Rogue Simpson (1943-2005)

Rogue Simpson biography

A professional artist for nearly three decades, Rogue Guirey Simpson created western paintings that have covered a variety of subjects including cattle, horses, working cowboys and rodeo scenes. It is her wildlife paintings, however, that have earned her national acclaim during her lifetime.

Rogue was based in Arizona and she made yearly research pilgrimages to Wyoming back-packing and horse-packing into the pristine wilderness areas of Yellowstone and Teton National Park. Her research brought her close to a variety of wildlife, allowing her to capture moments in the animal world that outsiders seldom have the opportunity to view firsthand.

Although possessing skillful drawing techniques, she seldom worked directly from nature, preferring to log hours of tedious camera work to capture rare moments. Back in her studio, thousands of photographs are reviewed to decide on a particular landscape and animal for her next painting.

Simpson noted, “Early in my career, I painted mainly vignettes, as I was primarily interested in just the animal. Then I realized I was not presenting a complete picture. I want the viewer to be involved with the painting and to do that, I needed to incorporate the animal’s environment”. She added, “Although the viewer may focus on the animal in the painting, it is the surrounding landscape that actually tells the story. I hope that when people view my paintings, they will feel the same way I did at that particular moment.”

While her earlier works in oil had a delicate, almost transparent style, her paintings today are much richer in color and surface quality. She also occasionally works with conte crayon or black and white prismacolor pencils.

A charter member of the American Women Artists and a lifetime member of the Mountain Oyster Club in Tucson, Arizona, Rogue Simpson participated in national shows across the country including the Coors Western Art Exhibit, The Desert Caballeros Museum in Wickenburg, Arizona, the Bennington Center for the Arts in Bennington, Vermont and the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming.

Available painting:

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“Passing Fancy”
Rogue Simpson
oil 6 1/2″ x 9 1/2″
$1,250

See additional images of “Passing Fancy”.

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