Raised in a Kansas farming community outside of Newton, and living with his family in Billings, Montana after living in Wyoming, Loren Entz finds inspiration and beauty in people and domestic animals that live close to the land, especially Indians, horses, pioneer women and children. 

Working from his Billings studio in an historic building that he has remodeled, Entz approaches his subjects with first-hand knowledge from his background.  He grew up in farm country and visits to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City fired his artistic imagination and ambition.  He later worked as a Montana ranch hand, and coming into contact with other Western artists, Entz soon began to realize it was possible to actually make a living as an artist.  While in high school, he nurtured his artistic talent through course work at the Famous Artists Correspondence School and through his studies with two masters of realistic painting, Bettina Steinke and Richard Schmid.

Entz has been a member of the Cowboy Artists of America since 1992.  Working in oil, charcoal, pencil, pastel, bronze and watercolor, he has received numerous CAA annual exhibition awards:  Silver Medal for Oil Painting in 1994; Silver Award for Drawing and Other Media in 2007, 2005, 1995 and 1993; and Gold Medal for Drawing in 2003 and 1996.  Of his affiliation with the Cowboy Artists of America, Entz is quoted in the organizations 2009 exhibition catalogue:  "I'm very proud of my association with the CAA.  My desire is to steadily grow as an artist and become the best painter and sculptor that I can become." (30)

In 2006, Entz was the honored guest artist in Great Falls, Montana, of the C.M. Russell Auction of Original Western Art.  That same year, he received the Robert Lougheed Memorial Award at the 2006 Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition.  The award is given to the participating artist who wins the most votes from all of the participating artists for having the best show of three or more works.

Sources:

CA Cowboy Artists of America 44th Annual Exhibition 2009, Phoenix Art Museum

Artist files of the Phoenix Art Museum Library

Norman Kolpas, "Luck of the Draw", Southwest Art, September 2004