Meet Günther Johannes Haidenthaller

Today we’d like to introduce you to Günther Johannes Haidenthaller.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
In a quiet little valley tucked in the rolling countryside north of Salzburg, Austria, appeared the records of one Ulreich der Erste (the First) von Haiderthal, born in the late 1200s A.D. The Haidenthal(ler) name has endured ever since. My family emigrated to the US when I was six. Generations of artistically talented family left their mark; the need for creative expression has permeated and 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.”

Who I Am:
Born in Wels, Austria, I grew up in shouting distance of the most beautiful Alps in the world, playing among 2000-year-old Roman ruins and leftover WWII bomb craters, spending weekends watching sailplanes and wishing I could fly. Immigrated to the US with my family when I was six years old. A bit of 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, 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 the next 26 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 in 2015, with the encouragement of my wife Diane, I left soccer to paint full time.

What I’m About:
I see the simple, ordinary, everyday world around me and seek to share its beauty and visually communicate the emotions it generates. I never want to lose the childlike sense of wonder I still experience as an adult. I’m fascinated by and drawn to the drama of a storm-tossed sea or sky, the rich glow of colors, the interplay of light and shadow, the contrast of warm to cool, the thunderous power of waterfalls and the hush of the dawn. ”For it must needs be that there is an opposition in all things.” (II Nephi 2:11) Or, put another way: “for every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction.” (Sir Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion) Who didn’t love playing with crayons and paint, traveling to all sorts of magical, fantastical realms in our minds when we were kids? I believe the only thing which sets humans apart from the animals is our ability to visualize, imagine, fantasize, to create. That gift comes from Him who is literally the Father of our spirits, the Supreme Creator Himself. Life is all about contrasts, and the balance and beauty inherent in that is what I strive to express with my art.

Please tell us about your art.
I’ve created art all of my life. I used to get in trouble for drawing on my elementary school math assignments. It’s always been my primary way to communicate what I experience and feel. Most of my illustrations over the years as a graphic designer were done in watercolor/colored pencil combinations, acrylics, pen, and ink. Only in the last three years or so have I focused almost exclusively on oil painting.

I’ve always lived around mountains, can’t imagine life without them, so as an artist I’m irresistibly drawn to painting landscapes. I’m an incurable child of Nature, and would rather be outside tramping around in remote wilderness or kayaking big rapids on a river than trapped in the urban jungle of a city.

At the same time, the visual storytelling abilities of Frank Frazetta, Norman Rockwell, and Gustav Klimt got my attention right from the start. These artists, along with the deeply emotional work of Bernie Fuchs, Bart Forbes, Richard Schmid, Peter Fiore, Brian Blood, Barbara Jaenicke, and the British artist John Harris, have been my greatest inspiration. Also, incorporating people and animals more into my work is one of my goals and aspirations for the near future.

Classic Impressionism has always held a fascination for me, much more so than tight, realistic work. To me, if the free flow and implied motion of the brushstrokes, the color placement and contrast in a piece of art generate a memory trigger or an emotional reaction in the viewer, then as an artist, I’ve succeeded.

I think that a large part of the reason we humans were put here on this planet, is to CREATE and to feel the joy and satisfaction of that process and its results. From the earliest misty memories of the dawn of mankind, people have been compelled to create images on walls of stone, hides, papyrus, wood, and everything else imaginable in order to communicate our feelings, impressions, ideas, and beliefs to one another. In that way, we seek to imitate, honor, and ultimately realize our potential to become just as the God and Father whose literal spiritual offspring we are.

As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
One of my greatest rewards for what I do is seeing the joy in someone’s face when they are able to acquire an original piece of art that personally speaks to their soul, and watch them happily take it home with them to enjoy for the rest of their lives. I get very emotionally attached to each painting I create, so it’s also really reassuring for me to know that one of my “babies” is going to a good home where it will be loved and appreciated. To me, that’s success.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that you can’t be afraid to stick your neck out, reach beyond yourself, or take that first step (or leap) of faith into the dark. I’m reminded of the unforgettable scene in Indiana Jones’ “The Last Crusade” where at the end of a dark, narrow tunnel, Indy is confronted by the abrupt edge of a seeming abyss and has to take that first step onto a stone causeway he can’t even see. If you don’t ever try, you’ll never know if you can do it, never see the things that are out there for the taking, never feel that ‘rush.’ A friend of mine once told me: “You can have or do anything you want to…if you want it BAD enough.” I’ve never forgotten that. Honestly, you’ve got nothing to lose–if it doesn’t work out, you can always sink back into the slime… 😉

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
To see my art, you can ‘friend’ me on Facebook (I’m also working on building an Instagram presence), and I encourage you to visit my website: www.vonhaiderthalfineart.com. I spend a lot of time each year participating in outdoor “en plein air” painting competitions in the Intermountain area, exhibiting in art shows (juried or not), and selling my work at outdoor art festivals such as in St. George, Utah, and other locations.

If you happen to see one of my paintings, and you like what I do, the best way you can support that is to share my work with your circle of friends on social media.

Some of the venues I’ve exhibited at in the past:
• Honorable Mention, “Tenacious” – Sandy Arts Guild’s Visual Art Show, 16–26 October 2018
• Third Place, Landscape Painting, “Dance of the Tamarisk” – Intermountain Society of Artists “Falling For Art” Show, 6 September–29 October 2018
• Honorable Mention, “Ashton’s Refuge” – Highland Fling Art Show, Highland City, Utah, 3–4 August 2018
• Second Place, “Memorial Hill” – Steel Days Art Show, American Fork, Utah, 19–21 July 2018
• First Place, Drawing, “Autumn Cottonwoods at Whitewater Manor” – Academy Center Art Show, Brigham City, Utah, 25–26 May 2018
• “Probst’s Pasture” juried into show, sold on opening night – Springville Museum of Art’s 94th Annual “Spring Salon” Springville, Utah, 25 April–7 July, 2018
• Third Place, “Provo River Willows” – Highland Fling Art Show, Highland City, Utah, 4–5 August 2017
• Second Place, “Spring City Sage,” Honorable Mention, “Provo Peak Evening” – Steel Days Art Show, American Fork, Utah, 7–8 July 2017
• Second Place and People’s Choice, “East Mountain Spring” – Highland Fling Art Show, 5–6 August 2016, Highland City, Utah
• First Place, “East Mountain Spring,” Honorable Mention, “Alpine Storm” – Steel Days Art Show, American Fork, Utah, 8–9 July 2016

Contact Info:

• Address: 202 S. Country Manor Lane
  Alpine, Utah 84004
• Website: www.vonhaiderthalfineart.com
• Phone: 801 651 4097
• Email: vonhaiderthal@gmail.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gunther.haidenthaller

Image Credit:
Günther Haidenthaller

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