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"When the American West was truly wild country," says artist Howard Terpning, "sometimes traveling on horseback was very difficult, if not impossible. Dense forests and fallen timbers often required riders to dismount and lead their horses through a passage that under normal conditions wouldn't even be considered. In this case, these Crow warriors have found the forest so dense that passing through on horseback was out of the question, so their line of least resistance was forging ahead through icy cold water and slippery boulders.
"I enjoy painting water for a great many reasons, particularly white water. As an artistic device it creates drama and tension and draws the viewer's eye through the scene. I wanted to express the motion of these travelers and the dangers they faced. Capable, resilient and experienced though these men might have been, the great force of the rushing waters posed quite a threat to them and their laden horses as they crossed."
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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 Autry National Center.
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 with his captivating
advertising and story illustrations. 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. But his love of the West and Native American traditions saw his
transition to fine art.
Terpning is an Emeritus member of the Cowboy Artists of America, active for 22
years, during which time he was presented with a total of 41 awards. His book,
The Art of Howard Terpning won the Wrangler "Outstanding Art Book" award from
the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.
Terpning was recently honored with a one-man show at the Eiteljorg Museum of
American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis, Indiana featuring 30 of the
artist’s most distinguished works where he was presented with the Lifetime
Achievement Award. This career milestone was further celebrated with the
publication of Spirit of the Plains People (2001, Greenwich Workshop Press).
Terpning is the recipient of the Autry National Center, 2005 Masters of the
American West Thomas Moran Memorial Award, given in recognition of exceptional
artistic merit for painting.
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