“I’ve always been around horses,” Jim Rey says. “I had a mustang at the age of 6 and I did a lot of cowboying at the cattle ranches in the Bay Area.” He knows the nuances of a horse’s body and its reactions in different situations. As a horseman he knows every action and response of the cowboy. Today, his studio is in the pasture of his ranch with horses right outside the door for easy reference.
Legacy Gallery, Granite Dells Remuda, oil, 24 x 48", by Russell Houston.
Bringing Back the Delinquents depicts three recalcitrant horses being directed home by a determined cowboy. The central horse is slightly to the right of the center line of the canvas, emphasizing the powerful action of their movement. It is an indeterminate time of day—the cowboy’s vigilance being called on at any time of the day and in any weather.
In Tom Browning’s Bringin’ in the Strays the dust of the chase is settling as the cowboy prepares to lasso one of his charges. The momentary stillness of the horses and the potential action of the lasso are caught in a dusty, low afternoon light. He says simply, but profoundly, “It’s all about the light.” He began drawing horses, wildlife and Indians when he was 7 years old. In 2009 he was inducted into Cowboy Artists of America, the same year he won the Prix de West Purchase Award. 
InSight Gallery, Bringin’ in Strays, oil, 16 x 36", by Tom Browning
Trailside Galleries, Needles in a Haystack, acrylic, 13 x 17", by Mikel Donahue
Claggett/Rey Gallery, Bringing Back the Delinquents, oil, 24 x 20", by Jim Rey
Russell Houston grew up on the family ranch in Arizona and painted Western scenes at night. He happened upon a 1900s photograph of two men playing golf with their horses nearby and was inspired to begin humorous paintings of cowboys playing golf. He continues to paint traditional Western paintings such as Granite Dells Remuda, a cowboy hard at work. He is known, in his work, for his command of the subtleties of the changing light in the wide open spaces of the Southwest, often the warm, low light of the rising or setting sun. A remuda is a herd of saddle-trained horses managed by a wrangler who brings the horses in for ranch hands to choose their mount. During a roundup they can change mounts several times a day.
C.M. Russell Museum, The Jerkline, 1912, oil on canvas, 24¼ x 36", by Charles M. Russell (1864-1926).
C.M. Russell Museum, I’M HOPING OLD SICKNESS..., 1924, watercolor, pen and ink, 35/8 x 6", by Charles M. Russell (1864-1926).
Manitou Galleries, Back From the Roundup, oil on canvas, 20 x 30", by Frank Hoffman (1888-1958).
Manitou Galleries, Wild Bill, bronze, ed. 7 of 11, 48 x 24 x 28", by Greg Woodard.
Mikel Donahue is another master of Western light. He was born and raised in Tulsa and introduced to the life of the cowboy at his paternal grandfather’s cattle ranch in northern Oklahoma. His maternal grandfather introduced him to the art of the West. He now breeds quarter horses…and paints. He has been a member of the Cowboy Artists of America since 2016. The last rays of sunlight light up the horse and rider as well as the tops of the shrubs and the mountain shadows spread across the landscape.
Throughout this special collector’s focus, readers will find a variety of other examples of artwork that channel the spirit of the cowboy.
Manitou Galleries, Welcome Shortcut, oil on canvas, 24 x 36", by Colt Idol.
Wild Horse Gallery, Looking for the Next One, oil, 24 x 36", by Richard Galusha
Wild Horse Gallery, Wyoming Branding, oil, 15 x 30", by Richard Galusha
The artwork of one of the great masters of Western art, Charles M. Russell, undoubtedly calls upon sentiments of the West and that of the hardworking nature of cowboys. The C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana, focuses on the works of this historic artist. “America’s cowboy artist, Charles M. Russell, lived the life he recorded in his art,” says the museum’s executive director Tom Figarelle. “Many of the subjects in his paintings and sculptures were real people and friends of his, such as wagonmaster Johnny Matheson seen in The Jerkline...Russell always saw the holiday season as a time to celebrate friendships like the one he and Matheson shared. Each year he would close his studio to visitors, pulling the latch-string shut and went to work crafting small works of art to present as gifts during Christmas and New Year’s. Many of these works showcase Russell’s familiar Western characters partaking in the holiday spirit.”
Wild Horse Gallery, Saddle Up, oil, 16 x 20", by Richard Galusha
Marti Miller Hubbell, Coiled and Ready, colored pencil on suede mat, 14 x 12
Marti Miller Hubbell, Classic Californio, colored pencil on suede mat, 16 x 13"
Marti Miller Hubbell, Summer School, colored pencil on suede mat, 17 x 15"
At Cowboy Classics Art Show and Sale, part of the Arizona National Livestock Show, guests have the opportunity to buy quality Western art in a variety of mediums. The show, held at the Wesley Bolin Youth Building in Phoenix, is December 29 through 31, with a reception on December 28. Several of the event’s artists have experienced the cowboy life, which heavily influences and inspires their work.
Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Den Schofield is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Art and has traveled the West extensively. Schofield’s work represents the 19th century and doesn’t shy away from the graphic nature of that period in history. Now living in Wyoming, Schofield is influenced by such artists as Winslow Homer, Frederick Remington, N.C. Wyeth and the French impressionists. 
Cowboy Classics Art Show and Sale, If Horses Could Talk, pen and ink, 10 x 16", by Joe Milazzo
Cowboy Classics Art Show and Sale, Workin’ Out the Kinks, oil, 30 x 20", by Kelly Donovan
Trailside Galleries, Rather Be a Cowboy, oil, 24 x 18", by Robert Duncan
Trailside Galleries, Spring on the South Rim, acrylic, 24 x 34", by Mikel Donahue
Bronze art by sculptor Bob Scriver can be found at Kelly’s Collectibles and Online Art Gallery. Scriver was born in 1914 in the Blackfeet Reservation town of Browning, Montana. During his long career, Scriver created more than 1,000 sculptures. He was adept at capturing the spirit and essence of rodeo and was also recognized for his classic sculptures of the Blackfoot Indians.
Sherry Cobb, Horse Play, oil on linen panel, 12 x 9"
Sherry Cobb, Gotcha, oil on linen panel, 24 x 30"
Raymond Gibby, For the Love of Texas, bronze, ed. of 35, 18 x 23 x 10"
Kim Frank Fujiwara paints a multitude of subject matters, which includes the American West and all of the cowboy imagery that comes along with it. Works like Cowboy Coffee depict wranglers in a more laid-back state, taking a break while their horses graze, while Ride of Retribution shows a team of riders in action on horseback. The artist works from his studio in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
With two locations in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Manitou Galleries continues to collect and commission a wide variety of cowboy art. This iconic genre has evolved rapidly from a more traditional style to contemporary, influenced by pop culture and mixed media. When it comes to the cowboy, Manitou Galleries is constantly looking for new approaches to representing these timeless characters. 
Raymond Gibby, The Peacemaker, bronze, ed. of 20, 12 x 16 x 3"
Kim Frank Fujiwara, Cowboy Coffee, oil, 18 x 24"
“Details and accurate portrayals are why I paint. I love to capture the moments that not everyone gets to see every day in the moments of the ranching world,” says equine painter Sherry Cobb. “Growing up in the ranching business and learning the daily routines always include the branding of the calves before they go to the high country pasture every spring. This piece is one of those days in the branding pen,” she says of her oil Gotcha, showing a wrangler rounding up a group of skittish calves. “There is always that one that eludes the ropers until the very end. When you’re roping and finally get him roped by two feet, it’s a ‘gotcha’ moment!” she says.
Raymond Gibby, Spirit of Strength, bronze, ed. of 20, 25 x 11 x 12"
Den Schofield, The Last Watch, oil on canvas, 18 x 24"
Kim Frank Fujiwara, Saloon Day Afternoon, oil, 24 x 18"
Husband and wife team Shirley Stocks and Richard Galusha, both artists, own Wild Horse Gallery in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Galusha, who grew up on a ranch in west Texas and developed a love for drawing horses, has an upcoming exhibition at Steamboat Art Museum titled An Artist’s Journey. The exhibition glimpses the career of one of Steamboat’s most prominent artists featuring approximately 80 paintings from collectors, including many plein air paintings from Galusha’s world travels. He uses bold color with an impressionistic style to portray the landscapes, cowboys and Western history of the Yampa Valley, northwestern Colorado and the Little Snake River Valley. 
Kim Frank Fujiwara, Ride of Retribution, oil, 22 x 36"
Kelly’s Collectibles and Online Art Gallery, Budding Buckaroo, bronze, limited ed. 7 of 150, 22 x 10 x 11", by Bob Scriver
Den Schofield, Keeper of the Peace, oil on canvas, 16 x 20"
“There is beauty found in struggle,” says bronze sculptor Raymond Gibby, “and struggle is largely what defines the life of the cowboy. They battle the elements, the terrain, the livestock, their finances and their own bodies. They triumph when they learn to work with these things and not against them. Courage is at the heart of the story of those that live the cowboy lifestyle. As an artist and as one that has raised cattle myself, that spirit speaks to me.” Gibby advises collectors to “always try to find artwork with soul. Artwork shouldn’t just be nice to look at but should also breathe life into your world.”
Marti Miller Hubbell, a self-taught artist, lives on a ranch near Hollister, California. The artist works primarily in colored pencil and oil but occasionally uses graphite, acrylic and more recently, watercolor. “No matter the medium, what I am trying to express is my love for the American West and my California ranching heritage, while giving equal importance to honesty and accuracy. These are scenes from my life,” says Hubbell. “Good contemporary Western art is both a tribute to our past and a reminder that the cowboy way of life still exists in the 21st century.” —
Featured Artists & Galleries
Claggett/Rey Gallery
100 E. Meadow Drive, Suite 7, Vail, CO 81657
(970) 476-9350, maggie@claggettrey.com
C.M. Russell Museum
400 13th Street North, Great Falls, MT
(406) 727-8787, www.cmrussell.org
Cowboy Classics Art Show and Sale
Arizona National Livestock Show
1826 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ
(602) 258-8568, www.anls.org/cowboyclassics
cowboyclassics@anls.org
Den Schofield
501 Peak Drive, Riverton, WY 82501
(307) 463-2207, (307) 240-1673
denschofield@gmail.com, www.denschofield.com
InSight Gallery
214 W. Main Street, Fredericksburg, TX 78624
(830) 997-9920, info@insightgallery.com
www.insightgallery.com
Kelly’s Collectibles and Online Art Gallery
(406) 885-6728, www.kellyscollectiblesmt.com
Kim Frank Fujiwara
Rochester Hills, MI, (248) 840-0551
fujiart57@comcast.net, www.kfgallery.com
Legacy Gallery
75 N. Cache Street, Jackson, WY 83001
(307) 733-2353, www.legacygallery.com
Manitou Galleries
123 W. Palace Avenue, Santa Fe, NM
(505) 986-0440
225 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM
(505) 983-9866, info@manitougalleries.com
www.manitougalleries.com
Marti Miller Hubbell
P.O. Box 218, Tres Pinos, CA 95075
(831) 637-1352, martimil@earthlink.net
www.martimillerhubbell.com
Raymond Gibby
(479) 586-7645, gibbybronze@gmail.com
www.gibbybronze.com
Sherry Cobb
The Painted Horse Studio
1153 1200 Road, Delta, CO 81416
(970) 874-7105, (970) 216-3396
www.sherryspaintedhorsestudio.com
Trailside Galleries
130 E. Broadway Avenue, Jackson, WY 83001
(307) 733-3186, info@trailsidegalleries.com,
www.trailsidegalleries.com
Wild Horse Gallery
802 Lincoln Avenue, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477 (970) 879-5515, (970) 819-2850
wildhorsegallery@wildhorsegallery.com
www.wildhorsegallery.com
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