 | |  | |  | |  |
In Hollywood, James Coke Blake was well known for painting great scenery for film studios. In
Nevada, he was well respected for his work on construction sites, ranches and sign-painting
jobs. Back home in Carson City, his relatives wondered if he was going to follow in his great-
grandfather’s footsteps and become a great breeder of quarterhorses, whether he was going
to keep his father’s tradition of being a great rodeo rider or be like his mother and become an
artist.
It was the latter that finally claimed Buckeye, named after a city in Arizona. After his family
passed through Buckeye on the rodeo circuit, the nickname stuck, somehow fitting this
wandering Westerner. Still, even though he had chosen an occupation, the versatile
experimenter was not going to approach it in a commonplace manner. He worked in a variety
of mediums, often painting several versions of the same image, one in oil, one in pen and ink
and one in watercolor.
He also wouldn’t stick to canvas, choosing instead to explore painting, sculpting, designing,
leatherwork and fine art screens. He didn’t leave it at that, either. Buckeye Blake also became
known for his clothing, pottery, furniture and even handbags and the numerous posters he
created for the Cowboy Poetry Gatherings in Elko, Nevada.
His work for The Greenwich Workshop reflects his energy, enthusiasm, appreciation of bold
color and sense of design. Adding that to his knowledge and experience of Western life takes
his work beyond that of Peter Max or Andy Warhol, into a whole new realm of uncommon,
rollicking art.
Nevada, he was well respected for his work on construction sites, ranches and sign-painting
jobs. Back home in Carson City, his relatives wondered if he was going to follow in his great-
grandfather’s footsteps and become a great breeder of quarterhorses, whether he was going
to keep his father’s tradition of being a great rodeo rider or be like his mother and become an
artist.
It was the latter that finally claimed Buckeye, named after a city in Arizona. After his family
passed through Buckeye on the rodeo circuit, the nickname stuck, somehow fitting this
wandering Westerner. Still, even though he had chosen an occupation, the versatile
experimenter was not going to approach it in a commonplace manner. He worked in a variety
of mediums, often painting several versions of the same image, one in oil, one in pen and ink
and one in watercolor.
He also wouldn’t stick to canvas, choosing instead to explore painting, sculpting, designing,
leatherwork and fine art screens. He didn’t leave it at that, either. Buckeye Blake also became
known for his clothing, pottery, furniture and even handbags and the numerous posters he
created for the Cowboy Poetry Gatherings in Elko, Nevada.
His work for The Greenwich Workshop reflects his energy, enthusiasm, appreciation of bold
color and sense of design. Adding that to his knowledge and experience of Western life takes
his work beyond that of Peter Max or Andy Warhol, into a whole new realm of uncommon,
rollicking art.
Buckeye Blake
| View Artists Portfolio |
Twiggs Moore Gallery
&