Luther K. Hall

How could watercolor not be the perfect medium for angling art?

Gazing upon the work of outdoor artist Luther K. Hall, one may feel there is something special about the way he mixes water with his paint. It is the water of the river.

“When I decide to do an angling work, I ask. myself what does the river do to me? How does it move me? Does it stir me in any way? What is my emotion?” explains the Connecticut artist. “It is the emotional aspects that draw me to paint, especially the ability to portray visual tension in the work.”

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A student of Cezanne and Klee, Luther carries the tension theme throughout his works. Tension being the dynamic interaction between elements within a composition. How and where the figures, both animal and physical, are placed in a composition strongly influence the emotional weight of the painting.

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While tension is a predominant theme in his paintings, it may be a byproduct, for Hall’s motivation is to create beauty. Beginning from a relaxed or meditated state, what Hall describes as “a nice place to be,” he is free to express himself with images, shapes, color and texture. This process, however, often digresses to a battle between the artist and the medium with either creative success or artistic failure as the outcome.

Cascapedia River Canoe

Born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1947, Luther inherited artistic genetics from both his father, a cabinet- and pattern-maker, and his mother, who loved to draw and write. When Luther was two, the family moved to the coal mining area of Kingston, Pennsylvania, where grew up. His father was a liaison pilot with the 10th Mountain Division in Italy during World War II. His specialty was bush pilot flying in and out of short airstrips.

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In the military throughout Luther’s youth, the elder Hall flew regular tree-top practice runs. Often, he took his sons along on these adventures, usually with their fishing gear. The senior Hall also introduced his sons to nature photography. Shooting cloud formations from 8,000 feet became a regular event. Such experiences formed an early link between art and fishing while fostering a natural progression into Luther’s later works.

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In Luther’s early years, art was an extension of other interests including flying, scientific experiments, inventions and race cars. He wanted to go into aeronautical engineering, concentrating his studies on science and mathematics. Chosen as an alternate to West Point, Luther instead enrolled at Wilkes College where he majored in art. He later completed graduate studies at the University of Connecticut and studied art at Lyme Academy of Art and at Connecticut College. Inspired by the works of John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, Ogden Pleissner and Chet Reneson, Hall set out in 1984 to combine his two greatest interests: fly fishing and painting.

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Working primarily with watercolors, Luther credits the early influence of the beauty he found in Andrew Wyeth’s paintings.

“A nice clean medium,” says Luther. “Once you start laying down paint, there is a tactile experience to it – the way it feels when you are putting it down on the paper. Depending on the amount of water you have on the brush, the amount of humidity in the air and the thickness of the paint. When it’s right for me, I can feel it through the tip of my brush. When it’s not going well, I can feel it as well. That is one of the things I find exciting about watercolors. It is a living medium, a challenge.”

Earthquake Lake Angler

Luther prefers to do sporting art because of his love for the outdoors. His most memorable experiences are hunting, fishing and hiking with his father, grandfather, brother, son and closest friends. But he also loves to be alone on a river. Lingering with the sights, the sounds, the smells of nature, he finds connectedness and meaning.

Pennsylvania Hunt

Luther reflected: “If you love that kind of thing, it’s great that you can feed the family at the same time. It has also come to the point that painting is something I have to do.”

For Luther, the motivation to paint has been an evolutionary process. Initially self-conscious, concerned about subject matter and peer criticism, he now does what he wants to do.

Break Time on the Miramichi

He is especially proud of his angling portraits. As his paintings triple in value, Luther takes nothing for granted, concluding: “To be able to create an artistic legacy for my clients, my friends and my family with my favorite sport as the focus is, for me, true good fortune.”

Luther K. Hall’s paintings have appeared in angling magazines, exhibitions, museums and art galleries from Tokyo to Montana, New England and Canada. He maintains his professional studio in the seacoast village of Mystic, Connecticut.

To purchase his paintings or to visit the artist:
Web www.lutherhall.com
Email lkhall2@aol.com
Phone 860-449-4493