Western reunion

People have long had a romance with the Old West – but only a few have had the grit to live the life.

Many more of us appreciate the dusty cattle drives, sweeping prairies and howling coyotes through movies, books and art.

Opening today for its three-day run is the immensely popular Spokane Western and Wildlife Art Show in the new Spokane Convention Center.

“We’re bringing back more than 60 artists from throughout the West,” says Don Walsdorf, organizer of the show.

There will be original paintings, sculpture and fine craft in a wide variety of mediums including oil, acrylic, watercolor, photography, stone and bronze.

Tim Sullivan, a fourth-generation Montanan, has been making the trip over Lookout Pass to the show for more than 20 years.

“Spokane has always been good to me,” says the Missoula sculptor. “A lot of people who come to the show seem to like my work.”

His work consists of realistic, figurative and wildlife bronze sculptures.

Sullivan started out as a painter, but turned to sculpting exclusively in the late 1970s.

“You have to specialize,” he says. “There are no more Charlie Russells these days. He could do it all – sculpt, draw and paint.”

This weekend’s show certainly isn’t short on people who can paint.

One such artist is Rick Urdahl, an avid outdoorsman from Cheney. For more than three decades, Urdahl has set up a booth at the Spokane show featuring his sporting art in watercolors, acrylics and oils.

For 22 years he traveled with a fellow artist, the late Western and outdoor painter J.D. Mackin.

“We scheduled all our art shows so that we would be in prime fishing water before and after,” says Urdahl. “He was the most intense fisherman I’ve ever seen.”

After Mackin died in 2001, Urdahl wrote about their friendship and time on the road in the limited-edition book, “My Travels with J.D. Mackin, ‘Internationally Unknown’ Artist.”

“The art business is fairly tough and it can make you crazy,” says Urdahl, “but we never got crazy at the same time. It was a unique friendship.”

If you are drawn to images of vast Western landscapes, you won’t be disappointed this weekend.

Hulan Fleming of Monroe, Wash., is bringing a number of his great outdoors paintings including “Bison on Willow Creek.”

The original 24- by 36-inch oil on hard board captures a herd of buffalo grazing near a gently flowing creek. The fading sun creates a peaceful autumn scene.

“Hulan is recognized for capturing the light,” says Walsdorf.

Fleming describes his work as realistic impressionism, not truly historical to detail but bearing the spiritual idea of the place.

One artist who does focus on detail is Jeff Tift out of Entiat, Wash. His wilderness and wildlife paintings often reflect his experiences backpacking in the Cascades.

“Jeff’s ‘Wolf’ painting is a masterpiece,” says Walsdorf. “It is so detailed you can see a drop of liquid on the end of the wolf’s tongue.”

While the dominant genres at the show are Western and wildlife, numerous artists are showing panoramic seascapes, colorful florals, leather work and abstract images.

“The whole idea of the show is to get people to come in and appreciate the work for what it is,” says Walsdorf.