Luke Frazier began sculpting and drawing at a young age, encouraged by his father, Jesse. The two embarked upon many trips into the deserts of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, where they hunted for arrowheads, interesting stones, shed antlers and lost artifacts. Frazier recalls camping under the stars, huddling by campfires and listening to his father’s stories of days gone by.
The middle child in a combined family of 16 siblings, Frazier and his brothers hunted, fished and trapped to provide for the household. Those early forays outdoors made lasting impressions and taught valuable lessons about responsibility, the value of hard work and the bond of family.
Frazier encourages the viewer’s imagination by hinting at a message both visually and emotionally. He is a keen observer and immerses himself in his surroundings; his rugged and mature style skillfully captures the anatomy and presence of the subjects he paints. Preferring early morning or evening light, Frazier creates scenes from his memories and experiences in the woods or on the water. His artistic style leans towards impressionistic or representational. “I try to be as accurate as possible with my drawing of anatomy, and creative with my compositions.”
An avid sportsman, Frazier has traveled from Alaska to Africa. His passions include raising and training bird dogs, hunting, fishing and photographing wildlife in their natural habitat. All of these have fortified his vision in what he creates. Frazier received his formal art training at Utah State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in painting and a master’s degree in illustration.
“I want to offer up the natural world from a different point of view,” Frazier said. “I want to tell a story with my work, not by laying it all out there for the viewer, but rather by leaving questions unanswered. I am in awe of the beauty in nature, from the grandiose to the smallest, exquisite detail — the handiwork of the Almighty.”