Walt Gonske

born Newark, New Jersey, 1942

BiographyBorn in Newark, New Jersey, Walt Gonske grew up in nearby Irvington and attended the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts before studying at the Frank Reilly School of Art. Reilly introduced Gonske to the work of Nicolai Fechin, who would become a major influence on his work. Gonske began a successful career in advertising in 1967 but decided to move to Taos and work as a landscape painter in 1972. He built his own studio in 1979, where he still lives and works today, and considers the move the best decision he ever made. He painted outdoors en plein air until he developed his “Paintmobile,” a modified RV that provides shelter from the elements and allows him greater freedom and privacy while working. Gonske’s landscapes capture the unique light of New Mexico and the influence of Fechin with their boldly applied paint.

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