C.W. Mundy, American (b.1945), untitled morning light

C.W. Mundy American (b.1945) untitled morning light in the forest oil on canvas signed lower right. From AskArt: A plein-air painter, CW Mundy worked for twenty-two years as a sports illustrator and in the late 1980s became a full-time painter of landscapes, still life, and figurative works. Among the artists he credits as inspiring to him are John Singer Sargent, Edgar Payne, and Guy Rose. He grew up and continues to live in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was raised as a member of the Evangelical United Brethren Church and won a college basketball scholarship, eventually graduating from Ball State University in Muncie. He then headed to California, and with friends, formed a five-piece band called the Tarzan Swing Band in which he played guitar and banjo. They played all over the United States and were ready to make recordings when one of the members became seriously ill, and they disbanded. At that point, he shifted gears to his art talents and traveled throughout California and Mexico before returning to Indianapolis in 1978. Full of energy, he developed a plan that combined his interest in art with sports and created photo realistic depictions of sports figures. In the early 1980s, he became the official illustrator for Bob Knight, legendary basketball coach at Indiana University, and he also had contracts for illustration with the Pro Golfers Association, the United States Golf Association, and the National Basketball Association. From those years, his artwork is in many collections including the Indianapolis 500 Museum. However, he tired of this activity, finding it to be formula painting and less-than-challenging because it lacked spirit. So in 1994, he enrolled in workshops taught by established artists such as Scott Christensen and Dan Gerhartz, and their encouragement and examples freed his own creativity, especially for plein-air painting. After several of these workshops, he and his wife Rebecca went to France, and since then they have traveled extensively including to East Coast locations such as Gloucester and Rockport as well as back to Europe. In 1998, they went to the Rocky Mountains to "recharge his battery" and get distant, panoramic views. Many of his previous works had been small--six to eight inches--but here he did larger canvases, some of them with dimensions of four feet or bigger. In 2003 CW Mundy earned the status of Master Signature Member from the Oil Painters of America. In 2005 Mundy was earned the Award of Excellence for Master Signature Members at the 14th Annual Oil Painters of America National Show. Source: Southwest Art, July 2005 29 1/4"H x 21 1/2"W (image), 38"H x 30 1/2"W (frame)