
“Your goal as an artist is to transcend your subject matter so anyone can appreciate it,” he says, “and in a place like Denali National Park that becomes easier than anywhere else. It’s really inspiring to be there.”
Van Wechel will debut his newest pieces at a new solo show at Trailside Galleries starting August 10 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
One of the new pieces, titled The Savage, shows a caribou standing in a river that cuts diagonally through the composition. In the background is a shaded patch of land, while in the foreground there is brilliant light on rocks and vegetation on the riverbank. The title has a dual meaning: the fierce qualities of the wilderness and its denizens, and also a name, the Savage River.
“I had the idea for this painting in my mind, but I had to make another trip to get it completed,” the artist says. “Drama is a big part of my work, and I achieve a lot of it through the mountain lighting, which can be really interesting. You really have a narrow space between something that is brightly lit and in shadow. And because of the way the wind and light are at those higher altitudes, you end up getting some really interesting ideas on trips like these.”
For his caribou subject, Van Wechel says they are very similar to elk in physical characteristics and size, as well as temperament. “They’re the third largest deer species and they are used to these extreme Northern temperatures. They’re fun to paint because if you’re only painting in the lower 48 states, you won’t see them,” he
adds. “They pretty much act like elk—not too aggressive, and yet not too skittish either.”
In another new work, Arctic Ghosts, he paints two arctic wolves walking through snow. Although he’s around dangerous animals frequently on his painting adventures, Van Wechel admits he’s not had many frightening encounters, thanks in part to cautious exploring and good travel companions. He did have what could be called a close encounter during his most recent trip when his group was watching a grizzly bear in Denali.
“We were away from the cars, just watching this grizzly eating blueberries across the way. We figured we were safe because there was a deep ravine between him and us. But then he started running and in five seconds made it down and up this deep ravine. Suddenly he was 150 feet from us,” he says. “We hightailed it to the cars and he came over and paced around us. It was intimidating.”
Van Wechel’s new show continues through August 15 at Trailside Galleries.
For a direct link to the exhibiting gallery go to www.westernartcollector.com