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Arthur Shilstone
'Autumn Grouse'
Arthur Shilstone
'Adirondack Guide Boat'
Arthur Shilstone
'Woodcock In Heavy Cover'
Arthur Shilstone
'Casting In Quiet Waters'
Arthur Shilstone
'Afternoon On the River'
Arthur Shilstone
'Coming In'
Arthur Shilstone
'Out of Range'
Arthur Shilstone
'Duck Hunters'
Arthur Shilstone
'Below Cascading Falls'
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When legendary sportsman Ed Gray, founder of America’s most important
sporting magazine Gray’s Sporting Journal, wanted to select an artist to
illustrate his definitive book on fly fishing, Flashes in the River, he looked
throughout the world and chose Arthur Shilstone. This came as no surprise to
fly fishing connoisseurs of art, as he’s often referred to as the Ogden
Pleissner of today. And there are many reasons why.
Shilstone’s distinguished career has spanned over 50 years. After graduating
from high school, Arthur enrolled at Pratt Institute but, when the United
States entered World War II he enlisted in the Army. After a short time, he
was assigned to the 603rd Engineer Camouflage Battalion, which specialized in
deceiving the enemy through special effects and deploying regiments of
inflatable rubber 93-pound M4 tanks. Hollywood is now making a movie about
this remarkable Battalion and Shilstone is acting as consultant.
After World War II, he was discovered by Life Magazine and went on many
important assignments, including coverage of the Sam Shepard Murder Trial, the
funeral of Senator Joseph McCarthy, an investigation of the sinking of the
Andrea Doria and school integration argued before the Supreme Court
Readers of nearly every major publication will be familiar with his evocative
paintings as his work has illustrated articles in the likes of Smithsonian,
National Geographic, Sports Illustrated and The New York Time Magazines, to
name a few. He is an award winning member f the American Watercolor Society
and the Society of Illustrators.
Over the last 25 years, when the Smithsonian Institution wanted someone to
capture the story of important military events for their magazine, from the
bombing of Pearl Harbor and the Invasion of Normandy to coverage of air lift
operations (especially the evacuation of wounded soldiers during the Korean
war), they called on Arthur. For NASA, he did a series of paintings of the
Space Shuttle, beginning with her maiden voyage. His artwork has gone a long
way toward defining how Americans have seen historic events.
About 20 years ago, Arthur began painting outdoor sporting scenes for himself.
These wonderfully lyric and spontaneous paintings of places like the
Adirondack lake country, salmon running the Maramachi, Chesapeake marshes, the
Alaskan tundra and lush Connecticut waterways, can be seen in collections
across the country.
These works are masterful, fresh and spontaneous. Under Shilstone’s extremely
skilled hands, details are subtle in his washes and what emerges is as much a
feeling as a picture; as much a sense to be placed as a place to be sensed. He
manages to paint his riverscapes in such a way that you feel like you’ve
fished this spot.
We are very proud to offer you the opportunity to view the work of this modern
American master. |
