Meeker Ranch Series
Finely detailed rural landscapes are a natural expression of the personality of watercolorist Jon Crane. A man who loves being outside - on a Baja beach or the highest mountain peak, investigating a southwestern plateau or Midwestern cornfield, contemplating ocean waves or kayaking down a lively stream - Jon searches constantly for those special panoramas that he can translate onto paper. Through the medium of transparent watercolor, Jon is able to use its delicate nature to capture the fine details of reality that are so important to him. His oversized nostalgic landscapes of rural America have become his trademark.
Jon is a descendant of two noted artists. Alfred R. Waud, Jon's great-great-grandfather, was a well known Civil War artist and correspondent for Harper's Weekly. Marine artist Milton J. Burns, Jon's great-grandfather, was a popular contemporary of Winslow Homer.
Born in New Jersey in 1948, Jon left the crowded East to attend college at the University of Northern Colorado, where he earned a B.A. in Fine Arts in 1971. He spent the next 5 years as an Air Force pilot before launching his art career in Rapid City, South Dakota. He now lives with his wife, Gail, along a secluded trout stream in the Black Hills.
Jon Crane paints an average of 15-20 new original watercolors each year. Of those paintings he will print approximately 9-12 new Limited Edition Giclee Prints.
Recently, Jon decided to commit to smaller limited editions of each image to facilitate the collectibility of each print. Now you will see most editions limited to runs of 95, 195, or 300 prints.
Here you will find some of his more popular images that are sure to sell out of the limited numbers.
Limited Edition Prints
Artist Statement
The further from the masses and the closer to a fishing stream I get, the more at peace I become. The further from the main roads and the deeper into the outback that stream may be, the closer you would be to understanding me and any meaning you might want to ascribe to my art.
My subjects and my renderings of such are modest and quiet. There are no hidden meanings or agendas, no underlying realities or stories that I wish to tell when I begin a scene. They are simply views of the world that appeal to me. These views are mostly of the American rural landscape, …farms, ranches, barns, churches, schools and vehicles, most often abandoned, and sometimes just plain old landscapes. My subjects are of real places that I have visited and enjoyed. This is where I ‘live’ and what I ‘paint.’ It is what I love. It offers a peacefulness that I fear won’t last.
Jon is an avid traveler. Along with his wife, Gail, the Crane's have seen most of the United States and a bit of Mexico. Shown below is the map that Jon keeps to record his journeys.
Jon's Travels
May Hours