Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A . C O M 27 WHICH ARTISTS DO YOU MOST ADMIRE AND WHY? The landscapes of South Dakota's late Harvey Dunn resonate with me for his vivid portrayals of the challenges faced by early homesteaders on the arid high plains more than 100 years ago. His best known painting, The Prairie is My Garden, features a woman and her daughter picking wildfl owers near their small wooden house on a homestead similar to the one where my mother grew up in western North Dakota. Clyde Aspevig is the contemporary Montana painter whose work most inspires me. I espe- cially like the way his landscapes capture the essence and color of the broad expanses and skies of central and eastern Montana. His scenes of the mountains of western Montana are also stunning. WHAT ART WILL YOU BE WORKING ON IN 2015? I will be adding to my collection of Montana landscapes and further developing a series of smaller paintings of regional wildfl owers that I began last year. My agenda this year also includes assembling a solo exhibition of autumn scenes in North Carolina scheduled for Novem- ber in Raleigh. From a stylistic perspective, I will do some experimenting with my palette colors. AS A RETIRED PROFESSOR, YOUR NEW CAREER AS A LANDSCAPE ARTIST NO DOUBT PROVIDES ENJOYMENT, BUT MUST ALSO FILL SOME GAP IN YOUR LIFE. WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT? I retired from a satisfying academic career early enough to enjoy what I hope will be many good years to pursue other interests, including landscape painting. While mostly self-taught as a landscape painter, I have learned much from the instruction and mentoring of Luana Luconi Winner, an internationally recognized artist living in Raleigh. Painting is only part of what I do in retirement. I enjoy spending hours most days reading widely whatever looks interesting in current fi ction and nonfi ction, without having to focus on keeping up my academic fi eld. DESCRIBE FOR OUR READERS WHAT A "PERFECT DAY" WOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE LIFE OF MARVIN SOROOS. I especially look forward to the days of early summer in western Montana when forests are fresh, hillsides are green, snow lingers on the higher mountains, wildfl owers bloom, and tower- ing cumulus clouds race across the sky. Two days a week during the summer months, we host a black-lab mix named Romy while her owners are at work. The dog insists on a morning hike on one of the trails around the Missoula valley during which I shoot photos that often become references for some of my Montana paintings. In the afternoons, my canine friend is content to laze around in our backyard while I set up my easel and paint. Neighbors occasionally drop by to chat and offer their reactions to the work in progress, and one retired friend brings over his paintings for my suggestions. Metcalf Wildlife Refuge, Montana God's Country, Montana

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