"Sahli's works, with their vivid colors, heavy impasto and pronounced drama, pay homage to the great Russian impressionists of the 20th century. His works make an exciting, bold ans masterful addition to any collection." - Informed Collector
Don Sahli strives to continually expand his horizons and push the limits, presenting and creating his work in ways that are unexpected, fresh and stimulating. Instead of being limited by the technical bounds of painting and the expected response to subject matter, he takes these boundaries and uses them as the jumping off point - the start of something, not the end. And while Sahli's work can be seen as traditional with old world qualities that come from his background in the Russian School of Painting, it can also be seen as modern and contemporary - on the cutting edge in terms of color, design and passion.
Don Sahli made the decision to become a professional artist at a very early age. By the time he was 17 years old, art galleries in Texas and New Mexico were selling his paintings. Sahli has earned his living as a professional artist all his adult life. His work is presently represented in galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Aspen, Vail, Beaver Creek, and Breckenridge, Colorado; Wilmington, North Carolina, Sedona, Arizona, and Midland, Texas. He is quite prolific, producing numerous studio pieces — including public works and corporate commissions — and innumerable sketches and plein air works each year.
Sahli began his formal art education at the University of Texas in Austin. A year later, he met Sergei Bongart, the famous Russian colorist. At Bongart's invitation, Sahli followed him to California and became his last apprentice. He remained with the Russian for three years, until Bongart's death in 1985.
The broad range of Sahli's work shows his talent as a painter and his philosophy toward painting. "When I look at a painting, I want it to bring me back to when I was on the scene. I want it to convey the drama and emotion that first captured my attention – the atmosphere and the soul of the place. This is the goal of my work - to go past just the image to touch the viewer in a way that evokes emotion"
Rather than just reproducing the object or telling a story, Don Sahli creates his images with the dramatic and subtle use of color. The viewer's eye sees the vivid color and reacts to the color - each perception unique. Sahli's paintings are also filled with the contrasts of heavy textured brushstrokes to soft fluid washes. As Beethoven took distinctive approaches to the art of music - he wrote the Requiem Mass, the light airy moonlight Sonata and the Ninth Symphony - Sahli approaches each painting expecting to make it truly distinct from the last. Instead of seeking a niche, finding something that is comfortable and familiar, and painting to that, Sahli endeavors to expand the possiblities. Yet, there is something that unites all the work - it is designed to create an emotional interaction between the viewer and the painted image.
Sahli lives with his wife, Cindy, and their two sons; Jeff and Sam, in their mountain home in Evergreen. See the painting of his garden and his art school studio and gallery below.
Check our website often, to see Don's latest works and to get information on Don's upcoming events. For information on commissioned paintings, please contact us.
For further insight into Don and his life and thinking as an artist, please see the article in the July 2003 issue of thescreamonline.com, an internet magazine for Art, Poetry and Literature. This pictorial article covers Don's month-long painting excursion in Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone, Colorado in February of 2003, and is narrated by Don himself. Go to www.thescreamonline.com and look up the article under "Past Issues". To see more of Don in the news please visit the Newsroom at www.sahliartofpainting.com.
Upcoming Events and Exhibits
Demonstration & Dialogue Art Students League of Denver 3/13/2010-3/13/2010 Reception: ()
Demonstration and Dialogue at Art Students League of Denver, located in the Heart of Denver, Colorado. March 13, 2010 1:00-3:00pm. Sahli and ASLD invite you to join them for this unique oil painting event! Cost: $5 for ASLD Members, $7 for non-members.
Artist-in-Residence Breckenridge Fine Art Gallery 3/17/2010-3/20/2010 Reception: ()
Join Don Sahli to kick off your St. patricks Day weekend! He will be at the Breckenridge Fine Art Gallery starting on Wednesday, St. Patricks Day, for the his popular Artist-in-Residence event. Stop by the gallery and watch Don working at the easel, see what he has painted through out the week around the Breckendridge area, ask questions an dhere the story of his journey as a painter.
Wednesday, March 17th - Saturday, March 20th: daily from 4:00-8:00p.m.
Breckenridge Fine Art Gallery
421 S. Main StreetBreckenridge, CO970-453-9500
Plein Air Painting Workshop – Denver Landmarks Denver, CO 5/14/2010-5/16/2010 Reception: ()
Plein Air Painting Workshop – Denver Landmarks
Available through Art Students League of Denver
Don Sahli will conduct a 3 day Plein Air workshop through the Art Students League of Denver. Classes will be held on location in historic neighborhoods surrounding the ASL. Students will produce field studies, relating and simplifying the complex landscapes and buildings into simple color spots. Structure and drawing will be stressed. Students will learn to use the tools of: value, color, and temperature, and the understanding of form, light and shadow, design and composition to quickly capture the essence of the scene. Don Sahli provides hands-on guidance and instruction in how to apply these tools to the unique challenges of painting on location. Sahli's personalized teaching method, along with limited class size, will ensure everyone's success.
Ability Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Class time(s): 9:00AM-3:00PM
Special Requirements: Plein Air easel (French Box preferred)
Supplies: Can be purchased from Sahli School of Art.
For more details and to sign-up visit: www.asld.org
Upcoming Workshops
Other Web Pages that Don Sahli Recommends you visit
