Bill Anton Paints the West

December 18, 2021 - March 6, 2022

“I do not see myself as a biographer of the “cowboy.” I know some artists feel they are recording a historical portrayal of ranch life today in the American West. But the focus of my work has always been mood and passion. If I’m recording anything, I’m recording how I feel about the West. I want the viewer to feel the drama of atmosphere and the mystery of a western night. I want the volume and portent of a cloud to be evident in the calligraphy of a brush stroke. The pack of the muscle below a horse’s shoulder should be energized by the gestural application of paint.”

Bill Anton was born in Chicago in 1957, and later moved to Prescott, Arizona after graduating from Northern Arizona University. When he committed to painting full-time, he studied under Michael Lynch and Ned Jacob, who encouraged him to paint from life. Anton’s work has been published in Southwest Art, Architectural Digest, Art of the West, Equine Images, Western Horseman and Art-Talk. He was featured on the cover of the April 2006 American Artist magazine. Corporate collections that include his work are Sears, Dupont, State Farm Insurance, Bank of America, Hewlett Packard, and Trust Company of the West. His award winning work has been displayed at the Prix de West at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Master of the American West at The Autry Museum, The National Center for American Western Art, The Old West Museum and The National Museum of Wildlife Art. In addition, his work is in the permanent collection of the prestigious Gilcrease Museum. View more information about Bill Anton at www.billantonstudio.com.

Main Museum | Included with paid admission, members free | December 18, 2021 – March 6, 2022