Al Rounds: Utah painter's 'calling' is a stroke of wonder

Aside from his exhaustive research and travels, he takes weeks or months to find all the pieces of the puzzle for an idea that pops into his head. He sketches a picture from his mind, then "I drive around and try to find the pieces or models to fit it — a pond, or creek willows, or finding the right reflection in the water. Sometimes it's years before I drive by and see the last piece."

Before he ever begins painting, Rounds draws every detail — every shadow, every branch, every rock — on the canvas in pencil so that it looks like a paint-by-number kit. "In my office I've got one of his paintings and there are stones in the pavement," says Miller. "There are thousands of them, and every one of them is outlined. The detail is remarkable. How many hours did he spend doing this?"

The challenge for Rounds is not to over-paint. He must resist the temptation to paint too much detail. "I want to paint just enough to let their minds finish the rest," he says.

Sometimes the other painter in the family, 18-year-old daughter Quinn (she has insisted on being called "Ghost" since she was 2), chides her father, "Why are you finishing it up so much?!"

A painter is not trying to reproduce a photograph, but is trying to evoke feelings. That's why Rounds braved the Nauvoo winter once — "so I could feel what the Saints felt."

Says Rounds, "Edward Hopper (a famed American artist) said, 'If you could say it in words, there'd be no need to paint it.' "

The payoff is when he actually evokes emotion from those who see his paintings. Strangers have found their way to the Rounds' home or to his gallery and stood weeping in front of his paintings.

"That is fulfilling," says Rounds, sitting on the family-room couch with Nancy. "I hope someone can look at my paintings and feel something." Rounds pauses a moment and tears come to his eyes.

"I paint for my wife, too, for her approval. I want to walk in with a painting and have her be excited about it. I'm glad to get a lot of feedback from people who love my work, but it doesn't mean quite as much as approval from my wife and kids."

That said, Rounds got to his feet. It was time to get back to work. He said goodbye and returned to his world of paints.

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E-mail: drob@desnews.com