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An "Unconventional Man" has been a phrase used to describe Fred Oldfield and rightfully so. He has spent his entire adult life doing what he loved the most - painting! His youth was filled with the cowboy life - covered wagons, horses, farming and trail rides. Now he is one of the Granddaddy's of Western Art and proof positive you can make your dreams come true! Born in Alfalfa, WA in 1918 and raised on the Yakima Reservation, Fred Oldfield was expected to, and did, ride on the roundups and drives and he has often stated that "If you're going to paint Westerns you should go out and ride a bit. The perk of a horse's ears, or the shift of his weight, are hard things to recreate with sincerity on canvas if you haven't experienced them firsthand." Thus it is that Fred's art places its viewers in a time where "work" meant you got dirty, "traveling" meant by horse and "fast food" meant it could out run 'ya. His paintings capture the west he knew first hand, and highlight raw nature and the old west's simple living. Fred's passion and appreciation for life is reflected in his work. His colors are bold and powerful like the beauty he sees in his surroundings. Some of his paintings depict rugged mountains rising up behind hunched over cowboys - the reins of a scrappy cowpony in hand. Others almost seem to emit heat from crackling campfires and laughter from worn out cowboys huddled around the flame's glow. Largely because of those rich and often nostalgic images, his work is in demand -- collectors are drawn to the stories he tells with his brush and canvas. Fred's claim to fame is multifaceted... His love and devotion to family and friends - his hundreds of donations benefiting children - his passion for his paint, brushes and fishing pole - and always, his humility, warmth and humor. Fred Oldfield is a true artist and gentleman who believes he's been blessed to spend his life making a living at something he loves! He has taught many young aspiring artists and has shared his unique life lessons with a generation of family, friends and patrons. When asked why he doesn't retire Fred responds with "From what? I paint, I fish and I golf. What should I give Fred Oldfield was born in Alfalfa, Washington in 1918 and grew up on the Yakima Indian Reservation near Toppenish. He never knew a permanent home during his early years and held many jobs as he was growing up. Most often, he worked as a cowhand. He remembers nights on the prairie so cold that he would literally set tumbleweeds on fire, to lie down in the warm spot they made as they burned. "You could sleep for about two hours before the cold woke you up" he'd recall. These early experiences would later appear in his paintings. He did not realize that he had potential as an artist until he painted a flower on a bunkhouse wall when he was about 17. He also painted a frame around it and a nail to hang it on "and it really looked like a thistle." Fred created his first salable paintings in Alaska, working on discarded 9"x 9" linoleum tiles, they were sold for him by his landlady, a woman of somewhat shady reputation but incredible sales ability. The lady, whom he laughingly describes as his first agent, was able to get as much as $10 each for his work--a fortune in 1941. When the war started, he headed back to the States to join the Army, painting patriotic scenes on leather jackets worn by fellow travelers on the boat. It was while he was in the Army that he really got excited about painting and began to think he might make a living as an artist. After the war, he attended art school in Seattle under the G.I. Bill and began painting murals on walls in Alaska, Canada and throughout the Northwest. Buyers loved the landscapes of Mt. Rainier, but it was his evocative western paintings that became his trademark. He was painting the crusty, rough and ready cowhand that he'd known all his life and buyers were beginning to recognize the name of Fred Oldfield. Finally, it began to pay off. In the last six months of 1964 ~ incredibly ~ he made $4,500 selling artwork. In 1965 sales jumped to $7,500. Fred Oldfield was on his way. Today, collectors of Oldfield art can be found worldwide. He is acknowledged as one of the premier painters of the American West in the United States. For thirty years he has acted as host and centerpiece for the Celebration of Western Art Show ~ the largest western art show in the Northwest. In 1993, Toppenish created the Fred Oldfield Award in his honor. This award supports those new artists who personify the characteristics of humor and the ability to accurately capture the spirit of the Old West. As an integral part of the Toppenish Mural Society, Fred has painted three murals and participated in painting five others to benefit his hometown. Fred has recently released a teaching video called "Paint Like a Cowboy" in which he shares some of his secrets of palette knife painting. Fred Oldfield is the recipient of hundreds of awards ranging from the Marples Tools Awards won in Chatsworth, England, in 1984 to the Lancaster Award for Contributions made to Western art won in 1999 at the National Western Art Show in Ellensburg. Although he recently lost his beloved wife, Alice, for whom he acted as caregiver for more than ten years, his optimism is unquenchable and his enthusiasm for telling his story with his paintings is undimmed. His favorite recognition is the look in the eyes of children as he tells about the days on the range and around the campfire and shares the American dream, which came true for him. He is very active in his community ~ the Northwest ~ and has raised thousands of dollars for community projects with his paintings. Fred Oldfield still paints every day. But more than that, he's the last of a dying breed. Fred Oldfield personifies the cowboy whose handshake is all the contract he'll ever need. |
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Photo by Molly Morrow Photography
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