Artists to Watch | James Corwin & Buffalo Kaplinski

Wildlife artist James Corwin is a young painter with compelling talent and a sincere motivation for creating. His purpose as an artist, he says, is to elicit an emotional response from the viewer by drawing them into the story depicted on canvas and to bring the beauty of nature to others. His paintings serve as a reflection of how he sees the world and his desire to preserve its fragility by giving back.

Initially a landscape painter, Corwin transitioned to wildlife painting eight years ago; he almost immediately knew he had found his niche painting buffalo, bison, elk, egrets, elephants, coyotes, wolves and the like. “I realized I could tell more of a story through wildlife,” the artist says. “Being able to capture relatable emotion in the eyes of an animal is powerful. Also, I felt I could broaden my reach by painting wildlife. Everyone knows what an elephant is, but not everyone will know a specific bridge in a landscape painting of my hometown, for example.”

Corwin works primarily in oil on canvas to depict these stunning creatures in their natural habitats, with inspiration and reference material gathered from frequent trips around the world, particularly Africa. His imagination and constructed visions play a significant role in the creative process as well. “Coming up with a new idea is my favorite part,” he says. “I close my eyes and imagine a world that my animal is in—what is the setting, what is it doing or seeing and what idea has no one seen before? I start piecing it all together in my mind, and then I execute.”

Although he is represented by more than 30 galleries nationwide, Corwin decided to open his own gallery—Corwin Galleries, in Hamilton, Montana—in 2021 when he moved back to Missoula. Here he shares not only his own artwork with collectors but also the work of other artists he respects and admires. “I am very passionate about representing other artists,” Corwin says, “and I want to do everything possible to help up-and-coming artists grow.” —Allison Malafronte

contact informationwww.jamescorwin.com

representationCorwin Galleries, Hamilton, MT; Beartooth Gallery Fine Art, Red Lodge, MT; Going to the Sun Gallery, Whitefish, MT; Signature Galleries, Las Vegas, NV; Gold Mountain Gallery, Telluride, CO; Sheldon Fine Art, Naples, FL; Sandpiper Gallery & Dare Gallery, Charleston, SC; Sadler Gallery, Milwaukee, WI; King James Galleries, Gettysburg, PA, & Winchester, VA; Frame of Reference, Tucson, AZ.

Buffalo Kaplinski’s passion and zest for life is palpable in the colorful, expressive watercolor paintings he has been creating throughout his 50-plus-year career. Anyone who collects his work or has ever conversed with him will tell you that his personality and paintings are synonymous.

Born in Chicago, Kaplinski was educated at the Art Institute of Chicago and the American Academy of Art, where he trained with famed watercolorist Irving Shapiro (1927-1994). “Then I got wanderlust, visited the West and had to move where natural beauty abounds,” the artist says. After frequenting Taos, New Mexico, and Colorado, Kaplinski decided to put down roots in the latter. “The Lord has put me here in Colorado. I believe that it’s His will,” he says of the Centennial State, known for its spacious skies and Rocky Mountains.

Today Kaplinski’s forte and preference is plein air watercolor landscapes, but he is also fascinated by the chroma and shapes of individual flowers. He paints the vast vistas of Colorado, the rugged terrain and spectacular sunsets of nearby Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, and such natural wonders as the Grand Canyon. Then, when he is back in his home and studio on a 100-year-old ranch near Elizabeth, Colorado, he finds himself enamored with the delicate beauty of the local hollyhocks, columbines and geraniums and puts brush to paper to create floral portraits.

Regardless of what he’s painting, Kaplinski relishes the opportunity to be in the great outdoors, observing and appreciating the beauty of creation through making art. “I really enjoy being out on location,” he shares. “Having my subject in front of me and being able to capture the essence of why it’s so beautiful—the lighting, composition, color saturation, texture—is the best part.”

Frequently participating in plein air events across the country and traveling abroad in search of subject matter (the artist has painted in 30 different countries), Kaplinski has won numerous awards and honors for his landscape paintings. He exhibits his work in group and solo exhibitions in museums and galleries across the country. —Allison Malafronte

contact informationwww.buffalowatercolors.com

These stories appeared in the June/July 2023 issue of Southwest Art magazine.

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