Artist Statement

"In a way, painting is an artist’s way of expressing, or defining themselves.  When an artist paints, they expose their personality, their feelings, and their own outlook and insights on the world through their art.  This comes out not only by the artist’s preference in subject matter but also in their technique.  As an artist, your paintings are basically a documentation, or a reflection of your own life's experiences.  They are the birds you have watched and animals you have seen and studied.  The scenes are places you have been, felt the wind in your hair, and the sun on your face, smelled the sea and air, and felt the dampness of the grass on your feet.  This comes out in your paintings; they are your own inspirations, a mirror of your soul.

 Through the years I have enjoyed experimenting with, and still use, several different mediums, but my favorite is transparent watercolor and gouache.  Combining these two water medias creates the opportunity to actually model with the paint, working from light to dark, and then back again. This utilizes the sparkle and translucence of the transparent watercolor, but also allows the advantage of covering darks with lights in the heavier bodied opaques of gouache and still maintaining the rich chroma of the colors.

Traditionalism is my favorite type of art.  I enjoy realism and detailed art, but also appreciate impressionism, so I try to put my art somewhere in between. My favorite painting subjects are the nostalgic Americana landscape, and American wildlife.

I am primarily a studio painter, but occasionally enjoy plein-aire painting; (Painting outside on location) this keeps an artist fresh and alert.  As most artist, I may indulge into artistic license, to create the atmosphere, or the feeling of the moment in the painting, but still strive to maintain the accuracy of the scene.  This is part of documenting, and preserving, the authenticity of the vanishing subject matter." - Luke Buck

Artist Biography

Luke Buck, a native "Hoosier", grew up in Indiana with a love for life, art, and nature that is evident in his nostalgic paintings of Americana landscapes and American wildlife.  He was raised in a family of artist with not only his father, but also his Mother, one Sister, and three Brothers, all of who were blessed with artistic talents from fine arts, to music, and poetry.

Buck lives in the perfect environment for an artist as Indiana is rich with art heritage.  Nineveh, Indiana, where Luke resides, is the birth place of William Merritt Chase, one of the founders of the impressionism movement from the mid 1800's and founder of the New York School of Art.  Chase inspired several Indiana artist of his period that later became known as The Hoosier Group.   Many other prominent artists later joined the art colony in Nashville, just south of Nineveh, Indiana, that even today is a Mecca for artist from throughout the country.

Most of Luke's art education and influence came from training he received from his artist father, Harold Buck, whom he shared a studio with for many years.  Luke studied figure drawing at the John Heron Art Institute while majoring in art at Arsenal Technical High School, both in Indianapolis, Indiana. He majored in art in high school and received a Vocational Certificate in Commercial Art upon his graduation from Tech in 1960.  This school launched Luke=s art career by placing him in his first commercial art job with the Herff Jones Co. as a designer and illustrator of class rings and signet jewelry.

One of Luke's favorite quotes is by artist Clark Hulings; "An artist who says he is self taught, and draws from his own knowledge is depending on a  limited resource and runs the risk of repeating himself."  We all can learn from the knowledge of others.  To this he credits his advanced training and education to his father, colleagues, fellow artist, and friends whom have so generously shared their artistic knowledge and expertise with him through the years with on the job training.

After being drafted into the Army in 1963 and serving his two year hitch as an illustrator, Luke continued with the commercial art for a couple of years working in commercial art studios in Indianapolis.  In 1970, through the encouragement and moral support from his wife Coleen, Luke broke off on his own as a (free-lance) self employed artist.  During his commercial art years Luke was simultaneously pursuing the fine arts field and in 1981 he abandon the commercial art completely to devote his full time attention to fine arts.

Luke's father had once advised him to paint, not to please others, but to please each artist toughest critic; himself.  "Satisfy yourself with a painting, if you're happy, others will be happy too." Remembering those words, when Buck is content with a painting, he always adds a personal final touch to it in an inconspicuous place - his fingerprint.

Luke's artistic talents have won him numerous honors and awards through the years.  His work has been exhibited in major juried art shows and events, including Invitational shows and a partial list of these include the following:

     ● America in Miniature, Gilcrease Museum,  Tulsa, OK
     ● American Miniatures, Settlers west Galleries, Tucson, AZ
     ● Art of The Animal Kingdom, Bennington Center for the Arts,  Bennington, VT
     ● Birds in Art, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI
     ● Florida Wildlife Art Expo, Orlando, Lakeland, & Sarasota, FL
     ● Hoosier Art Salon,  Indianapolis, IN
     ● Indiana Artist Club, Indianapolis, IN
     ● Indiana Artist, Past & Present, Brown County Art Gallery, Nashville, IN
     ● Indiana Heritage Arts Exhibition,  Nashville, Indiana
     ● Kentucky National Wildlife Art Exhibit,  Henderson, KY
     ● Masterworks in Miniature, Gallery One, Mentor, OH
     ● Masterpieces in Miniature, Picture This Gallery, Alberta, Canada
     ● Missouri Wildlife Art Festival,  St. Charles, MO
     ● Nature Art Festival,  Jamestown, N.Y.
     ● Naturework's Wildlife Art,  Tulsa, OK
     ● Plantation Wildlife Festival, Thomasville, GA
     ● Small Painting Society of Brown County, Waldron Gallery, Nashville, IN
     ● Southeast Invitational Miniature Show, Germanton Gallery, Germanton, NC
     ● Southeastern Wildlife Expo.  Charlestown, S.C.     
     ● Southern Wildlife Art Festival,  Decatur, AL
     ● The Disney, "Festival of The Masters",   Lake Buena Vista, FL
     ● Waterfowl Art Festival,  Easton, MD

In addition, Luke's work has been featured in numerous Museum, Gallery, and Solo shows throughout the USA.  His unique talents as an artist have earned him a strong following among art enthusiast and his paintings are included in collections not only in every state in the United States, but also worldwide.

Being featured in many national publications Luke is also a contributing featured artist in North Light Books, "Wildlife Painting Step By Step", and, "The One Hour Watercolorist" by Patrick Seslar.  His paintings have been selected for print and inclusion in programs with the National Wild Turkey Federation, The Friends of NRA, and many other not-for-profit, benefit fund raising organizations.

In 1997 Luke signed on with Mill Pond Press, one of the most well respected publishers of quality limited edition reproductions.  They print and distribute Luke's art through a network of galleries nationwide, and include his work in their licensing program.