Lucy Cooper

Stone Steps by the River - Late 1800s Watercolor on Paper

1890

"Steps", a highly realistic late 20th century watercolor landscape of a staircase in front of a wooden barn by Verne R. Horton (American, 1941-2020), 1986. Horton's background as a technical artist and draftsman is apparent in the fine details of this piece, such as the crisply rendered planks of wood that comprise the barn, the individual pieces of metal that form the railing, and each block of cement that make up the staircase. Horton's meticulous rendering of shadows enhances the sense of realism. Signed and dated "Verne R. Horton '86" lower right. Signed and titled "Steps" on verso. Displayed in a new off-white mat and rustic wood frame with plexiglass. Image size: 13.75"H x 9.75"W. Born February 1, 1941 in Los Angeles, CA, Verne R. Horton went to Los Angeles State College where he earned a degree in pre-architecture. As a young man Verne joined the US Navy, in 1960 and served as a draftsman until 1965. After leaving the Navy, he ended up as a technical artist for North American Aviation. His charge: illustrating publicity pictures for the Apollo space program. After working on the Apollo program for three and a half years, he was lured into the corporate world as a regional manager for New York Life Insurance. Horton said he did virtually no artwork in the 17 years he worked for the insurance company. He ended up earning another degree in insurance and finance from American College in Bryn Mawr, Penn., in 1978. He moved within the company 14 times in 17 years, living in Los Angeles, Hawaii, Arizona and San Francisco. "Then I had an awareness that I had always wanted to be an artist," he said. "It seemed that if I were going to do it, I needed to just do it." He quit his job and became a fine artist. Horton's paintings and sculptures are truly those of a professional. He specializes in 1800s to 1930s Western Americana, but his love is steam era railroad art. "You must have historical accuracy. The worst thing is to have somebody come by and say, 'That's not right," Horton said. "You can't get involved in the history of the railroad without getting to know a community." It was his insistence on historical accuracy and love of railroads that brought him to Carson City...

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