Who’s buying whose art they first saw in this magazine.

Western Art Collector magazine has changed the way artists, galleries and collectors connect. It has closed the gap that previously existed in the Western art market. Spectacular and instant SOLD! stories keep rolling in. On this page you can read just some of the feedback pouring into our office from coast to coast on sales and connections achieved. And now that the Virtual Version of the magazine launches up to 10 days before the Printed edition arrives, collectors can find new art even faster.

1. Mark Haworth has strong showing at Insight Gallery

On April 1, painter Mark Haworth opened his newest solo show, Big Bend Unplugged, at Insight Gallery in Fredericksburg, Texas. Not only were the works warmly received, but the show performed strongly with a number of sales on the opening night. One little gem that sold early was this 12-inch-square work titled Tornillo Creek Hoodoos, showing a moonlit view of this magnificent rock formation with its jagged edges and stacked boulders that seem to teeter in the darkness. Western Art Collector wrote about this show in the April issue.

2, 3. Western illustration sells at Heritage Auctions

One place to hunt for the hidden gems of Western art is in Heritage Auctions’ frequent illustration sales. The most recent one was held April 15 and once again Western art and artists were turning in remarkable results. One early standout was William Edward Medcalf’s Howdy, Brown and Bigelow calendar illustration from 1952. These pin-up style images were common in 1952, though the Western images were frequently more modest than other genres. The work sold for $22,500, well above it’s high estimate of $9,000. In the same sale, there was also a rare Howard Terpning painting from 1971, when the famous painter was a successful East Coast illustrator. The image, showing several robed figures guiding camels through a storm, sold for $32,500, well past it’s $6,000 high estimate.