Clegg, Amy

A Portrait of Stanley: Preserving History Through Art

Robert Barrett, Illustration

A Portrait of Stanley: Preserving History Through Art was an idea born by two of my greatest
passions. My love for painting, and my love for the outdoors. By the outdoors, I mean
particularly the Sawtooth Wilderness that I have grown to know and love in Stanley, Idaho. My
project’s purpose was to help preserve the history of Stanley, Idaho by painting a portrait of a
historical figure that would be combined in educational displays to help encourage continued
appreciation and care for this beautiful region.

As I began this project and sought out help from the Sawtooth Interpretive Historical Association
(SIHA) to gather information and reference photos, I was amazed at the rich history that was
embedded in this area. Particularly, I was impressed with the effort of a “Tuff” McGown in
aiding the organization of journals, histories, and museums meant to preserve the region’s
history. I feel a bond with Tuff, since his purpose then is my purpose now. Simply because of
interest in his love for the Sawtooth Region, I put him on the list of potential people to capture in
my portrait. SIHA suggested several other influential figures that would be good candidates for a
portrait painting, including Tuff. However, when I was given the few black and white
photographs that they had in their archives of each figure, I immediately knew that I just had to
paint a portrait of Tuff McGown.

I absolutely fell in love with the charm and depth of character that was depicted in this
photograph of Tuff. He had a wild, rugged look in his hair, cheeks, and eyebrows. As I
researched Tuff’s personal history in greater depth, I came to know and love this man. Tuff was
born in Challis, Idaho on June 2nd, 1896 to Arthur Sr. and Edna McGown. They were drawn to
the area because of its beauty and the excitement of opportunity that came with the nearby
mining in Yankee Fork. It was said of Tuff that “he became the link between the Yankee Fork
boom days and modern times”. Tuff traveled the states as he grew and went to school, but
always returned to the Sawtooths. His heart was always in this place. As the years passed on,
both he and his wife truly valued the area in which they lived, and worked to collect items of
interest to display in a museum in Custer, Idaho. They were also instrumental in compiling
written histories of the area. My hope in painting a portrait of Tuff McGown is that people will
come to know more about him, and also about his passion for the Sawtooth Wilderness. Perhaps
his passion will in turn inspire passion and good stewardship among modern visitors to the
Sawtooth Wilderness.

My process for this project began with my communications and research with SIHA; however, a
huge driving force for the actual realization of the project came from my visit to the National
Portrait Society Conference in Washington D.C. in April. This experience actually proved to be
more beneficial to this project and my career than I could have ever imagined. Surrounded by
incredible artists, I was able to make countless priceless connections that have now placed me in
a network of artists to help, inspire, and connect me to the professional world of art. I was also
inspired and enlightened by watching countless live painting demonstrations. Many of my
technical, practical, and methodical questions were answered simply by watching these artists
work. I believe that success of my portrait of Tuff McGown can be heavily attributed to my
experience at this conference.

As far as methods go, I was anxious about this project since it was so different from any other
painting I had ever done. With only a blurry black and white photograph to go from, I was left to
answer many questions such as: What was the color temperature of the lighting on his face?
What might have been his natural skin tone, before it was affected by light? Color of his eyes?
Shirt? What kind of ring was on his finger? And many other similar questions. I decided to
simply start with a tonal drawing to map out the placement of his features and pose. Once at that
point, I researched other portrait paintings with a double-light source similar to the one in Tuff’s
photograph. I found several that matched the lighting and skin tone I imagined Tuff may have
had. Using those pictures as color reference, along with a knowledge of the natural color patterns
in people’s faces, I laid out patches of color in their general areas. From there, each painting
session consisted of me picking areas to develop and clarify further. A month later, the painting
was finally complete.

Now, my final steps to complete the project will include putting the painting in its frame,
installing the hanging hardware, and organizing the open house that will be held at the Stanley
Museum for its unveiling this fall. The SIHA and I are currently working to contact Tuff’s
family and hope to have them attend the event. Through exposure at the open house and hanging
in the museum, I hope that others who see the painting can feel the passion that both Tuff and I
have for this incredible wilderness, and be inspired to become better stewards of this land.