Distinctly Montana Magazine

d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a • fa l l 2 0 1 4 26 roBErt, What arE you WorkIng on noW and In What dIrECtIon IS your art takIng you? At the present time, I am working on medium-sized aspen paintings, flowers, and a Sim- mental bull, the inspiration com- ing from a recent trip to a bull ranch near where I once worked. you SEEm to EnJoy a WIdE VarIEty of toPICS In your art, moSt WIth a montana "flaVor," and all WIth an aPPrECIa- tIon of thE natural World. Why doES thIS InSPIratIon Work for you? I grew up in western Colorado and my family spent time in the mountains. I was privileged to have an uncle who was a freelance photographer and exposed me to the Colorado and Utah mountains/landscape. His explanations of design at his slide shows were enlightening, even as a child. After coming to Montana in 1975, I began spending a lot of time in Big Sky and the Beartooth Range. The mix of great color in the land- scape, the mixture of grasses, trees, and interesting slopes appeal to me. WhEn VIEWIng your landSCaPES and WIldlIfE WorkS, onE IS StruCk By Both a SEnSE of StIllnESS and a Sort of "maJ- ESty" aBout thE toPIC. IS that IntEntIonal on your Part? Yes, very. I walk in the mountains and these "places" just appear. I suppose the stillness comes from the visual sense that helps me to find quietness in the timber and alpine areas. I credit Robert Moore and his workshops in teaching simplification and to truly "see." The simplification allows for only add- ing enough detail to suggest what the "mind's eye" knows is there. I want to record the image in paint as an interpretation of the subject. Using the dynamic design principles of com- position, I am immediately drawn to certain in- tersections and diagonals that create interest. ln roBErt tomPkInS is the Owner/Operator of Tompkins Fine Art, Billings, (406) 860-3859 tompkins2511@gmail.com The Fine Art of Robert Tompkins Western Painterly Spanish Peaks Wildflowers Plein Air

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