2025 Sold Works

Zenith

48 x 72
​charcoal on panel

Point Man

30 x 15
​charcoal on panel

Empire

40 x 30
​charcoal on panel

​The American West is a dynamic blend of cultures shaping a unique landscape, not just a historical moment. Diverse influences from Native nations, French, Spanish, British, and Russian settlers molded the iconic "cowboy west," evident in modern agriculture. Spanish-derived cowboy terms and equipment, like the FA Meanea saddle from 1880s Cheyenne, reflect this heritage. This piece focuses on Bartlett Richards, a Vermont native who built the vast Spade Ranch in Nebraska, innovating corporate ranching with extensive land and labor management. His legal battles over fencing public lands, influenced by his rivalry with Theodore Roosevelt, led to his imprisonment and death in 1911. The rifle in the piece was owned by Bartlett Richards. It is an 1874 Sharps 45-70 rifle which was modified by the famous Freund Brothers Gunsmiths from Cheyenne, Wyoming. The branding irons belonged to the Spade ranch. This piece tells the story of the nations of the world coming together to build the modern American west.

Mirage

24 x 36
​charcoal on panel

Sun Seekers

16 x 20
​charcoal on panel

Outrider

20 x 16
​charcoal on panel

Santa Rita Hotel -First Home of the Mountain Oyster Club

15 x 30
charcoal

Seek My Heart in the Desert

24 x 18
Sepia Charcoal 

When I do a drawing, no matter the story behind the drawing, I try to emphasize the heart and character and personality of my actual model. I feel it looks inauthentic otherwise. I have the blessing of being able to draw a lot of my family members, and therefore, of knowing them well. In this case, my model is my sister Natalie. She has such a heart for the Sandhills, for the Great Plains, for the land. For her, the connection is not a place to live, but to dwell.

An Ounce of Prevention

11 x 14
charcoal on panel

Shared Path

11 x 14
Charcoal

Heralds of the Storm

30 x 40
Charcoal 

Corral Dust

24 x 24
2025
sepia charcoal on panel

Shade in the Desert

48 x 72
2025
Charcoal 

There are no native trees to the Nebraska Sandhills and the hills are so smooth that there is almost no native shade. In the absence of shade, horses and cows often just stand on the edge of a hill, shading each other and sharing tails to swat flies in the heat. ​

Its Early Days Yet

48 x 24
2025
charcoal on panel

​This piece features a young horse, just starting to learn the ropes. He’s alert, a bit touchy, but he just needs quiet handling and some experience. You can see he is young; the tack hangs on him loosely. The cowboy is loosening the cinch and watching the colt's body language to see how he reacts. 

Pressing Onward

48 x 36
2025
Charcoal 
​

Some ranchers still work with draft horses. My neighbors feed calves using this team, Rex and Zeke. Like most draft pairs (and most relationships) one is more bold and one less so. Here you can see Rex taking the lead, picking the direction, and Zeke following where Rex goes. The history of the west exists because of strong horses and strong teams. The buildings on my ranch were hauled in board by board using teams like these from 30 miles away. It was a two day trip into the railroad town and back out to the ranch. 

Sentinel

48 x 36
2025
Charcoal 

This is another very locally historic saddle. It is a Hamley and Company Saddle from Portland, Oregon, built in 1923 . It was commissioned by Night Lowe, whose family ranch is "next door" to mine. Then through unknown circumstances it was acquired by another neighbor around 1935, whose grandson owns it now. The tooling on this saddle is just incredible and the brass oxbows are very unusual. This is one of the most detailed and time consuming pieces I have ever done.

Things Are Going to Get Western

20 x 16
2025
​charcoal on panel
​Professional image coming soon

La Vachère

30 x 40
2025
​charcoal on panel

This drawing explores our past and present with not only a French title for "the woman who cares for cows", but the clothing worn by modern cowgirls. My family past is Swiss-French immigrants who came to Nebraska in 1885. They have raised cattle for five generations. For two generations they weren't even fluent in English; they spoke German and French. In the same way, modern ranching is the result of Spanish conquistadors bringing the first horses and cattle to South America. They eventually made their way to the American midwest bringing much of the Spanish clothing choices with them. My sister wears a Sevillano style hat, though she does not know it by that name. It is still worn is Spain today, as it is in Nebraska, an interesting connection from our past to our present.

Grazing the Hills

5 x 7
2025
Tinted Charcoal and Gouache

This is a scene I saw while running the other morning. These are our heifers up on a hill, grazing at dawn. I’m trying all kinds of new things right now including new compositional styles and media. This is a charcoal made with natural earth tints mixed in.​

Hold Onto Your Hats Boys

7 x 5
Charcoal 

Only the Wind Answers

24 x 18
2025
charcoal on panel

Clemency

36 x 24
2025
Charcoal 

This piece has a deep story behind it. Bartlett Richards started the Spade Ranch, a neighboring ranch to mine, in the late 1880's. He was a controversial character who believed in ranching and grazing rights and even fought the government to the Supreme Court level to defend those rights. He was eventually jailed for putting fences on unclaimed land; possibly made a political scape goat for Teddy Roosevelt with whom he had had bad interactions when they were both cowboys on the South Dakota range. The Bixby family who took over management of the Spade Ranch fought for Bartlett Richard's freedom. Onie Bixby wrote a letter to Theodore Roosevelt asking for clemency for Bartlett Richards. He rode to a prairie township (no longer existing) on the north side of my ranch to mail that letter. His request was not granted and Bartlett Richards died in prison. The saddle and bridle in this piece belonged to Onie Bixby. It was custom built by the Newberry Saddlery in Alliance, NE. It is an incredibly unusual saddle with a diamond quilted saddle seat with no seat rise (the hole in front of the horn). This image commemorates the letter and the ride Onie made attempting to free Bartlett Richards. This information was sourced from Stephanie Bixby-Graham and the book Bartlett Richards published by the Nebraska State Historical Society and the book Lawrence Bixby.

Landmine

14 x 11
2025
Charcoal 

Embrace the Sky

18 x 24
2025
Charcoal 

I’ve been studying our Nebraska Sandhills landscape. It is really unique and has such a complicated beauty. I think you have to have lived here to have seen it. I felt that way when I saw the ocean. It would take a lifetime to “see” it. I have a set of new works planned featuring this unique place. For now, here is a new piece showing the relationship between earth, sky, and horse. NC Wyeth’s simple compositions have been so inspirational recently! ​

Watchman

24 x 18
2025
Charcoal 

Effective Adversary

40 x 30
2025
Charcoal