Official Guide to Art Week Great Falls, Montana March 15th-19th, 2023
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1401637
21 don hanson, jeff walker and dick lauritzen art show Don Hanson, Jeff Walker and Dick Lauritzen Show Schedule Wednesday, August 18 Show Open | 5pm-8pm Thursday, Aug 19 - Saturday, Aug 21 Show Open | 10am-7pm Don Hanson Studio • 100 3rd Street SW Don Hanson, Jeff Walker and Dick Lauritzen Show ew to the lineup of Special Edition Western Art Week festivities this year will be the Don Hanson, Jeff Walker, and Dick Lauritzen Show located at Don Hanson Studio Showroom at 100 3rd Street Southwest – just south of Central Lock and Key. The three longtime friends are looking forward to welcoming visitors to their no-frills, art-centric show that's all about having a great time without all the pomp and circumstance. "We just want to have fun," Don laughs. "And we think our show will be a great time for people who want to stop by." Dick Lauritzen, a retired general surgeon, is a nationally- recognized oil painter known for his breathtaking fly-fishing scenes and Montana riverscapes. His wispy, dreamlike renderings of waterways running at the base of soaring, rocky cliffs or beside towering mountainsides often include the quintessential peacefulness of fly-fishing anglers casually melding with the scene surrounding them. Dick's passion for fishing has left him well-versed with regards to the twists and turns of the Missouri River, as well as many of the trout streams throughout the region. His work leaves savvy anglers searching their own memories, trying to recall whether or not their favorite fishing hole might also happen to be the very location Dick has captured on the canvas in front of them. You just can't help but wonder if you've been there before. By Holly Matkin Keeping Art at the Heart of Western Art Week N Fellow painter and show collaborator Jeff Walker, born and raised in Montana, is masterful at recreating snapshots of everyday life in Big Sky Country. From surreal landscapes and graceful wildlife to abandoned grain elevators and sweeping fields filled with hay bales, his paintings and etchings showcase the splendor of the Western outdoors. Jeff's nationally-acclaimed work often has the power to evoke memories you didn't even realize you had – an existential-type recollection or seemingly empathetic connection with the very spirit of the scenes he creates. Romantic old farmyards, deserted and frozen in time. Dilapidated, abandoned homesteads filled with memories and secrets. The simplicity of his subject matter is at once both thought-provoking and deeply personal. Synthesized with the work of his two longtime painter friends are the stunning functional stoneware and decorative porcelain creations of master potter Don Hanson. Don's exquisite array of intricately-patterned pieces are inescapably intriguing and so aesthetically satisfying, you'll have a difficult time settling on one true favorite! The colors are explosive, the curves are flawless, and the rich, radiant glazes he uses are nothing shy of sublime. "Usually, my things go pretty fast," Don humbly admits. "I've been at it for over 50 years." The skillful work created by this masterful trio makes this a show you can't afford to miss! Dick Lauritzen Don Hanson Jeff Walker