Robert Copple honors three iconic Americans with “Charlie’s Vision Quest”
Published: March 3, 2011
Robert Copple says two iconic American artists – Norman Rockwell and Charlie Russell – inspired his painting, “Charlie's Vision Quest,” which is part of “The Russell: The Sale to Benefit the C.M. Russell Museum,” March 17-19 in Great Falls.
“The inspiration came to me as powerful as a lighting bolt after reading a biography on Charlie Russell,” he says.
Copple, who lives in Seal Beach, Calif., worked directly with Darrell Beauchamp, head of the museum, to create a historically authentic painting, which is a take off on Norman Rockwell's famous “Triple Self Portrait.”
Copple’s version features two American icons – Russell and Sitting Bull – and implies a third with its reference to Rockwell.
Copple says he re-created the painting by posing for the reference photos as Russell, attired in authentic turn-of-the-century shirt, tie, paints, sash and boots, which he rented from the a Hollywood prop house that supplies western movies and TV shows.
“I even got an authentic hat like the one Russell used to wear and a wooden bucket from the same time period,” he says.
The museum supplied photographs of Russell’s original easel and tubes of paint. According to Copple, his painting is the first image the Russell has juried into its prestigious auction based upon conceptual drawings.
“My goal was to create what I hope will be viewed as a really ‘wow’ painting,” said the California realist. His creation of the painting happened to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the appearance of Rockwell’s “Triple Self Portrait” on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post.
Why did Copple choose Sitting Bull as the subject of Russell’s self-portrait? Not only did Russell paint two portraits of the famous Lakota chief, but he clearly had an affinity for Indians, “so it was easy to imagine Russell imagining himself as a Native American.”
Both Rockwell and Russell “painted the changing America they lived in, and made great contributions to American art,” says Copple.
“I hope, as a 21st century artist, that the creativity of this painting will resonate with the public consciousness, as well as honor both of these great artists,” he added.
Copple plans to attend Western Art Week, and will bring his camera, tripod and sketchbook “to try to get material for future paintings” from the world where Charlie roamed.
To learn more about the artist, visit www.robertcoppleart.com. For details on the Russell auction, visit www.cmrussell.org.
– Kristi Niemeyer
