This biography from the Archives of AskART:
|  Raised on his family's cattle ranch in Idaho, Brent Cotton was inspired to become an artist by his grandmother. He works in a variety of media, but oil is his favorite and plein-air tonalist landscapes are his specialty.
At first Cotton painted in an illustrative style similar to the work he saw in sporting magazines and he carved song birds and gamefish out of wood. His work was good enough to catch the attention of Wally Grewe, an art representative. Grewe introduced Cotton to professional painters including Guy Coheleach and Christine Verner. It was Verner who invited Brent Cotton to study with her at her studio. Cotton later attended workshops by Jim Wilcox, John Moyers and Howard Terpning.
Cotton became good friends with painter Keith Huey. He and Huey painted together in Hawaii in 1999 and it was there that Cotton met his wife, Jennifer. After his marriage the couple lived in Hawaii in a cottage in the inland upcountry of Maui. Every afternoon clouds would roll in from the Pacific and cover the foothills where they lived. Cotton credits this natural occurrence along with the the experience of forest fires in the northern Rockies with his development of a tonalist style.
In 2003 Brent Cotton won the People's Choice Award at the annual Arts for the Parks competition for his painting 'Evensong' which portrays a lone kayaker on Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park.
Brent Cotton has recently (2005) built his first studio in Stevensville, Montana.
Source: Southwest Art, February 2005 |
Biography from Trailside Galleries - WY:
|  Raised on his family’s cattle ranch in Idaho, Brent Cotton first took lessons in art from this grandmother, a talented watercolorist. He grew up sketching the cowboys and horses he observed every day. In high school an influential instructor encouraged him to pursue an art career. Upon graduation, he spent several seasons as a hunting and fishing guide in both Idaho and Alaska, experiences that continue to inspire many painting ideas.
He focused on wildlife art and taught himself woodcarving as a way to express himself. His specialty became gamefish and songbirds. After several years of carving and sculpting, Brent decided to concentrate on painting. He began attending workshops, and over the years has studied with some of the best-known names in wildlife and western art.
He was a part of a select group of artists to study with Howard Terpning at the Cowboy Artists of America workshops in Texas in 1997. Apprenticing with Oklahoma artist Christine Verner expanded his vision, and under her direction his work turned from tightly rendered to a more impressionistic approach. He now considers himself predominately a landscape painter, preferring to work on location, “En Plein Air”.
“I became a better artist when I began painting from life. It forced me to really observe and train my eyes to filter out the unnecessary stuff and focus on the major elements.” He loves to strap on his hiking boots, grab his easel, and wander off in search of a moody scene to capture on canvas. His paintings have an old-world feel to them. “I’m inspired by mood and drama, the fleeting effects of light. I hope my paintings bring a sense of peace to the viewer, perhaps conjure up a memory."
His work has garnered several national awards including the national competition “Arts for the Parks” where this past year his piece “Evensong” won both the “People’s Choice” and the “Region 3” awards. He was an Artist-in-residence for Glacier National Park in 2001. His work is in many corporate and private collections abroad. Among his collectors are Oprah Winfrey, Tom Brokaw and Brent Musberger. He and his wife Jennifer live in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana.
|
| ** If you discover credit omissions or have additional information to add, please let us know at registrar@AskART.com. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|