Original Oil on Linen “Song of the Titans” by Bill Gallen [SOLD]

This original painting by Bill Gallen, titled "Song of the Titans," is a painting of the Picacho Mountains in Arizona. Gallen deliberately paints in restrained color and detail as a means of enlivening the natural rhythms of the subject, and to keep his paintings from appearing as illustrations. The softness of his techniques casts a warm and relaxing mood to his paintings. Not only is Gallen's technique intoxicating, but it also provides a specific introduction to the shapes, hues and colors of the Southwest. The green of the desert scrub may appear to be lackluster until it is framed by the famous purple of the background hills this area of the world is so well known for. Cloud formations become mountains of the sky behind the hills and these three subjects undulate and catch the curiosity of any onlooker, while at once emanating a strong sense of wellbeing. This phenomenon is commonplace while actually experiencing the landscapes of the Southwest, but to be able to capture and convey this in paint sets Gallen apart. "Song of the Titans" was painted in 2009. It is signed by the artist in lower right and dated and titled on verso. It is beautifully framed in a gold metal leaf wood frame and ready to hang.

Gallen stated “Painting for me is a world where, time after time, the ripeness and richness of life is revealed in the simplest of expressions. A path through barren autumn scrub is material enough for a painting. Translating the thrill of seeing—and responding in paint language—is the way and means of our craft. No grand vista is needed to discover a sacred world; one lies before us already.”

William (Bill) Gallen (1958- ) is a painter who resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Growing up along the shores of Lake Michigan and wandering the woods and fields of his native Wisconsin gave Gallen an early appreciation for the wonders of the natural world. Gallen graduated from the University of Wisconsin, having studied German and History and spent a year abroad at the University of Freiburg in Germany. Plans to pursue an academic career gave way when he moved to Colorado with his brother, following the call of a boyhood interest in the Rocky Mountains. Nurturing a lifelong interest in art, Gallen studied painting and drawing in his free time. Fortuitous encounters with the landscape painter David Ballew lead him to a lineage of teachers that remain lifelong friends, principally Michael Lynch, Ned Jacob and Chuck Volz.  Gallen enjoys painting landscapes, particularly location pieces. The eye for beauty and harmony in nature, which he developed as a child in the Midwest, informs his work with freshness and sensitivity. Gallen's paintings are included in private, corporate and museum collections nationwide.

*Artist biographical information courtesy the artist's website.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Original Oil on Linen "Song of the Titans" by Bill Gallen is from a private collection

Relative Links: painting, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Bill Gallen, Santa Fe Painter