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DENNY KARCHNER
Cody, Wyoming |
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Unlike many of the artists involved in the "Grizzly Project" who are "homegrown," Denny was born and raised in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, just a few miles away from Penn State University. But his Wyoming connections have been going on strong since 1980 when he made his first trip through the state on a motorcycle. Since then, he has visited, hunted yearly and was even married here. It has just taken twenty seven years to fulfill his promise to move and live here in Cody. He was so impressed with Cody that Denny and his wife Leigh moved to a ranch on the Lower Southfork in October, 2007. | |||||||||||
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| Denny has been a graphic artist since the age of thirteen where he later found himself attending the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1970 to polish those much wanted skills. Shortly after graduating, he found the strong influence of Pittsburgh artist, Andy Warhol that took him in a direction that Andy made a true art form, screen printing. For over twenty five years, he owned and managed a large screen print operation back in Pennsylvania. Soon after, opportunities arose for a "high-end" Illustrator for Vanity Fair's screen printing operation in Tampa, Florida that he jumped on. Denny designed and developed graphics for the likes of the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA, Nascar and Harley-Davidison. | ||||||||||||
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Denny and Naked Bear waiting outside Shoshone Bank
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After a few years, another opportunity was presented in South Carolina with another high-profile screen printer. As things go, some artists burn out after doing the same things for almost forty years. Denny took what was a big, big leap of faith, he handed in his resignation from a high paying position, packed up everything and moved to Cody to pursue his fine art full time, something he had been doing just nights and weekends for several years. Denny has produced graphites and oils that have passed though the Buffalo Bill Historical Center Art Auctions. He has two pieces hanging permanently in the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, Georgia. Another facet of Denny's art career has been the privilege of producing NFL player portraits from the 50s, 60, and 70s for Art Rooney, Jr., the son of late, great owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers' Art Rooney, Sr. He is currently commissioned to paint some of the newer Steeler players for the Steeler organization. What an honor for a "life-long" Steeler fan! One of the players slated to have his portrait done is Greybull's favorite son, Brett Keisel, one of the Steelers' outstanding defensive linemen. But with the move to Cody, Denny's attention has made a major turn back to his "western art." He is on a mission to put himself into the realm of the many great, great artists that live and paint in this great town of Cody, Wyoming. Time will tell. |
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To see Denny's western art as well as his commission work, check his website. |
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