COWBOYS AND INDIANS Magazine

GALLERY TOUR
by Charlotte Berney
April 2005

BUCK AND THE BOYS by John Farnsworth, Pastel 20 x 30.

JOHN FARNSWORTH brings a rich artistic background to his celebrated equine paintings. Born in Arizona, Farnsworth came from a family of railroad workers and loggers and grew up in the railroad towns and logging camps in the northern part of the state. His mother was born in Taos, New Mexico, and when John was 9, she took him to visit the historic town. Farnsworth was so fascinated by the Taos Pueblo and by the artists he saw on this visit that he resolved then to become an artist. After serving in the Army, he returned to Arizona and painted Indian subjects for several years. After a client commissioned a portrait of a race horse, he began painting horses and steers. A large painting of steers won Best of Show and the Purchase Award for him at the State Capitol Celebration of the Arts Exhibit in Phoenix.

For the next seven years, Farnsworth painted cattle and horses, finding his subjects at rodeos and auctions. He comments, "[In portraying them] I was interested in subtle colors, textures, shapes, and arrangements of forms."

On a trip to Europe in the mid-80s, Farnsworth viewed not only Old Masters paintings but also the cave paintings near Lascaux, France. the visit revealed to him his relationship to his subject matter and his place in the continuum of art.

For all his versatility in subject matter, Farnsworth is best know for his stunning horse paintings, in which he captures both the animal'

s physical presence and essence in dramatic close-up views.

ART YOU CAN LIVE WITH