“My best work comes when I’m able to give up control, to trust my impulses. Then the painting takes on a life of its own.”
Walt Gonske has been described as a landscape artist whose paintings, "delight our eyes, ignite our memories and inspire fresh visions." It is an accolade that compliments Gonske's goal to "make a visual record of this beautiful country before it's gone." Brushstrokes of rich color applied loosely to the canvas in beautiful, nearly abstract compositions make up Gonske's signature style. His images, always completed in just one sitting, are immediately captivating, drawing the viewer in for a closer look.
Gonske studied at the Frank Reilly School of Art in New York City. The late Reilly gave him solid training in illustration. After a number of years as a successful illustrator in New York, he moved to Taos in 1972, where he began to work almost exclusively on location. Frustrated by the limitations inclement weather imposed on his painting in plein-air, he set about customizing a Ford pickup into a "paintmobile," or rather, a studio on wheels. This mobile studio is stocked with canvases of various sizes and textures, and allows him to go on painting trips throughout California, Colorado, or wherever the road may lead.
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