Raised on his family's cattle ranch in Idaho, Brent Cotton was inspired to become an artist by his grandmother. He works in a variety of media, but oil is his favorite and plein-air tonalist landscapes are his specialty.

At first Cotton painted in an illustrative style similar to the work he saw in sporting magazines and he carved song birds and gamefish out of wood. His work was good enough to catch the attention of Wally Grewe, an art representative. Grewe introduced Cotton to professional painters including Guy Coheleach and Christine Verner. It was Verner who invited Brent Cotton to study with her at her studio. Cotton later attended workshops by Jim Wilcox, John Moyers and Howard Terpning.

Cotton became good friends with painter Keith Huey. He and Huey painted together in Hawaii in 1999 and it was there that Cotton met his wife, Jennifer. After his marriage the couple lived in Hawaii in a cottage in the inland upcountry of Maui. Every afternoon clouds would roll in from the Pacific and cover the foothills where they lived. Cotton credits this natural occurrence along with the the experience of forest fires in the northern Rockies with his development of a tonalist style.

In 2003 Brent Cotton won the People's Choice Award at the annual Arts for the Parks competition for his painting 'Evensong' which portrays a lone kayaker on Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park.

Brent Cotton has recently (2005) built his first studio in Stevensville, Montana.

Source: Southwest Art, February 2005

Brent Cotton, b. 1972, Blackfoot, Idaho, (United States)

Raised on his family's cattle ranch in Idaho, Brent's first lessons in art were taught by his grandmother, a talented watercolorist. He grew up sketching the cowboys and horses he observed every day. Moving in Fifth Grade to Lindsborg, Kansas which was steeped in its' Swedish heritage and love of the arts, Brent's creativity flourished. In high school an influential instructor encouraged him to pursue a career in art.

Cotton attended workshops and studied with some of the best known names in wildlife and western art including artist Howard Terpning at the Cowboy Artists of America workshop in 1997. Cotton moved to Maui in 1999 and it was there that his work took on a more moody and atmospheric feel. The foggy days he experienced on the slopes of Haleakala volcano combined with the forest fires in Montana where he continued to spend his summers, had a dramatic impact on the direction he would take as an artist. Today he prefers to paint in the Tonalist/Luminist style made popular in the late 1800's, seeking to create works that are mood-evoking and have a timeless quality.

He also enjoys 'Plein Air' painting and strives to work outdoors as often as he can. "I became a better artist when I began painting from life. It forced me to really observe and train my eyes to filter out the unnecessary stuff and focus on the major elements." He loves to strap on his hiking boots, grab his portable easel and wander off in search of a moody scene to capture on canvas.

An avid outdoorsman Brent can often be found standing in one of the local rivers with a fly rod in his hand or on the oars of his drift boat. The close proximity to some amazing blue ribbon trout streams is one of the many reasons he and his family make their home in the Bitterroot valley of Montana. This passion has led Brent to focus on sporting art, particularly fly-fishing as a common theme in his work.

Selected Exhibitions
• National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Prix de West, Oklahoma City, OK, 2012-2014
• Birger Sandzen Memorial Gallery & Museum, Lindsborg, KS, 2007
• Bennington Center for the Arts, Artists for the New Century, Bennington, VT, 2006
• Oil Painters of America, 2005
• Arts for the Parks, Jackson Hole, WY, 199, 2003
Selected Press
• Southwest Art Magazine, October, 2012
• Art of the West, July-August, 2011
• Western Art Collector, August, 2011
• Western Art Collector, July, 2010
• Western Art Collector, April, 2008
• Artist Magazine, "The Future of Realism" February, 2006
• Southwest Art Magazine, February, 2004
• Art of the West: May-June, 2006
Affiliations
• Prix de West Society
• Russell Skull Society of Artists
Private Collections
• Oprah Winfrey
• Tom Brokaw
• Brent Musberger
Awards
• Western Rendezvous of Art, Award of Excellence, 2012
• Western Rendezvous of Art, People's Choice Award, 2012
• Oil Painters of America, Award of Excellence, 2009
• CM Russell Museum, CEO Award, Great Falls, MT, 2005
• Arts for the Parks top 100, People's Choice, 2003
• Arts for the Parks top 100, Region 3 Award, 2003
• Glacier National Park, Artist in Residence, 2001
• Arts for the Parks, Top 100, 1997