PAINTING THE WILD

Kalon is a naturalist at heart (and in practice). Deeply reverent of and intrigued by the natural world, he seeks to convey his awe and curiosity through his paintings. Primarily working with oil, Kalon’s process involves meticulously applying layer upon layer of paint to a canvas, ultimately resulting in a final image that captures the complexity and luminosity of light present in nature. His paintings are designed to be appreciated up close or at a distance. Kalon’s studio process blends the study of reference photos that he has captured in the field with hundreds of hours of observation of wild animals in their native habitats. Kalon’s attention to detail extends beyond the individual animals who appear at the heart of his work to his appreciation for the complexity of the natural world as a whole. He is mindful of and takes great care with every flower petal, blade of grass, ripple of water, and rock face that he paints. 

As a dedicated naturalist and conservationist, Kalon has captured striking and wild natural moments on camera as well as in paint. His photography features wolverine, lynx, and cougars, among other species.

Finally, Kalon’s passion for wildlife extends to the human animal, and the individuality of our bodies and experience. As with his wildlife paintings, Kalon pays particular attention to the detail of the human form, striving to immortalize the individual in his figure drawings.

“ONE ARM BANDIT“

16x24” CHARCOAL ON PAPER

John Payne lost his arm in a construction accident when he was a young man. Many years ago, Kalon met John in a middle-of-nowhere, rundown Conoco station where John was involved in a poker game between roughnecks and outlaws. John had a unique vibe that piqued Kalon’s interest. Many years later, John’s survival story inspired Kalon to preserver after a crippling, backcountry motorcycle accident nearly lost him a leg. With a “gum” eraser to bring highlights to life and capture the quality of light pouring over John’s image, this charcoal portrait was executed over about a month. The process involved applying layer upon layer of charcoal, using a “tortillon” to blend and create depth as he worked to document and share that unique edge in John’s spirit that captured Kalon’s interest when they first met.

DETAILS OF “ONE ARM BANDIT”

In 1989 John won, for the first of many times, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Specialty Act of the Year. His belt buckle commemorates that first win — he’s since won this award more than ten times over. After taking over a thousand photos of John for reference material for the portrait, Kalon still didn’t feel he had captured the right one. As the two continued chatting, forgetting about the task at hand, John casually leaned back against a trailer, looked toward the horizon and settled into himself. It was in this moment that Kalon visualized John’s portrait and snapped the image that eventually became the inspiration for this painting.

About | Contact | Policies

Site Design by Townsend Collective