Creating realistic pieces depicting landscapes, barns, old buildings, and other nostalgic themes, retired Rocklin resident Wayne Percival works in a variety of mediums, including pen and ink, pencil, scratchboard, acrylics, and oils. “My favorite artist is Andrew Wyeth. I love his subject matter and technique,” shares Percival. “Some of my paintings are similar to his, and I’m flattered when anyone makes a comparison.” After his military career, one of Percival’s aircraft paintings was published by the Naval Institute Press. Additionally, a commissioned piece he did for the United States Marine Corps was later accepted into their museum in Quantico, Virginia. You can view the artist’s current work at Gold Country Artists’ Gallery in Placerville.     

HLN: What were your earliest experiences with art? 

WP: I’ve always loved to draw. As a child, I liked drawing cars and airplanes and tried to copy pictures in magazines. I started experimenting with pen and ink and watercolors in high school. My junior year, I worked for several weeks on a large pencil sketch of an old truck parked next to a barn. My art teacher entered it into a scholastic art contest, and I was a finalist. My senior year, I discovered scratchboard and produced several images using that technique. Later, I figured out how to add color to the images.

HLN: How has your art progressed over the years? 

WP: After a deployment overseas in the Navy, I returned to civilian life and was accepted into ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, where I studied illustration. After graduating, I turned down a job offer at Hallmark, because it required moving to Kansas City. Unable to find employment as an illustrator, I found work in the transportation industry in Los Angeles. During the next three decades, I married and raised a family. 

HLN: Now that you live in Rocklin, what do you enjoy most about the area? 

WP: After retiring, my wife and I moved to Placer County to be closer to family and are enjoying the region’s mountains, rivers, birds, and animals.

HLN: When showing your work, what do you hope viewers walk away with? 

WP: I enjoy sharing my work and hearing feedback; I hope it leaves a positive impression on them.

HLN: Where do you find inspiration? 

WP: I’ve made several trips to Grand Canyon National Park to visit my son who’s a park ranger there. Together, we’ve explored the back country, and I’ve painted some of the beautiful scenery. 

HLN: What are your artistic plans for the future? 

WP: I joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and hope to illustrate a children’s novel. I would also like to design wine bottle labels.  

goldcountryartistsgallery.net/wayne-percival

By HEATHER L. NELSON