Phil Epp

Our Third Featured Artist

Phil Epp

from Newton, Kansas, U.S.A.


 
scroll down for Flint Hills photos


Only 3% of the Tallgrass Prairie in America remains, but developers want to build 1000 giant turbines on the high ridges of the Flint Hall.  For more information about this threat,  and the danger to the rare prairie chicken, go to www.protecttheflinthills.org

November 2010 update:

Steppe Herdsman

Go to Phil's website for more photographs of this and other sculptures (left) as well as more new and stunning paintings.
www.philepp.com






The Last Mesa
The Last Mesa

July 17 2009 update -  new book about Flint Hill Mustangs

horses
Horses and building
 storm
Phil Epp was born near Henderson, Nebraska. After attending Bethel College he  taught art for 30 years in  Newton . He is an established south western artist, and he has had work in galleries in Santa Fe, Taos New Mexico, Chicago, Illinois, Kansas City, Missouri and Tubac, Arizona. Recently he has has particiapated in several large-scale public art projects.
clouds
Flint Hill landscape

Phil lives near the town of  Newton with his wife Karen, who is an art teacher, and they have two children (now grown up) three horses and a dog. Much of his work is inspired by the large open skies of the Flint Hills, not far from where they live.

elevator
Elevator in the snow
Phil`s paintings are characterised by low horizon lines, with the sky being the dominant feature of the painting and landscape - as it is in the Flint Hills. He works only in acrylics and etching medium, and likes to work fairly large. Most paintings range in size from 24 x 30 ins to 36 x 48 ins. Sketches and photos
are taken  on  location, but paintings evolve in the studio.
clouds
Prairie sky
Phil seldom tries to show a specific time and place as many landscape painters do, but rather his work is a composite of actual and imagined locations and
prairie icons that add mystery and characters to the scene. Sometimes
that icon may simply be a cloud.

whirlwind
Tornado
horses
Flint Hill horses (detail)
clouds
Windy day
clouds
Storm on the plains

road in snow
Road in snow
house
Lone House
bull
Bull and storm
windmill
Windmill and storm




Sculpture, Public Art, Etchings


Phil Epp
Phil Epp during construction of the sculpture
The Blue Sky Interactive Sculpture

This 20 ft by 30 ft sculpture was a collaborative project with ceramists Terry Corbett and Conrad Snider.
  "The sculpture is intended to be a celebration of sky and space, a universal icon of  hope and wonder, which is currently being threated by plans to construct towering industrial wind complexes in many of the most beautiful and vulnerable locations in our state." Phil Epp

Sculpture
The Blue Sky Sculpture
You can see more of his public art on his website
dry point etching

Original prints (example on left) and other examples of Phil`s work can be seen on his website
www.philepp.com

You can also see a selection of his Mustang photos (example to right), look at other regional art, and  read an article about him on the Links page
mustang photo

Photos of the Flint Hills

horses
Horses on the ridgeline
"Most of the photos shown below were taken in the same general area, but the views are typical of the Flint Hills throughout the state. The large wind complexes will destroy any landscape, but they will be especially destructive to this last vista of native prairie."  Phil Epp flint rock
Flint rock
and passing clouds.

cattle
Cattle grazing
cattle by pool
Prairie pond
flowers
Native grasses
 and flowers in summer
teter rock
 Teter Rock.
wild mustangs
Wild mustangs
bald eagle
Bald eagle flying over
These last three extra photos were  taken by Phil on the Flint Hills last year
wild mustangs
More wild mustangs

Carrifran Hill by Sheila Mullen
Carrifran Hill by Sheila Mullen

Scottish Power are also planning to build turbines at Harestanes, in Dumfries and Galloway, where another of our artists, Sheila Mullen lives. 
You can see her work in the Gallery and also at www.sheila mullen.co.uk
poster
A poster designed by Phil Epp, showing wild mustangs running way down below beneath the giant turbines.
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