Welcome to Heartland Studio
Welcome to
my virtual
Des Moines art gallery.
This site functions as my online portfolio and gallery samples, so come on
in and take a look around.
Des Moines University Unveils Presidential Portrait
On May 23, 2008 I had the privilege of unveiling my portrait of Hon.Terry E. Branstad, former four-time Iowa Governor and currently President of Des Moines University. Extending the tradition of formal presidential portraiture, the University commissioned the oil portrait in 2007. The half-figure portrait is 36" by 30" on linen and includes the University Clinic and the Iowa Capitol in the background, representing the Governor's dual careers in politics and academics. It will hang permanently in the University Library with portraits of past DMU presidents.
As part of the unveiling I am also exhibiting a series of six quickly-executed portraits of faculty and staff of the University, part of an ongoing series. The "Portraits of Des Moines University" series will be exhibited throughout June.
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On the Easel this Month
This is a study after an old work by Joseph Leyendecker. If you're not familiar with him or his work, think "Arrow Shirts" ads of the 1930s through 1950s. Leyendecker was one of the highest-paid and best-regarded illustrators from the golden age of illustration. His vigorous brushwork and clean design set a standard for the likes of Norman Rockwell and other equally well-known artists. This one is 16"x12" on panel.
Below is a portrait (16x12, oil on panel) of the renowned American illustrator, Frederik Remington, part of an ongoing series of images I began a year or two ago. I took a page from the book of an online colleague who has been doing portraits of figures from art, literature, politics, and other pursuits whose work, life, or philosophy exerted a profound influence on his life. Reflecting on his project, I realized that there is an enormous number of people whose lives exert similar influence on my own development as a person and an artist.To date I've completed several. Remington is best remembered for his paintings and sculptures dealing with the American West. In particular, his nocturnes have been the focus of a wonderful touring show not long ago.
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I've also included another portrait sketch below, also in oil, of Mohandas Gandhi (known affectionately by his countrymen as "Bapu,"--which means Father in Hindi), the founder of modern India and advocate of nonviolent resistance. Although he was assassinated sixty years ago, Gandhi continues to cast a very long shadow, influencing contemporary thought.
Note that these paintings are not intended as formal portraits in the way that a commissioned portrait would be. Instead, these are investigations of painting methods, various new colors, new mediums, or simply intended to explore new ways to see my subjects.
For smaller and more personal works, posted more often, take a look at The Studio Journal. As here at Heartland Studio, you should contact the artist directly.
Thanks for looking in, and come back any time. I try to update the images as often as possible.
Why Commission a Portrait?
A portrait quite often becomes a family heirloom, passed from one generation to another. A formal portrait is considerably more than a simple likeness. Portraiture involves a complex interaction between the painter, the sitter, the environment, and yes, even the family to produce both a physical resemblance and something of the sitter's personality. For me, one of the chief pleasures in portraiture is the chance to capture a person's individuality and beauty for all time.
If you're interested in commissioning a portrait, I'd be delighted to work with you. And if you happen to see a work you like here at Heartland Studio, email me for pricing and other information. I'm always happy to hear from you.
Portrait procedures and fees are listed in the Portraits section.
About Me
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I've almost always painted. I was thirteen when my grandmother gave me a few tubes of oil colors. She showed me how to mix them and encouraged me to paint a picture or two; and despite a couple of detours along the way I've never looked back. I completed college-level training in drafting, airbrush, and product illustration while still in high school and once eyed a career in commercial art. Like most of us, my life has wandered through a number of twists and a turns but since then I've been happily producing art. Careers along the way--military service and private medical practice--made no difference, it turns out. I am an artist. Today I paint portraits on commission and devote my remaining studio time to still life and landscape. On rare occasions I even paint outdoors. I prefer oil painting because of its richness of color and plasticity as a medium. Nevertheless, I do occasionally work in other media. I've made works in acrylics, watercolor, charcoal, silverpoint, and graphite. Regardless of medium, I work very hard to make the best contemporary representational art I can. And no matter how much any other subject interests me at the moment, my work will always include portraits. My paramount aims in each of my works are to see well and to paint simply. In the past few years I've exhibited in a number of shows. In July of 2005 I was part of "representing Reality," the Online Artists Guild show at the Venezuelan Gallery in Manhattan. I was one of several selected nationwide to participate in the 2005 show "Contemporary Realism," at the Center for Living Arts in Mobile, Alabama, and I had a one-man show not long ago at William Penn University, here in central Iowa. My work is in private collections throughout the United States. To inquire about pieces displayed here or to discuss a commission, contact me here at my online Des Moines art gallery or I can be reached by telephone at the number below.
Unless otherwise noted, all works displayed here in my virtual Des Moines art gallery are available for purchase. Inquiries accepted and pricing supplied via electronic mail, telephone or a personal visit.
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Gary Hoff, Painter | 515-243-5054
info@heartland-studio.com
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