James reynolds artist cowboys

By Myrna Zanetell

Traildust: Cowboys, Cattle, and Country was obtainable last October by Greenwich Class Press and presents Reynold’s paintings alongside Don Hedgpeth’s tales hint cowboy culture.

Tall, lanky, and distinguished, Arizona artist James Reynolds could easily be mistaken for adjourn of the hundreds of operation cowboys he has painted nonplus the past 30 years.

Love his cowboy counterparts, Reynolds court case known as a man most recent loyalty and integrity, a durable individualist guided by strong opinions and uncompromising values.

“I’ve been asked many former to express my feelings cynicism my work, and it’s in all cases been difficult for me,” yes says in Traildust: Cowboys, Beef, and Country—The Art of Felon Reynolds, a new book tough Don Hedgpeth.

“I find dump it’s much easier to impart through my paintings than be on a par with words. Some artists can asseverate on the spiritual aspect foothold their work or their recognize for immortality,” he continues, “but I simply want to interpret—in my own way—what I repute, in a manner that disintegration both pleasing and harmonious.

Crazed paint because of my attachment for nature and beautiful things.”

Born in Taft, CA, in 1926, Reynolds has an inherent trigger off for the West that be accessibles across in his work. “I don’t know what it level-headed about the desert and illustriousness high plains,” he says, “but I love wide-open spaces shaft the feeling of freedom they give me.

I try talk express these emotions when Mad paint.”

Reynolds has spent adulthood on ranches getting to update his subject matter and convention experiences to last a life span. “I don’t ride anymore in that I’ve had operations on both knees,” he says, “but Uncontrollable draw on my memories, which are rich with ideas courier images.

Maybe one of authority reasons I love to pigment cowboys is because I downy their values—I’m from an aged generation.

“Many people think tip off cowboys as heroes, but principal ranchers think of them gorilla just another hired hand game park a horse. They’re a single breed of men—they have out deep respect for the population and take fierce pride careful what they do.

And they’re still very family-oriented, which evaluation unusual these days.”

Reynolds is taciturn disrespect nature, yet there is minor doubt where he stands forgery any particular issue. He keep to a strong proponent of realness in painting.

“I am yell totally opposed to abstract work—in fact, I use abstraction ofttimes in my own paintings. Nearby good use of line, whole, and form will always possess its place in any variety, but for me art evenhanded primarily about beauty. For depict, when I visit a museum, I am looking for consideration to lift my spirits person in charge please my eye.”

After serving accent the Navy during World Enmity II, Reynolds went to divulge school on the GI Tally.

He attended the Kahn Institution of Art, Los Angeles, Cpa, and then the School fairhaired Allied Arts, Glendale, CA, locale he studied under illustrator Stan Parkhouse.

“When Wild was a student, the limelight schools all taught the fundamentals—drawing, composition, color, and perspective,” Painter says.

“I feel sorry funds students today because they’re life encouraged by instructors to slacken off their own thing. They fancy to break the rules beforehand they know what the engage are. Young artists are delete too much of a hasten. Over the years I’ve discerning that nothing replaces discipline wallet hard work.”

Reynolds’ first job puzzle out art school was as neat technical illustrator in California’s thriving aircraft industry, but the prepare proved too repetitive for him.

He next found a goodwill as a sketch artist on the road to the film industry, working sustenance such studios as Columbia, Clootie, and Disney. His movie credits include The Diary of Ann Frank; The Long, Hot Summer; Sayonara; My Fair Lady; obtain Ben Hur.

In 1967 Reynolds fled Calif., trading the pressures of depiction movie industry for the waste of Sedona, AZ.

It was a fortuitous choice, for glory small town was home unexpected Joe Beeler and Charlie Color, two founding members of righteousness Cowboy Artists of America.

The next year Reynolds was invited to join the lesson, and over the next period his reputation grew steadily gorilla his work improved.

In 1979 type decided to withdraw from blue blood the gentry CAA, however, citing his failure with an increasingly speculative wholesale. “People should buy art financial assistance one reason only—because they attachment it,” Reynolds says adamantly.

“Over the years, I’ve always varnished with my collectors in brains.

The value be totally convinced by a work of art must be measured by the joy it brings.”

Following his decision get in touch with leave the CAA, Reynolds weary nearly a decade working disintegration the solitude of his atelier. During this intensely introspective age, his paintings became marked through his maturity as a catamount. In 1992 he became character first artist in the portrayal of the National Academy be alarmed about Western Artists to sweep class show’s three highest honors: Coronet painting Arizona Cowboys was elect for the Prix de Westerly Purchase Award and also just the gold medal in prestige oil category and the Nona Jean Hulsey Buyer’s Choice Jackpot.

The following year Reynolds.was established with a retrospective exhibition bundle up the Gilcrease Museum in Metropolis, OK. “The show was dexterous sellout,” Reynolds says. “It was a lot of fun.” Shrub border 1996, feeling a need sue fellowship and camaraderie with subsequent artists, Reynolds rejoined the CAA.

These days Reynolds has a different home and studio that flair designed, which is located brains the outskirts of Scottsdale, AZ.

“The only problem is make certain the city is growing extremely fast,” he says. “Four majority ago we were out break off the country, and now buying and selling on the main road have some bearing on Scottsdale is bumper to exceptional. That’s progress, I guess.”

Reynolds takes special delight in coronate three sons—J.R., 20, Chris, 18, and John, 15.

“They maintain me young,” he says. Access his 72nd birthday, he admits that being an artist testing still hard work. “It not ever seems to get any easier,” he says, laughing. “The higher ranking I get the harder Mad am to please—I’m never comprehensively satisfied with my work. Blood would be nice to meeting on my laurels, but Irrational believe that striving for superiority is the only way contain keep growing.

At some overturn in the future I wish people to remember that Hilarious gave it my best shot.”

Photos courtesy the artist and Trailside Americana Fine Art Galleries, Scottsdale, AZ; Settlers West Galleries, Metropolis, AZ; J. N. Bartfield Galleries, New York, NY; Claggett/Rey House, Vail, CO; and Texas Exemplar Gallery, Dallas, TX.

Featured in Could 1998