On Monday, September 21, we celebrate the 105th birthday of the remarkable American painter Gaylen Hansen.
It is tempting to begin with Gaylen’s age, 105 years is extraordinary, but that is not what makes Gaylen Hansen extraordinary.
Born in rural Utah in 1921, when horses and wagons were still part of everyday life, Gaylen went on to become one of the most distinctive painters to emerge from the Pacific Northwest. For decades he taught and influenced generations of young artists while creating an intensely personal world of painting unlike anyone else’s.
Far from the major art centers, Gaylen created his own universe, the Palouse and now his Island home here on the Coast of our beloved Salish Sea, horses, dogs, fish, insects, the landscape, and of course the Kernal. His paintings are filled with humor, mystery, beauty and an unmistakable sense of adventure.
Today, his monumental Fish in a Landscape, painted in 1979 and measuring an extraordinary 14 feet across, is in the collection of the Seattle Art Museum and currently hangs prominently at the museum’s entrance, a wonderful recognition of an artist whose work has become an important part of the cultural history of our region.
And at 105, he is still painting. Every day.
He still walks a mile or more, still observes the world with curiosity, and still has something new to say with a brush in his hand.For the past four years, we at Woodside/Braseth Gallery have had the great privilege of representing Gaylen. Our two major exhibitions have sold out, collectors across the country and abroad continue to discover his work, and we are planning our next exhibition for the spring of 2027.
But beyond the exhibitions, museums and accomplishments, what moves me most is the man himself, his humility, his independence, and his absolute devotion to being an artist.105 years of life. More than eight decades of making art. And he’s not finished yet.
Happy Birthday, Gaylen. It is a privilege to know you, to represent you, and to witness this extraordinary chapter in an extraordinary American life.