84 WWW.SOUTHWESTART.COM • AUGUST 2019
Artists of
UTAH
Whatinspiresyoutopaint? I’m inspired by
thequietcolorsofdistantcliffs and faraway
mountainsagainstnearer,bolder colors. Re-
flectionsinrivers, unusual lighting, and an
overcastdaywitha breakin the clouds are
specialinspirations.Thesimplicity and dra-
maofdustrisingoverwildhorses is aestheti-
callypleasing.
How would you describe your style?
Somewherebetween spontaneous realism
andearlyCaliforniaImpressionism, with in-
fluencesfromVelázquez,Hals, and Sargent
inthemix.
Howdidyoufirstgetinterested in art?
ThebedroomI sharedwith my two broth-
ershadwallscoveredinmy father’s draw-
ings.I wasamazedhowmy dad could make
beautifuldrawingswithsofew lines. I would
spendhourslookingthrough his large library
ofartbooks,drawingonthe chalkboard in
mycloset,andfillingrollsof newsprint with
sketches.
Wheredidyoustudyart? Weber State
UniversityandtheUniversity of Utah. I stud-
iedfiguredrawingandpainting under Alvin
Gittins(1922-1981).Hewasvery infl uential to
mystyleandcareer.
Whathavebeensomeof the highlights
ofyourcareer?WinningBest of Show and
first-placeawardsinplein-air competitions
alwaysmotivatesme.Also, having my work
featuredin Ripley’sBelieve It or Not! was
prettycool.
Whenyou’renotcreating art, what else
doyouenjoydoing?I love survival camping
in thedesertormountainswith my two sons
and friends.I find joyinrestoring pioneer
logcabinsandrelocatingthem to our cabin
propertyinsouthernUtah.
What galleries represent your work?
David EricsonFine Art,Salt Lake City, UT;
BristleconeGallery,Sandy, UT; http://www.steven
Whitehorse and His Pup, oil, 30 x 40. heward.com.
Brian Waiting for the Blacksmith, oil, 20 x 24.
Steven
Heward