Interviews
Missouri Native - Doug Hall - Award Winning Painter
Award winning painter Doug Hall
copyright Canita M. Prough (Pro) 2019
Snuggled in the hillside overlooking the lush green valley of Huckleberry Forest Park is a rustic cabin/studio where the award-winning painter Doug Hall spends some of his days lost among the Woodland Native Americans. Mr. Hall and friends spent months building this quaint cabin. He spent quite a few years “roughing it.” Mr. Hall slept in a tent while his barn was being built. After the barn was built, he lived in the barn until the cabin was built. He has spent quality time, energy and thought into making the cabin very efficient, thus keeping the cost of living to a minimum. On the inside wall is etched the date February 16, 2011, which is when he completed chinking the cabin. On the porch, just outside the door is the date July 12, 2011 when the cabin was completed. His cabin is filled with wonderful treasures like a butcher cutting block, a wash stand and claw foot tub. You can tell that he has a love for nature in his paintings and by his choice of housing. He enjoys the beautiful scenery of this countryside including the red birds and blue jays which he feeds out of iron skillets on his porch overlooking the valley. He has friendly grey cat that keeps him company and keeps the mice away.
Dobbins the movie star
Until recently he had a strawberry roan horse named “Dobbins” Their friendship began when Mr. Hall was in his early twenties and Dobbins was two years old. They had three wonderful decades together. Dobbins passed away this winter. Mr. Hall reminisced about the day when his friend Mr. Glen Scott of Purdy took him to see Dobbins for the first time. He saw this young, thin horse standing off in the distance and commented to a friend that “he sure hoped that wasn’t the horse they were talking about.” He recalled Mr. Scott’s advice that “You can’t ride color.” Mr. Hall and Dobbins were in two movies together; the 1997 The Postman and the 1999 Ride with the Devil. Mr. Hall and Dobbins both sporting long dark hair. Mr. Hall laughed as he said, “It takes $75.00 of Clairol Hair Color and a myriad of colors before you get a black horse.” He never regretted getting that thin, leggy horse. The day of my visit there were two geldings visiting hoping to catch Mr. Hall’s eye. There is also a beautiful ten-year-old horse called “Black and White” which shares his lovely mountainside and she gets lonely when he is away.
Warm smile and ready laugh
Mr. Hall is a friendly, animated story teller. Many of his memories are attached to a humorous story. He likes to laugh and animates his stories with his hands. He has a ready smile, a warm handshake and a welcoming spirit.
Warm smile and ready laugh
Mr. Hall is a friendly, animated story teller. Many of his memories are attached to a humorous story. He likes to laugh and animates his stories with his hands. He has a ready smile, a warm handshake and a welcoming spirit.
Portraits soon in museums
The morning of my visit Mr. Hall had been painting a portrait of a Native American male on a 9” x12” canvas for the Brinton Museum in Big Horn, Wyoming and a 30” x 40” canvas painting called The Ambush for the Buffalo Bill Museum in Wyoming. I was fascinated with the delicate touches and finite details in the paint on the faces and the wildflowers.
Doug Hall's studio
His studio occupies the upper lever of the southwest corner of a cozy cabin. There is a large glass window to the south overlooking a plush valley. His easel faces the center of the room and his brushes are sitting in the windowsill. To the right of the easel is stool holding his paints. There is a chair facing the easel. He says he may stand for a couple of hours and then sit for a while he is painting. On a table to the left of the easel is a table that holds the photos and a folder of notes that he uses to add the details to his paintings. The north side of the cabin holds a few larger canvas’ standing along the wall. To the east hangs one of his favorite pictures above the vintage settee. It is a single Native American partially standing behind a tree. It appears to be dusk when this glimpse takes places. Another of his favorite pictures is one he uses on his business cards called One step at a time. He said this was one of his favorites because the Native American is precariously walking at a brisk pace along a log carrying his rifle and bed roll. He said that it “reminded of the things he does while balancing art and life.” The model for this picture was a Coca Cola driver in Illinois at the time this picture was made.
Native American women
I mentioned that some his pictures were darker than others. He said, “he had repeatedly been asked to lighten up his pictures.” That equated to less trees and a lighter choice of colors. When asked if he ever painted female Native Americans, he replied “I have been asked that question before. I have painted females, but they did not sell.” He elaborated on this statement by saying the females he painted were doing things like laundry and carrying water.
Charlie Russell Auction
Mr. Hall was expressing how privileged he felt to be invited to participate in things like the Charlie Russell Auction where the picture, lot #183 called “The Painted Tree” was set to auction as $16,000 to $18,000 and sold with a final bid of $27,500.
Just keep the electricity on
After losing his business on Easter 2001 in a tornado, he had to start from scratch. He wanted to spend more time painting. This was a big step for him. He had to return to basics. “I decided that paying my electricity was my line in the sand. If I could just make enough to keep the electricity on, I would try to make a living selling my paintings.” Fourteen years later he has electricity.
The Wicker Knotcher Crew
In 2013, Mr. Hall and “The Wicker Knotcher Crew,” The word “Knotcher” was made up by the crew. The crew consists of friends Randy Wilson, Ron Barkley, Larry Dixon, and Michael Dees, began another cabin on the sight of the prior business on Highway 59 just south of Neosho. The cabin has on the inside wall the completion date of March 28, 2015. Stop by and ask Mr. Hall to tell you about some of their exploits while building. The former hunting store is soon to open as an Art Gallery slash hunting store. Every Sunday afternoon around 3:00 p.m. a group gathers to do some black powder shooting.
Hall Awards
Mr. Hall has won several awards for his work. The work that got him recognized was Looking Glass which won him the 2002 George Phippen Fine Arts Award in Prescott, Arizona. This picture was quite large. He and his brother had been asked to bring it to the stage. The George Phippen Award was the last one given out. This being Mr. Hall’s first award program did not know the ropes. Mr. Hall said he went from frustrated to elated all in one breath when he realized he had won the award. Since that day Mr. Hall has added awards; 2003 First Place in oils in Sedona, Arizona, 2004 Artist’s Choice and H. E. Williams Award and 2005 Best of Show, Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Doug Hall Art
You can view and buy some of Doug Hall’s paintings at:
www.somersetfineart.com and www.doughall.art.
Or contact him at e-mail [email protected]. Or just drop by the Art Gallery on a Sunday afternoon around 3:00 p.m.
Dobbins
The Gallery
Check out "A Morning with Doug Hall in pictures.
Dream Catcher Recipient Doug Hall
copyright Canita M. Prough (Pro) 2019
Award winning artist Doug Hall has opened a gallery in Neosho, Missouri. Pictures of the Grand Opening.
Woodland Indians
There is a long-standing love affair between the artist Doug Hall and the Woodland Indians of the Eastern part of the United States. This love affair has resulted in Mr. Hall catching on canvas, for our enjoyment, the everyday events of these noble people.
It seems as if the dreams caught long ago in the dream catchers of the Ojibwa/Chippewa tribe have held through the annals of time and painter Doug Hall has become the recipient of these dreams.
Dream catchers
It was the Ojibwa tribe of the Woodland Indians that originally created the dream catcher/dream snare. The dream catcher was traditionally used to protect the sleeping individual from negative dreams, while the positive dreams flow through the hole in the middle, sliding down the feathers onto the sleeping individual, while the negative dreams are caught in the web/net and expire when the first ray of the sun hit them.
When creating a dream catcher, the maker begins to string the web from the outside edges of the teardrop shaped, willow hoop and weave until there is only a hole in the middle. Doug Hall takes his blank canvas and starts from the outside and weaves a picture of these illustrious Woodlands Indians leaving a glimpse of time.
Love shown in details
The love is shown in the great attention given to detail: the mohawk hair style, the expressive headdress that the tribes used to identify themselves. (example: The Pequot tribe wore a guhsto-wa/real hat with three eagle feathers standing straight up). The symbolism of the condition of the feathers. (example: if a feather was split it meant that the warrior was wounded in battle).
The canvas’ come alive as the animals, trees, water, flowers, colors and expressions are added, it is then that the Woodland people come to life. These Indians lived near forests, lakes and streams. On the canvas’ notice the bark and branches on the trees, the rocks in the stream, the light shining through the trees, the body paint, clothing, tools and the wild flowers. Capturing these crossroads in time is a consuming process, but the results are awe-inspiring.
Doug Hall's Log Cabin Gallery
If you would like to get a glimpse of these award-winning paintings by Doug Hall. Doug Hall’s Log Cabin Gallery is now opened to the public. It is located three miles south of Neosho, Missouri on Highway 59. The gallery will be open late afternoon and early evenings or by appointment.
Doug Hall’s Log Cabin Gallery can be contacted at:
Doug Hall's Log Cabin Gallery - Facebook
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 1-417-669-8339
Award winning artist Doug Hall has opened a gallery in Neosho, Missouri. Pictures of the Grand Opening.
Woodland Indians
There is a long-standing love affair between the artist Doug Hall and the Woodland Indians of the Eastern part of the United States. This love affair has resulted in Mr. Hall catching on canvas, for our enjoyment, the everyday events of these noble people.
It seems as if the dreams caught long ago in the dream catchers of the Ojibwa/Chippewa tribe have held through the annals of time and painter Doug Hall has become the recipient of these dreams.
Dream catchers
It was the Ojibwa tribe of the Woodland Indians that originally created the dream catcher/dream snare. The dream catcher was traditionally used to protect the sleeping individual from negative dreams, while the positive dreams flow through the hole in the middle, sliding down the feathers onto the sleeping individual, while the negative dreams are caught in the web/net and expire when the first ray of the sun hit them.
When creating a dream catcher, the maker begins to string the web from the outside edges of the teardrop shaped, willow hoop and weave until there is only a hole in the middle. Doug Hall takes his blank canvas and starts from the outside and weaves a picture of these illustrious Woodlands Indians leaving a glimpse of time.
Love shown in details
The love is shown in the great attention given to detail: the mohawk hair style, the expressive headdress that the tribes used to identify themselves. (example: The Pequot tribe wore a guhsto-wa/real hat with three eagle feathers standing straight up). The symbolism of the condition of the feathers. (example: if a feather was split it meant that the warrior was wounded in battle).
The canvas’ come alive as the animals, trees, water, flowers, colors and expressions are added, it is then that the Woodland people come to life. These Indians lived near forests, lakes and streams. On the canvas’ notice the bark and branches on the trees, the rocks in the stream, the light shining through the trees, the body paint, clothing, tools and the wild flowers. Capturing these crossroads in time is a consuming process, but the results are awe-inspiring.
Doug Hall's Log Cabin Gallery
If you would like to get a glimpse of these award-winning paintings by Doug Hall. Doug Hall’s Log Cabin Gallery is now opened to the public. It is located three miles south of Neosho, Missouri on Highway 59. The gallery will be open late afternoon and early evenings or by appointment.
Doug Hall’s Log Cabin Gallery can be contacted at:
Doug Hall's Log Cabin Gallery - Facebook
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 1-417-669-8339
