(1942 - ) For four decades, landscape impressionist painter Walt Gonske has braved the snow and the sun, scaled rocks and rivers and sought out the obscure evocative locations that inspire him to paint. His expressive brush captures the felt experience of a place in time using texture and stunning color combinations. Each painting is a response by the artist to the call of a moment in time and a particular place in history. The artist studied with Frank Reilly, the famous illustrator and at the Art Students League of New York. Following a successful career as an illustrator, he moved to Taos in 1972 to find his calling as a fine artist. Gonske’s plein air paintings are a direct and bold response to the intensity of the light and stunning colors of Northern New Mexico and beyond. The artist spoke of his immediate connection with New Mexico when he first visited in 1970. He responded in watercolor, creating 4 paintings that his sister took to Albuquerque and found his first gallery home at Brandywine Gallery, owned by Lou Abrums. It was she who sent him the first check for an art sale, and when he opened that envelope in New York City, the entire trajectory of his life changed. Fast forward to today, Gonske is widely known and respected. In between, Walt has mounted over 40 one-man shows. You can review his life’s work in his book, The Art of Walt Gonske, a Retrospective. Recognized for his passion and integrity, Walt Gonske’s confident brush contrasts with his humble personality and he continues to push the boundaries of perception through color and composition. To view his work is to see through the artist’s eye and participate in his ongoing interaction with the natural world. He is the hunter who heads into the wild and returns with indelible images of the natural world and remnants of culture that will never die, because Walt Gonske has painted them into history.