Tom Lovell (American, 1909–1997)New GrassSigned, copyrighted and dated 'TOM LOVELL/©1995' bottom right, oil on canvas22 1/2 x 34 3/4 in. (57.2 x 88.3cm)PROVENANCE:Thurston E. Dean, Midland, Texas.By descent in family.Private Collection.The Coeur d'Alene Art Auction, Hayden, sale of July 28, 2007, lot 67.Acquired directly from the above sale.Private Collection, Colorado.EXHIBITED:"Prix de West Invitational 1995," National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, June 9 - September 9, 1995, exhibition no. 90 (illustrated).NOTE:"The first signs of spring have always been welcome forerunners of milder days to come and for the suburban dwellers perhaps a reacquaintance with the lawn mower. For the Plains Indians the advent of the new grass meant life itself for his ponies, the bison and indirectly all creatures of the prairie. Here a Cheyenne, down on his knee, is sharing the joy of the moment as his emaciated pony crops the first few mouthfuls of new grass." - Tom LovellIt has been said of Tom Lovell, that in driving "himself to the point of perfection in his documentary approach to illustration, no detail of research was too small to be verified." Completing his first illustrations while in college, Lovell's work was featured in major national magazines by the late 1930s. Amongst the artist's major achievements are his election to the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 1974 and his Gold Medal in oil from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, which awarded his commitment to American western-themed paintings. The present collection features some of the most outstanding images of the American West, works that fully demonstrate his masterful storytelling ability, intuitive flair for drama and emotion, technical prowess and devotion to accuracy. Lovell considered himself a "storyteller with a brush, a custodian of the past"- a description fully manifested through these three exceptional examples of his oeuvre.