Artist of the Month: Duane Langston

The Art Club is delighted to award Artist of the Month for February to Duane Langston.

Since childhood, Duane’s interests in life have been art and music. His answer to, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” was always, “An artist.” As a child, he constantly sketched with pencil and paper, drawing mostly animals and people. His art and his guitar became his lifelong passions.

He served with the Marines in Vietnam during the 1968 Tet Offensive. After returning home, he attended Boise State University, where he received a degree in music theory and composition on the classical guitar, followed by graduate school in jazz performance. While in college, he also studied drawing, watercolor, and oil painting and received a minor in art.

In addition to music and art, he devoted over 40 years to the martial arts, reaching the rank of fourth degree black belt. He taught taekwondo at a private martial arts school with more than 200 students.

Duane also loves ballroom dancing, and it was at a USA Ballroom dance where he met his wife, Alla. They moved to PebbleCreek in 2013, where he found a supportive home among the members of the PebbleCreek Art Club.

Prior to retirement, Duane painted with watercolors, using photos taken during their trips to Europe, Asia, and South America. He took several workshops from renowned artists, as well as private watercolor lessons from a well-known Italian artist on Lake Como.

After retiring from a 24-year teaching career in the music department at Boise State University, his art hobby became an obsession. Duane contributed paintings to Humane Society fundraisers benefiting the animal shelter, a charity that is very dear to his heart. He regularly participated in the shows, winning first and second places in the annual Nampa Art Guild juried shows, as well as first, second, and third places in the Idaho State Fair. His paintings have also won People’s Choice awards twice, as well as first place in a city-wide art competition. He was represented by two Idaho galleries, Gia Gallery in Eagle, Idaho and Brown’s Gallery in Boise, Idaho. Besides regularly selling paintings through the galleries, his booth at Boise, Idaho’s Market on the Grove, consistently sold paintings.

Duane continues to practice his art almost daily, painting with oils or drawing. He still does an occasional acrylic, watercolor, pastel, or charcoal. He considers himself a contemporary realist and finds inspiration in the classic works of Vermeer, Sargent, Wyeth, and Sorolla. He claims that his wife, Alla, is his greatest fan, as well as his toughest critic. He never feels a painting is complete until it meets her approval.

In addition, Duane often plays classical guitar at events in PebbleCreek, to the delight of the attendees.

We hope you find time to enjoy Duane’s work, which will be displayed this month in the Creative Arts Center and at the Tuscany Falls and Eagle’s Nest clubhouses.