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ENLARGEWestern artist
Larry McCraw of Myrtle Creek, artist, former kickboxer and powerlifter, does Western-themed drawings and paintings. McCraw’s work can be seen as the showcase artist at Ye Olde Art Shoppe in Myrtle Creek. He is standing next to a colored pencil drawing titled “Blackfoot.”
MYRTLE CREEK -- Larry McCraw looks like he belongs in a different time. He wears tanned hides from the deer he hunts. Strings of bear teeth are looped around his neck, and his feet are tucked into worn leather boots.
This mountain-man image, he said, defines who he is. It also defines the art he creates.
"If I was able to go back in time, I'd go back to the 1700s," said McCraw, who lives on a ranch in Myrtle Creek. "I can train a horse great. I can shoot great. I can do lots of things. I feel I could survive that era just fine."
McCraw, 52, is displaying some of his works at the Ye Olde Art Shoppe in Myrtle Creek. The exhibit is running through Jan. 15, and it's a collection that showcases McCraw's use of colored pencils, acrylics and ink. It also features McCraw's fascination for all things Western -- from horses and Native Americans to hunters and frontier scenes.
"I feel I can draw any kind of picture," McCraw said. "I draw this because this is the stuff I love."
McCraw, who grew up in rural Montana, said he draws what he knows. He's never had any formal training in art, and in truth, the idea of taking classes doesn't appeal to him. Instead, he goes with his gut and he always manages to finish what he starts.
"I break all the rules," he said, adding that he doesn't know the correct way to blend paints or draw backgrounds. "To do it properly confuses me. I'd rather not learn it."
Every day, McCraw spends a total of 45 minutes working on three pieces. When he creates, he makes up a story in his head. He then freezes an image and draws what he sees.
One example is an untitled black and white drawing of a man walking in the wilderness with a mule by his side.
This picture, McCraw said, was inspired by a riding accident he had six years ago near Yoncalla. During the excursion, he and his horse fell about 1,000 feet down a cliff. Although badly injured, both he and the horse walked a few miles to his house. Later, an ambulance came to take McCraw to the hospital, where doctors discovered he had a broken neck.
Another picture, titled "Hidden Enemies," shows a Hunkpapa Sioux Indian with a black face -- a death mask the Sioux wore before going into battle. Behind the Indian is a grizzly bear. McCraw said the irony of the situation is what fascinates him.
"I thought, what would happen if he would go into battle, not seeing the enemy behind him?" he said. "He intends to surprise, but the enemy has a surprise for him."
Creating art, McCraw said, has always come naturally. But it has not always been a part of his life. For 26 years, he took a break from it to focus on his professional kick-boxing and weight-lifting career in California. Only after winning a few world championships did he decide to retire.
"Sports consumed all my thoughts, everything," McCraw said. "There was no time for anything. Then there got to be a time when I wanted more."
This epiphany came in the late 1990s, when McCraw and his wife, Dana, moved to Myrtle Creek. Since then, McCraw said, he spends his days riding his horse, shooting his bow and arrow and dabbling in his art.
What he creates, he said, is real. The colors and garb worn by the Native American tribes is factual, as are the bridles and saddles they used. Although he may not be the best artist, he said he takes pride in doing things right.
This sense of humbleness is something Linda Johnson knows well. Owner of the Ye Olde Art Shoppe, Johnson first met McCraw and his wife two years ago. He's a man, she said, who gets embarrassed if given too much attention. He knows what he likes, and he pays attention to detail.
This mountain-man image, he said, defines who he is. It also defines the art he creates.
"If I was able to go back in time, I'd go back to the 1700s," said McCraw, who lives on a ranch in Myrtle Creek. "I can train a horse great. I can shoot great. I can do lots of things. I feel I could survive that era just fine."
McCraw, 52, is displaying some of his works at the Ye Olde Art Shoppe in Myrtle Creek. The exhibit is running through Jan. 15, and it's a collection that showcases McCraw's use of colored pencils, acrylics and ink. It also features McCraw's fascination for all things Western -- from horses and Native Americans to hunters and frontier scenes.
"I feel I can draw any kind of picture," McCraw said. "I draw this because this is the stuff I love."
McCraw, who grew up in rural Montana, said he draws what he knows. He's never had any formal training in art, and in truth, the idea of taking classes doesn't appeal to him. Instead, he goes with his gut and he always manages to finish what he starts.
"I break all the rules," he said, adding that he doesn't know the correct way to blend paints or draw backgrounds. "To do it properly confuses me. I'd rather not learn it."
Every day, McCraw spends a total of 45 minutes working on three pieces. When he creates, he makes up a story in his head. He then freezes an image and draws what he sees.
One example is an untitled black and white drawing of a man walking in the wilderness with a mule by his side.
This picture, McCraw said, was inspired by a riding accident he had six years ago near Yoncalla. During the excursion, he and his horse fell about 1,000 feet down a cliff. Although badly injured, both he and the horse walked a few miles to his house. Later, an ambulance came to take McCraw to the hospital, where doctors discovered he had a broken neck.
Another picture, titled "Hidden Enemies," shows a Hunkpapa Sioux Indian with a black face -- a death mask the Sioux wore before going into battle. Behind the Indian is a grizzly bear. McCraw said the irony of the situation is what fascinates him.
"I thought, what would happen if he would go into battle, not seeing the enemy behind him?" he said. "He intends to surprise, but the enemy has a surprise for him."
Creating art, McCraw said, has always come naturally. But it has not always been a part of his life. For 26 years, he took a break from it to focus on his professional kick-boxing and weight-lifting career in California. Only after winning a few world championships did he decide to retire.
"Sports consumed all my thoughts, everything," McCraw said. "There was no time for anything. Then there got to be a time when I wanted more."
This epiphany came in the late 1990s, when McCraw and his wife, Dana, moved to Myrtle Creek. Since then, McCraw said, he spends his days riding his horse, shooting his bow and arrow and dabbling in his art.
What he creates, he said, is real. The colors and garb worn by the Native American tribes is factual, as are the bridles and saddles they used. Although he may not be the best artist, he said he takes pride in doing things right.
This sense of humbleness is something Linda Johnson knows well. Owner of the Ye Olde Art Shoppe, Johnson first met McCraw and his wife two years ago. He's a man, she said, who gets embarrassed if given too much attention. He knows what he likes, and he pays attention to detail.
"He is by far our biggest seller, without a doubt," said Johnson about McCraw's works, which sell for roughly $100 each. "He's going to be really big. ... He and his pictures go together so well."
Not driven by money, McCraw said he commonly gives his art to friends. And for the creations he sells, he charges as much for a painting he spent a few hours on as one that required his attention for months.
The most important thing, McCraw said, is to get his idea across to the public. By looking at his pictures, he wants people to feel the crunch of the snow beneath their feet. He wants them to smell the horses and to feel the thrill from a successful hunt. If he accomplishes this, then he's done his job.
"I don't care about shows, being famous, none of that stuff," McCraw said. "I just like to present my feelings. ... I like showing a piece of history, a piece of America, that's really important."
* You can reach reporter Erin Snelgrove at 957-4208 or by e-mail at esnelgrove@newsreview.info.
Not driven by money, McCraw said he commonly gives his art to friends. And for the creations he sells, he charges as much for a painting he spent a few hours on as one that required his attention for months.
The most important thing, McCraw said, is to get his idea across to the public. By looking at his pictures, he wants people to feel the crunch of the snow beneath their feet. He wants them to smell the horses and to feel the thrill from a successful hunt. If he accomplishes this, then he's done his job.
"I don't care about shows, being famous, none of that stuff," McCraw said. "I just like to present my feelings. ... I like showing a piece of history, a piece of America, that's really important."
* You can reach reporter Erin Snelgrove at 957-4208 or by e-mail at esnelgrove@newsreview.info.
At a glance
<b>WHAT:</b> An exhibit of Larry McCraw’s works, which depict frontier scenes, mountain men and Native American tribes, is now on display. The Western-style art is made with a variety of mediums, including ink and colored pencils.
<b>WHEN:</b> The exhibit will run through Jan. 15 and can be viewed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. An artist’s reception, complete with refreshments, will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Jan. 15. <b>WHERE:</b> Ye Olde Art Shoppe, 119 S. Main St., Myrtle Creek <b>INFORMATION:</b> 863-6843 |
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