Mikel Donahue : Governor's Gallery, February 27-April 29, 2012.

              Mikel Donahue Governor's Gallery February 27 - April 29, 2012
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Mikel Donahue
Morning Circle by Mikel Donahue
Mikel Donahue
Governor's Gallery - February 27 - April 29, 2012
December 19, 2011
Artist Mikel Donahue of Broken Arrow is best known for
his impeccable depictions of cowboy life. His colored pencil
drawings and paintings portray ranchers and their
livestock during the day-to-day ritual of sun-up to sun-down
work on the ranch. What may seem as mundane
chores are captured and translated through his artistic
style into moments of meaning and reflection.
As described in a 2011 issue of Southwest Art magazine,
"A pensive, almost dream-like sheen emanates from most
of Donahue's canvases, a result of both his informed
approach toward his subject matter and his technical
proficiency." A past career in commercial design helped
Donahue perfect his sense of composition and
understanding of the principles of design and form. His
knowledge of the subject matter is aided by time spent on
ranches, hundreds of photographs, and numerous sketches and field notes to remind him of
certain moments.
To achieve what Southwest Art describes as
"highly atmospheric blends of detailed
representations pair[ed] with muted,
impressionistic backgrounds," Donahue uses
watercolor, colored pencils, and pastels. He
begins most canvases by laying down a light
watercolor wash and later applying details in
colored pencil. The pastels add dimension.
"I'm drawn to impressionism in a big way,"
says Donahue. "Some of my favorite artists
use impressionistic techniques."
Donahue, who was born and raised in Tulsa,
was taught about life on the ranch by his paternal grandfather who raised cattle in north-central
Oklahoma, outside of Sand Creek. It was Donahue's maternal grandfather who
exposed him to western art at an early age with memorable trips to Tulsa's Gilcrease
Museum and what was then the National Cowboy Hall of Fame (now National Cowboy and
Western Heritage Museum) in Oklahoma City. Fascinated both by life on the ranch and the
iconic art by the likes of Charlie Russell and Frederic Remington, as an adult, Donahue has
become a perfect amalgam of his influences with a life breeding quarter horses on his ranch
outside Broken Arrow and an award-winning career in the arts.
Donahue is the 2011 recipient of the
Academy of Western Artists' "Will Rogers
Award" for Artist of the Year. In 2010 he
was awarded the prestigious "Premier
Platinum Award" and the "William E. Weiss
Purchase Award" at the Buffalo Bill Art Show
and Sale. He is an annual participant in the
Prix de West at the National Cowboy &
Western Heritage Museum. He has work in
many private collections and museums and
Capitol Exhibitions
The Capitol is home to four art
galleries, exhibiting works of
current and past Oklahoma
artists.
East Gallery
North Gallery
Governor's Gallery
Betty Price Gallery
About the Governor's
Gallery
Located on the second floor of
the Capitol, adjacent to the
Governor's Blue Room, the
Governor's Gallery features
paintings and mixed media
works by current Oklahoma
artists. Exhibits rotate
approximately every 60 days.
Hours: Weekdays 8:30 a.m. to
5 p.m.
The Governor's Gallery is
curated by the Oklahoma Arts
Council. For more information
contact Alyson Moses at
405.521.2931 or
alyson.moses@arts.ok.gov.
Past Governor's Gallery
Exhibitions
Selection of Artists for
Exhibition
Upcoming Governor's
Gallery Exhibits
Gayle L. Curry (Oklahoma
City)
December 17, 2012 -
Febuary 17, 2013
Almira Hill Grammer
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