Today, we’d like to introduce you to Günther Johannes Haidenthaller.
Hi Günther, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In a quiet little valley tucked into the rolling countryside north of Salzburg, Austria, the records of one Ulreich der Erste (the First) von Haiderthal, born in the late 1200s, appear. The Haiderthal/Haidenthal(ler) name has endured ever since. Generations of artistic family members left their mark; the need for creative expression has colored my life from birth. When I sign my work, I pay tribute to those who have gone before; I feel that my art truly comes “von (from the) Haiderthal.” Born in Wels, Austria, I grew up in the sight of the Alps, playing among 2000-year-old Roman ruins and leftover WWII bomb craters, and spent weekends watching sailplanes and wishing I could fly. My family immigrated to the US when I was six years old.
As a late bloomer, I learned to ski, rock climb, ice climb, fly fish, skydive, and whitewater kayak as an adult. I’ve been drawing all my life and had lots of art classes in junior high and high school. Did a year at Utah State University, studying illustration and advertising design, then served a 2-year proselyting mission back home in Austria for my church. Upon returning to the U.S., I devoted 27 years to graphic design and art direction, gaining experience in photography, offset, and screen printing as well (hey–it paid the bills!). I also spent 25 years as a USSF Soccer Referee, Referee Instructor, and Referee Assessor. Upon leaving graphic design in 2005, I worked in soccer administration for ten years, then left to pursue my passion for artistic expression full-time. Being Austrian, I am haunted by the ethereal, dreamlike quality of light in the moisture-laden European atmosphere. I strive to express that longing in my art.
I believe that our ability to visualize, imagine, and create is a gift from Him, who is the Father of our spirits, the Supreme Creator Himself. Life is all about contrasts–I strive to express the inherent balance and beauty in that with my art. I work primarily in oils, watercolors, occasionally in oil pastels, pencils, pen and ink, and yes–crayons! I am a member of Oil Painters of America (OPA), American Impressionist Society (AIS), vice president of the Intermountain Society of Artists, vice president of the Utah Watercolor Society, and Board member of the Midway Art Association, member of the Utah Valley Artists Guild.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Working as a full-time artist, I’ve found that you can’t just take it casually and carefree–you have to treat it like a “job” and be probably more disciplined than if you’re working for someone else. Inspiration and “the Muse” are great when they hit you, but if they don’t, you’ve just got to pick up the brush, the pen, the crayon(!) and go to work. Do that, and sooner or later, that flash of inspiration comes. Self confidence was a major hurdle; yes, I knew how to illustrate in various media, had done many projects during my design days, but this was serious now.
When I started down this new road, the first bunch of paintings were absolutely “crash and burn!” It took a while to figure out how oils worked. The last time I had touched oil paint was in junior high school, and it seemed like every color I tried to mix came out mud. Eventually, it “clicked,” and I could concentrate more on things like design/composition, values, creating depth and atmosphere, color relationships and temperature contrasts, and brushwork. My “style” has certainly evolved a bit over these last seven years or so.
I’ve tried to grab every bit of knowledge and experience from my artist friends that I could and took a lot of workshops from some of the top artists in the business, including Lyn Boyer, Doug Braithwaite, Joshua Clare, Carl Purcell, Dave Santillanes, Randall Sexton, Kathryn Stats, Stephen Stauffer, and Colley Whisson. Frank Frazetta, Bernie Fuchs, Bart Forbes, and John Harris are artistic heroes.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I started out doing only studio pieces; I knew nothing else, really. It felt kind of aimless; I was just feeling my way into this idea of producing saleable art with no real idea of how I would market it. I joined a couple of local organizations to meet other artists and maybe have opportunities to display my paintings.
I soon realized that the best way to reach a larger audience was to enter every exhibition opportunity I heard about and could get my hands on. I discovered there were outdoor painting events put on by various towns and organizations, where you actually went on location to paint “en plein air” and then exhibit the resulting work to buyers who attended these art shows and maybe win some prizes (I didn’t, initially). That’s where I met some of Utah’s top artists–plein air painters. I have gained a lot of artist friends through these events, and I also discovered that this is my favorite way of creating art.
In nature, there is a magical quality to being right there on location, striving to capture the fleeting qualities of light as the sun moves across the sky. The racing shadows, the subtle changes in the light, the sounds, the smells, the exhilaration of it all! I think that is now one of my strengths as an artist: most of my work is created “in the open air,” and I can whip off a winning piece in a “quick-draw” event in an hour or two and sell it in the subsequent auction.
I also exhibit in several galleries, from Arizona to Idaho, but participating in these open-air competitions is a huge part of my professional life. So far, since 2016, I have participated in 40 competitions, nine of them last year. This year is shaping up to be just as busy!
What was your favorite childhood memory?
One of my favorite memories from early childhood was when my next younger brother, Werner, and I took a bus trip with my dad. Gmunden, Austria, is a small, picturesque town on the north shore of the Traunsee (a lake). We took a small steamship from the other end of the lake to Ebensee, where we had lunch in a local gasthaus, then took the train from there back to our home town. I loved doing things like that with my father.
In later years, when I was in my teens, our family took 2-week long camping vacations to some of the mountain lakes around Utah, and I remember spending countless hours watching my dad paint the scenery with his trusty watercolors. My parents ensured we all grew up with the arts; drawing and painting, music of all kinds, and theater were all encouraged in our home. Although both of my parents are deceased now, I can still hear my mom humming or singing arias from some of the many operas we grew up with and my dad strumming his guitar and singing Austrian folk songs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vonhaiderthalfineart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vonhaiderthal/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gunther.haidenthaller/
Image Credits
(2023), Günther Haidenthaller
