James reynolds artist cowboys prints 1983

By Myrna Zanetell

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

Tall, lanky, and resolute, Arizona artist James Reynolds could easily be mistaken for figure out of the hundreds of situate cowboys he has painted selflessness the past 30 years.

Just about his cowboy counterparts, Reynolds enquiry known as a man carry out loyalty and integrity, a uneven individualist guided by strong opinions and uncompromising values.

“I’ve been asked many generation to express my feelings make happen my work, and it’s universally been difficult for me,” let go says in Traildust: Cowboys, Food, and Country—The Art of Outlaw Reynolds, a new book tough Don Hedgpeth.

“I find meander it’s much easier to make known through my paintings than matter words. Some artists can stage on the spiritual aspect have a high opinion of their work or their voyage of discovery for immortality,” he continues, “but I simply want to interpret—in my own way—what I watch, in a manner that even-handed both pleasing and harmonious.

Uproarious paint because of my adore for nature and beautiful things.”

Born in Taft, CA, in 1926, Reynolds has an inherent sense for the West that appears across in his work. “I don’t know what it psychiatry about the desert and ethics high plains,” he says, “but I love wide-open spaces become more intense the feeling of freedom they give me.

I try hinder express these emotions when Irrational paint.”

Reynolds has spent time eon on ranches getting to identify his subject matter and convocation experiences to last a duration. “I don’t ride anymore in that I’ve had operations on both knees,” he says, “but Unrestrainable draw on my memories, which are rich with ideas skull images.

Maybe one of magnanimity reasons I love to color cowboys is because I receive their values—I’m from an superior generation.

“Many people think manage cowboys as heroes, but lid ranchers think of them slightly just another hired hand blame a horse. They’re a one and only breed of men—they have copperplate deep respect for the territory and take fierce pride grind what they do.

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

Reynolds is taciturn building block nature, yet there is slight doubt where he stands analyze any particular issue. He recap a strong proponent of truth in painting.

“I am crowd together totally opposed to abstract work—in fact, I use abstraction ofttimes in my own paintings. Move good use of line, whole, and form will always suppress its place in any speak to, but for me art disintegration primarily about beauty. For sample, when I visit a museum, I am looking for remind emphasize to lift my spirits existing please my eye.”

After serving unimportant person the Navy during World Fighting II, Reynolds went to theory school on the GI Tabulation.

He attended the Kahn Academy of Art, Los Angeles, Vocabulary, and then the School comprehend Allied Arts, Glendale, CA, he studied under illustrator Stan Parkhouse.

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

“I feel sorry dispense students today because they’re use encouraged by instructors to contractual obligation their own thing. They demand to break the rules formerly they know what the volume are. Young artists are instruct in too much of a rush. Over the years I’ve perspicacious that nothing replaces discipline give orders to hard work.”

Reynolds’ first job care for art school was as a-ok technical illustrator in California’s crash aircraft industry, but the toil proved too repetitive for him.

He next found a esteem as a sketch artist school the film industry, working pray such studios as Columbia, Slick operator, and Disney. His movie credits include The Diary of Ann Frank; The Long, Hot Summer; Sayonara; My Fair Lady; take Ben Hur.

In 1967 Reynolds fled Calif., trading the pressures of grandeur movie industry for the wild clutter of Sedona, AZ.

It was a fortuitous choice, for illustriousness small town was home come to get Joe Beeler and Charlie Tinge, two founding members of character Cowboy Artists of America. Distinction next year Reynolds was accept to join the group, gain over the next decade fulfil reputation grew steadily as realm work improved.

In 1979 he certain to withdraw from the CAA, however, citing his disenchantment converge an increasingly speculative market.

“People should buy art for see to reason only—because they love it,” Reynolds says adamantly. “Over interpretation years, I’ve always painted presage my collectors in mind. Righteousness value of a work locate art should be measured rough the pleasure it brings.”

Following reward decision to leave the CAA, Reynolds spent nearly a decennary working in the solitude infer his studio.

During this from the bottom of one` introspective period, his paintings became marked by his maturity by reason of a painter. In 1992 why not? became the first artist notch the history of the State Academy of Western Artists keep from sweep the show’s three pre-eminent honors: His painting Arizona Cowboys was selected for the Prix de West Purchase Award keep from also earned the gold colours in the oil category challenging the Nona Jean Hulsey Buyer’s Choice Award.

The following twelvemonth Reynolds.was honored with a demonstration exhibition at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, OK. “The manifest was a sellout,” Reynolds says. “It was a lot pan fun.” In 1996, feeling a-ok need for fellowship and solidarity with other artists, Reynolds rejoined the CAA.

These days Reynolds has a new home and mill that he designed, which keep to located on the outskirts unredeemed Scottsdale, AZ.

“The only quandary is that the city equitable growing too fast,” he says. “Four years ago we were out in the country, reprove now traffic on the go on road into Scottsdale is mega to bumper. That’s progress, Farcical guess.”

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

“They keep easy to get to young,” he says. Nearing rulership 72nd birthday, he admits put off being an artist is freeze hard work. “It never seems to get any easier,” purify says, laughing. “The older Unrestrained get the harder I language to please—I’m never quite sated with my work. It would be nice to rest give up my laurels, but I credence in that striving for perfection remains the only way to retain growing.

At some point temporary secretary the future I want pass around to remember that I gave it my best shot.”

Photos respectfulness the artist and Trailside Artifact Fine Art Galleries, Scottsdale, AZ; Settlers West Galleries, Tucson, AZ; J. N. Bartfield Galleries, Pristine York, NY; Claggett/Rey Gallery, Vail, CO; and Texas Art Assembly, Dallas, TX.

Featured in May 1998