COVER ARTIST: LANE TIMOTHY
Unspoiled by Success
by Anna G. Hobart
By any assessment, Lane Timothy’s career is going places. Top-drawer galleries in Santa Fe, Scottsdale and Palm Desert represent him. London-based Bentley Publishing Group distributes his giclee prints in 30 countries. American Art Collector magazine recently devoted a cover story to his figurative pieces. Before he completes an oil painting, it is typically sold. At age 33, Timothy’s biggest challenge is keeping up with demand.
Despite success, Timothy remains a down-to-earth Missoula boy at heart. Unflinchingly loyal to his hometown, his art is a mainstay at local charity auctions, supporting everything from the Children’s Hospital to the Boy Scouts to Camp Mak-A-Dream for kids with cancer. The day we chatted he was transporting a load of artwork from Salt Lake City where he now lives to a major show in Scottsdale. He also carried a violin. “I’m painting it to be auctioned off for the Missoula Symphony,” he explained. “I’ll be doing that during the show. I still try to help out at home however I can.”
Timothy’s natural ability has attracted attention for much of his life. He was just a junior in high school when he nabbed top honors at the prestigious C.M. Russell Auction of Western Art. That was back when horses and cowboys—standard Western fare—dominated his work. After a year at the University of Montana his art took him to Salt Lake City where he beat out college grads for a graphics position at an ad agency.
“It was a really good job, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do,” Timothy said. Instead, he went to Europe, studied the techniques of Old Masters and came home to Missoula to paint. “Before that trip I had worked in acrylic, watercolor, pastels, chalk, but not oil. I’m completely self-taught in that media.” Now, all he does is oil on canvas.
Life experiences continue to influence an evolution of styles. Since his marriage more than two years ago, Timothy has found a niche in figurative painting. His wife, Christy, is his favorite model. Subject matter typically reflects a back-story. Viewers relate to the work at many levels. “It’s been a lot of fun, researching the different eras. It’s definitely been my most popular work.”