Page 26 - 2020 Russell Catalogue

Art in Action TM
Mike BARlow MichAel BleSSing
Mike Barlow grew up in the sagebrush country of Wyoming, hunting, fishing, and modeling in clay. Barlow's passion for wildlife was formed early in his life when
he spent time on the family’s ranch. His artistic style is impressionistic within a classical context. He creates sculpture that is anatomically correct and expresses the animal’s majesty, strength, and power.
Sponsored by: KRTV KTVH
nAncy dunloP cAwdRey
Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey is a colorist with a strong sense of design. She is
a founding member of the Russell Skull Society of Artists and has participated regularly in the C.M. Russell auctions. Cawdrey also participates in exhibitions at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, the Gilcrease Museum, the Western Masters, and the National Cowboy Museum. Cawdrey was the featured artist for the thirtieth anniversary of the 2014 Jackson Hole Festival, where her painting Forever Jackson set a new auction sales record.
Sponsored by: Stifel—Great Falls, Billings, Bozeman, Kalispell toM deAn
Tom Dean is a completely self-taught artist working exclusively in exotic woods. His one-of-a-kind hand-carved sculptures reside in prominent and private collections as well as in major corporations. In
2009, he was heralded as one of the best woodworkers in the country by Cowboys & Indians magazine. In 2012, he was awarded one of the highest awards given by the Montana Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Montana Circle of American Masters award. His artwork has been recognized and published both in national and international publications.
Michael Blessing’s innovative and vibrant oil paintings merge traditional subjects with contemporary elements. Drawn to nostalgia associated with neon in his "Neon West" series, Blessing brings historical figures to life with mid-1900s pop influences. Blessing’s work has received the Curator’s Award at the High Desert Museum Art in the West art show in 2017 and Awards of Excellence from Western Art Collector and Southwest Art magazines. He was also the recipient of the BOLDBRUSH award in April 2016.
Sponsored by: Dave and Bridget Kornder tRoy collinS
Troy Collins is a nationally renowned Western landscape impressionist who creates paintings with brilliant color, texture, and insight from his studio in the middle of the Bitterroot Mountain Range. His paintings have graced the halls of the California State Capitol, the Pentagon, and the U.S. Capitol and are included in many corporate and private collections throughout the United States and Europe. Collins' work has been featured in over fifty magazines and four books, and he has also been chosen as one of the top twenty-five quick finish artists in the West.
Sponsored by: PayneWest Insurance
John c. gAwne
John C. Gawne, the 2007 C.M. Russell Museum Auction CEO Award winner, has participated
in The Russell auction since 1995. Painting since the early 1990s,
he is represented in numerous galleries and has participated in the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale, Settlers West American Miniatures show, and Coeur d’Alene Miniature Show.
Sponsored by: Holman Aviation
Sponsored by: John D. Rogers, Jr.