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The Blackfoot people referred to the Rocky Mountains as “the backbone of the world.” From the foothills of Rockies to the East extend the Great Plains. To the West, the Rockies ultimately drop off into the Pacific Ocean. Add in the amazing length of the Rockies from North to South and it is not hard to see that from the Blackfoots’ limited perspective at that time, they weren’t that far off the mark. There were trails that went across and over the Rockies at various places. In all probability they were originally game trails that were then used by man. This painting represents such a trail being used by three Blackfoot Warriors.
When we called Howard to let him know that we were thinking about pub-lishing "Trail Along the Backbone," he mentioned that the original is part of the collection of the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, GA. Howard was honored with the Booth Museum Lifetime Achievement Award. The Booth houses the largest permanent exhibition space for western art in the United States. Their collection also includes three other Terpning originals, "River Crow," "Legend of Geronimo" and "On the Brink." Take the time to learn more about the Booth at www.boothmuseum.org.
With so many of Terpning’s originals in private collections, it is only through museums such as the Booth Museum of Western Art or The Greenwich Workshop’s Fine Art Editions program that a wider audience is able to enjoy the paintings of this great American artist.
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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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