The Force Of Nature Humbles All Men

Howard Terpning

“This painting is about the truly awesome force of nature and how the sight of such power affects people,” Terpning says. “The spring snow melt from a severe winter has created an abundance of water in the rivers and creeks which have in turn created a dramatic, tumbling flood and waterfalls. Two of the men in the painting face the viewer, to suggest that there is far more to see outside the edge of the canvas. The setting is not a specific location, but rather a composite of many sites and rivers. I wanted to create a place that native people might have passed through countless times, but in this instance, a group of Blackfoot men have stopped in awe before the roaring power of nature.”

Artist Bio

Quite simply, Howard Terpning is one of the most lauded painters of Western art. His awards are so numerous and he is honored with them so often, that to list them would require changing the count every few months. To name three would be to cite the highest prizes awarded to Western art: countless awards from the Cowboy Artists of America, the Hubbard Art Award for Excellence, the National Academy of Western Art’s Prix de West and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gene Autry Museum.

Why such praise? Passion, compassion, devotion and respect for his subject matter, extraordinary talent in palette and brushstroke, an exceptional ability to evoke emotion both in his paintings and from those viewing them — all this and more has made Terpning the "Storyteller of the Native American."

Born in Illinois and educated at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and the American Academy of Art, he first gained attention from some powerful Time and Newsweek covers. Film fans praised his movie posters for such classics as The Sound of Music, Dr. Zhivago and the re-issue of Gone with the Wind.

He lives with his family in Tucson, Arizona, and works in a large studio attached to his home, usually keeping a painting schedule of working all day, six days a week. His daughter, Susan Terpning, also has become a successful artist.

Organizations: CAA, NAWA, OPA

Biography Courtesy of Askart.com