Original Art by: Ted Blaylock

Born in 1940 in Perryville, Missouri, in the foothills of the Ozarks, Blaylock showed an interest in sketching and painting at an early age. He built a fir stick easel at age seven and began hunting and fishing in the woods of the Ozarks at age twelve. Although he had no formal art training, he studied art through high school and studied exhaustively the great gallery and museum masters. The Hudson River School and such artists as Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran particularly interested him. His other great teacher was nature itself, and his firsthand participation in nature is revealed in the authenticity of his landscapes. Working in acrylics only, his skillful use of color and form enables him to transmit his feeling about nature. He captures the realistic details of what is around us and lends an impressionistic touch to them so that the shapes and forms of nature in his landscapes seem to melt together in a dreamlike unity. Blaylock currently resides and paints in Arizona.

Original Art © 1992 by: Marianne Caroselli

A long time resident of Texas, Marianne Caroselli pants a west that often isn't seen-what Marianne calls "the quiet West." Her love of nature, animals and the people and places of the West comes through with a sense of peacefulness and harmony in each work of art. A gifted sculptor as well as a painter, Marianne often depicts scenes which not only have a genuine warmth and sense of nostalgia, but a strong historical feel, as well. In this way, the viewer is able to see the West as it really was, at once exciting, beautiful and serene. Marianne displays her work extensively and was invited to participate in workshops conducted by members of the Cowboy Artists of America at the Cowboy Artist Museum in Kerrville, Texas.

Original Art © 1980 by: Bill Chappell

Bill Chappell began his career in art not as a painter, but as a leather carver. At the age of 10 he started carving leather belts and selling them for 75 cents each-just enough to cover the cost of his materials. His hobby soon became a passion and as he got older he began to make saddles as well. After service in the Navy during World War II, chappell opened a saddle and boot shop in Seymour, Texas, where he also did silver work, gun work and engraving with gold. In 1953 the Chappell family moved to a ranch near Alamosa, Colorado, where in addition to leather carving, he began to paint and sculpt. One of his most famous sculptures is the life-size figure of Will Rogers which was on exhibit at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. A completely self-taught artist, Chappell credits the authentic nature of his paintings to his life on the range. He says, "When I was a kid in grade school, I quit school and went to work steady cowboyin' in Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. The knowledge of the chuck wagon days has been good for my business." Chappell's paintings and bronze sculptures have been shown in numerous galleries throughout the West.

Original Art ©1990 by: Tim Cox

A common thread that runs through Tim Cox's realistic paintings of contemporary cowboy scenes is the feeling of tenderness he brings to them. His subjects may range from a rider and a dog resting along the trail to a cowboy and his girl stealing some time together in a sun-drappled forest clearing. Yet there is usually the reminder in Cox's work that we all, man and beast alike, look to one another for those few shared moments of warmth and companionship. The chores and ranching that are part of his daily life help to enhance his portrayals of current western life. Cox, who can't remember a time in his life when he wasn't painting, creates from twelve to fourteen oil paintings a year. His horse, Trapper, whom he originally obtained in trade for one of his paintings, is the gray gelding and longtime companion who appears in several of his paintings. Cox, who has been earning his livelihood from his painting since he graduated from high school, is a rare example of success in this highly competitive and demanding field of art.

Original Art ©1994 by: Chuck DeHaan

The artwork of traditional western oil painter and sculptor Chuck DeHaan reflects his lifelong intimacy with horses and ranching. So much is he a part of the equine life he portrays that it's difficult to tell where the horseman ends and the artist begins. Finding that his paintings are enhanced by his own experience as a horse trainer and rodeo hand, he speaks about his work: "To draw it you've got to know it. The only way I'm able to paint horses is that I've known them and worked with them all my life. It'd be awfully hard for me to draw an airplane." Bringing to his art an exacting sense of perfection and realism, DeHaan captures with artistic eloquence the beautiful and powerful elements of equine bone structure, muscle, and color. A self-taught artist whose paintings have brought the covers of many a publication to live, DeHaan was elected the Texas State Artist of the Year for 1986-1987. Living on his ranch in West Texas, the setting for most of his paintings, he continues to pursue challenges with the energy and disipline for which he is so well known.

Original Art ©1991 by: Bill Hughes

In his monumental landscape paintings, Bill Hughes developed the ability to successfully transfer to canvas the rare combination of tranquillity, mystery and motion he found in the wilderness scenes he painted. Hughes referred to himself as an "actualist" in the genre of representational art. His grand paintings appear to be actual views of a specitic location, as real as if the viewer saw it in person. Hughes mastered the use of light in his work, and the play of sunlight on the scene was often the element that created such intense realism. Bill Hughes was born in Ohio and spent many years as an art director for a book publisher before he settled in Arizona and began to produce the magnificent landscapes for which he is known.

Original Art ©1994 by: Stefan W. Baumann

Stefan Baumann's life and art are a balance of the classical tradition of art and music, and the rugged tradition of the American West. Baumann grew up in the west where he learned to appreciate his natural surroundings and the exciting life of the cowboy. As a boy, Baumann enjoyed long mountain hikes and cross country skiing, and also spent long hours practicing as a classical pianist. Baumann still enjoys music, but his paintings are a remarkable departure into the thrilling world of the rodeo cowboy. Baumann was trained in classic art techniques at Stanford and in several American museum schools, and works in oil and watercolor to portray the western landscape and the people who work it. The artist teaches, as well as producing the paintings avidly sought by prominent collectors of Western and Cowboy art, and often takes his students on location for inspiration.

Original Art ©1994 by: Bill Bender

Painting mostly in oil and watercolor and playing "lights against darks," Bill Bender creates traditional paintings of the American West. Bender didn't think about being an artist when he was young and was sure that the only way to make a living was "in the wide open spaces, astraddle an ol'pony an' drawing 30 a month as a cowboy." After he became a working cowboy, he moonlighted as a movie stuntman and entered rodeos. "The money wasn't big," he says, "but it gave us a chance to head for town, whoop it up, and swap lies with old friends." During his recuperation following an accident, Bender turned to writing and illustrating stories and has been painting ever since. Having learned the subtleties of color and form by painting desert landscapes, he moved on to what he really wanted to paint--horses, cattle and cowboys. Bender took time to serve as a civillian artist for the Navy in 1966 and has since dedicated his art career to painting his beloved west.

Original art ©1993 by: Nate Owens

Timeless impressions of the people, critters and situations of the West, Nate Owens' paintings probe the very fiber and spirit of this adventure-ridden region. From the humorous camaraderie between a cowpoke and his horse to the everyday trials of range-riders and mountain men, his work depicts scenes that are at once intriguing and nostalgic. Owens, who has a strong background in graphic and commercial art, uses his great imagination and natural artistic talent to capture the action of a scene as well as the emotion and personality of the people and animals involved. This unbeatable combination of talents gives each Owens painting an unforgettable mix of fact and fantasy, reverence and rowdiness.

Original art ©1995 by: Mike Scovel

Rough and rowdy women and gracious, weather-worn gents of the American frontier are just some of the characters one is likely to find in a Mike Scovel painting. No matter who the subject is, or what is going on, there is an element of spontaneity in each painting, as if Scovel has caught each subject by surprise. These portraits, as well as serious landscapes and sculpture, have made his art known throughout the world. Early in his career, Scovel contacted artist Ace Reid, creator of the "Cowpokes" cartoon series, to discuss his future as an artist. "I asked Ace for some advice," Scovel said. "jAnd he said something about good news and bad news. The good was that it was a tough racket, and the bad was'don't try it.'" Undaunted, Scovel worked as an illustrator for the Houston Chronicle for two years before deciding to paint full time. A founding member of Cowboy Cartoonists International, Scovel's work has been extensively exhibited, winning top honors around the country, including the first Trumble Family People's Choice award at the 1993 CCI show at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.

Original art ©1995 by: Mike Scovel

Rough and rowdy women and gracious, weather-worn gents of the American frontier are just some of the characters one is likely to find in a Mike Scovel painting. No matter who the subject is, or what is going on, there is an element of spontaneity in each painting, as if Scovel has caught each subject by surprise. These portraits, as well as serious landscapes and sculpture, have made his art known throughout the world. Early in his career, Scovel contacted artist Ace Reid, creator of the "Cowpokes" cartoon series, to discuss his future as an artist. "I asked Ace for some advice," Scovel said. "jAnd he said something about good news and bad news. The good was that it was a tough racket, and the bad was'don't try it.'" Undaunted, Scovel worked as an illustrator for the Houston Chronicle for two years before deciding to paint full time. A founding member of Cowboy Cartoonists International, Scovel's work has been extensively exhibited, winning top honors around the country, including the first Trumble Family People's Choice award at the 1993 CCI show at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.

Original painting by: Nate Owens

Timeless impressions of the people, critters and situations of the West, Nate Owens' paintings probe the very fiber and spirit of this adventure-ridden region. From the humorous camaraderie between a cowpoke and his horse to the everyday trials of range-riders and mountain men, his work depicts scenes that are at once intriguing and nostalgic. Owens, who has a strong background in graphic and commercial art, uses his great imagination and natural artistic talent to capture the action of a scene as well as the emotion and personality of the people and animals involved. This unbeatable combination of talents gives each Owens painting an unforgettable mix of fact and fantasy, reverence and rowdiness.

Original art ©1994 by: Zella Strickland

Zella Strickland has spent her life in Cowboy Country and her art work reflects the daily life of working cowhands. She once worked as a cook on a ranch to observe first hand the daily grind and the small moments of quiet pleasure of the ordinary day. From her experiance she developed a style that portrays the cowboy's life with great subtlety, If not outright humor. Zella has a degree in art from the College of Idaho. She has also taken additional courses in art at Boise State University, but her wonderfully expressive style is mainly self-taught. She works in pen and ink as well as acrylic or oil paints, and has gained not a little fame as a court sketch artist for NBC. A member of Cowboy Cartoonists International, she has designed everything from tombstones to political cartoons to rodeo posters.

Original art by: Hildred Goodwine

The Charming paintings by artist Hildred Goodwine portray scenes rich with harmony and happiness. It is not at all unusual to find cats, dogs, chickens, horses--an entire bevy of barnyard and domestic animals--peacefully together in one scene. Although she loves all animals and paints and sculpts them with equal enthusiasm, Hildred's favorite subject is horses--horses of all sizes, shapes and breeds. Born in Michigan, her life on the farm there and experiences on ranches in Kansas and Arizona later in life have given her lasting memories that provide her with ample inspiration for her paintings. Hildred often choses animals from her own menagerie for models and in a very special way successfully captures the individual personality and beauty of each subject.

Original art ©1995 by: Mike Scovel

Rough and rowdy women and gracious, weather-worn gents of the American frontier are just some of the characters one is likely to find in a Mike Scovel painting. No matter who the subject is, or what is going on, there is an element of spontaneity in each painting, as if Scovel has caught each subject by surprise. These portraits, as well as serious landscapes and sculpture, have made his art known throughout the world. Early in his career, Scovel contacted artist Ace Reid, creator of the "Cowpokes" cartoon series, to discuss his future as an artist. "I asked Ace for some advice," Scovel said. "jAnd he said something about good news and bad news. The good was that it was a tough racket, and the bad was'don't try it.'" Undaunted, Scovel worked as an illustrator for the Houston Chronicle for two years before deciding to paint full time. A founding member of Cowboy Cartoonists International, Scovel's work has been extensively exhibited, winning top honors around the country, including the first Trumble Family People's Choice award at the 1993 CCI show at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.

Original art ©1995 by: Bob Peters

Viewers of Bob Peters dynamic paintings of horses can almost hear the pounding hooves and the gusting wind blowing tangled manes into streams behind the horses' heads. Peters works from a studio in the spectacular country where horses run free on acres of open land. He has worked with horses all his life, breeding fine stock and showing horses competitively. This intimate knowledge of anatomy and conformation is evident in his brilliant action paintings of the American horse. Peters studied the works of 19th century masters who painted the horse, and draws from their sense of form and grandeur in his choice of settings for his contemporary portrayal of horses. Whether drinking from a mountain stream or at full gallop across an arid expanse, Peters' horses are vivid portrayals of this proud animal which is so much a part of the American heritage.

Original art ©1995 by: Bob Peters

Viewers of Bob Peters dynamic paintings of horses can almost hear the pounding hooves and the gusting wind blowing tangled manes into streams behind the horses' heads. Peters works from a studio in the spectacular country where horses run free on acres of open land. He has worked with horses all his life, breeding fine stock and showing horses competitively. This intimate knowledge of anatomy and conformation is evident in his brilliant action paintings of the American horse. Peters studied the works of 19th century masters who painted the horse, and draws from their sense of form and grandeur in his choice of settings for his contemporary portrayal of horses. Whether drinking from a mountain stream or at full gallop across an arid expanse, Peters' horses are vivid portrayals of this proud animal which is so much a part of the American heritage.

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