Curt Walters (Arizona / New Mexico, b. 1950), "Gambogian Glow", oil on wood panel, signed lower right, titled verso, with Prix de West Invitational label affixed to the verso

sight: 28 x 28 in., frame: 35 x 35 in.

Exhibited: Prix de West Invitational at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum live auction in 2014

Provenance: Purchased from the above; thence property from the Estate of Robert A. "Bob" Funk Sr. - trailblazing American businessman, philanthropist, and rancher, from his impressive ranch headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Curt Walters is a plein-air Impressionist painter known particularly for his luminous depictions of the Grand Canyon and the landscapes of the American Southwest, although his work also encompasses cityscapes and landscapes from around the world. Largely self-taught, Walters began painting as a teenager by copying works in his family’s New Mexico farmhouse and sold his first painting at 15; a visit to the Grand Canyon at 19 became a defining influence on his artistic career. His painterly style emphasizes the changing effects of light, color, atmosphere, and weather, with the Grand Canyon serving as both a central subject and a means of exploring environmental concerns. His work has been exhibited annually at prominent Western-art venues including the Prix de West Exhibition in Oklahoma City and the Masters of the American West at the Autry Museum in Los Angeles, where he has received numerous honors, including Buyers’ Choice Awards and the prestigious Frederic Remington Painting Award in 2004. Walters has also been named Official Artist of the Grand Canyon Trust in recognition of his longstanding efforts to support conservation of the Grand Canyon and Colorado Plateau, and his paintings are held in collections including the Forbes Magazine Galleries, the Maytag Foundation, and San Juan College.