Kevin Courter was born in 1964 in Palo Alto. Growing up in Northern California, he found himself drawn to the beauty and diversity of the Californian landscape. From rugged Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, the vast wetlands in the Sacramento Valley, and the majesty of the California coastline, Kevin is, first and foremost, a painter of California. However, Kevin visited Montana for the first time in the fall of 2013 and fell in love with the unique beauty found in the fertile valleys of Montana, specifically the Bitterroot Valley, Livingston, Bozeman and Paradise Valley.

His paintings of California and now Montana reflect the awesome and inspiring beauty that can be found in nature. “It’s in nature’s simple and intimate vignette’s that I find the most beauty”. Whether painting in the studio or on location, his work reveals his passion for the land he loves.

A member of the Oil Painters of America, Kevin is inspired by the moody and ethereal work of contemporaries Russell Chatham, Andre Balyon and historical painters such Arthur Matthews, Maxfield Parrish, George Inness and others. His work can be found in private and public collections around the world.

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Materials List

I’ve been using Gamblin Artist’s Oil Colors for many years now because I really enjoy the consistency of the paint and they’re strongly pigmented. I use a somewhat limited palette, a warm and a cool of each primary and a green which is mainly used in many of my glazes. The colors consist of Sap Green, Phthalo Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Lemon Yellow, Indian Yellow, Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Crimson and Titanium White. From time to time I may try a new color but these are the colors I use consistently on all of my paintings. The order of the paint tubes in the photo is the order they’re in on my palette.

My studio easel is a Hughes Easel. The Hughes Easel is hands-down the best easel I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. I use to fight with studio easels in the past but with the Hughes easel there is no fight. They come in a few different sizes and configurations and all are counterbalanced making it very easy to move large paintings around on the easel with ease. They also come in a few different types of wood, including walnut and oak. I have the Hughes Easels 3000 wall-mount version which is perfect for smaller studios. These easels are an investment but you won’t be sorry. Visit hugheseasels.com for more information.

I’ve used several mediums over the years but the one I use most often over the years has been Liquin Original, however, recently I’ve been using Gamblin Solvent-Free Gel.  I’ve also used, and still do from time to time, Linseed Oil and Galkyd.

I use 2 brands of brushes: Robert Simmons, Signet flats for block-in work and Rosemary Series 279 long handle, long flats for finish work. These Rosemary brushes are excellent for paint application and edge work. I can’t recommend them enough. Visit rosemaryandco.com for more information.

My painting surfaces vary. Most often I’m using Claessens Linen #13DP for both small and larger work but recently I’ve been preparing my own wood panels for smaller pieces and plein air work. I’ve also been using using Masterpiece Pro, Carmel stretched canvas for studio pieces.

I use two types of outdoor pochade boxes: Strada Easel and OpenBoxM. I prefer the mechanics of the Strada easel because it has no screws that need to be turned by hand during setup and teardown, this is especially helpful on cold mornings. However, the palette is smaller than then the largest OpenBoxM palette which I prefer. The Strada Easel also has a deep palette which I do not prefer. They each have their pros and cons but they’re both wonderful products. Visit openboxm.com or stradaeasel.com for more information.