PrintArtist spotlight: painter Brent Flory
Uncertain Crossing, oil on canvas, 36 x 48.
Brent Flory has been drawing wildlife since he was in the third grade. He went on to earn his B.F.A. in illustration at Brigham Young University in Idaho, studying under renowned artist James C. Christensen. But when Flory graduated in 1986, illustration and design were becoming more computerized, which didn’t interest him. So he decided to head for the hills of Heber City, Utah, to manage a quarter horse ranch, a job he and his wife held for 12 years.
During that time, Flory began his fine art career, painting 4-by-6-inch miniatures of figures and horses with acrylic paints. He started showing his work at fairs and Western art exhibits, but he found that his acrylic paintings were extremely time-consuming. Working in meticulous detail, he was cutting crosshairs in the paint and adding layer upon layer to achieve his desired effect. Wanting to paint larger works, Flory switched to oil paints 15 years ago, a medium that now allows him to create highly detailed images of Native American women wrapped in woven blankets, pack horses working their way down a snowy mountainside, or a cowboy in hat and duster pausing his horse midstream.
Flory’s life in Wallsburg, Utah, continues to influence his work. When painting cowboys, Flory doesn’t have to stretch his imagination; he has personally experienced the power of breaking a 2-year-old colt. “They feel like they might explode,” he says. “They feel invincible.” His work also emphasizes the humanity of his diverse subjects. “People haven’t changed a lot over the years,” Flory says. “We are all kind of the same. We may come from different backgrounds or cultures, but we all want the same thing.”
Galleries
• Brent Flory Fine Art, Wallsburg, Utah, 435.654.3188, www.brentfloryfineart.com.
• Common Ground Western Art & Gifts, Red Lodge, Montana, 406.446.2800, www.commongroundartgallery.com.
• Fredericksburg Art Gallery, Fredericksburg, Texas, 830.990.2707, www.fbgartgallery.com.
• Tierney Fine Art, Bozeman, Montana, 406.586.4521, www.tierneyfineart.com.
Issue: January 2010
