Blog

Gathering Adobe Pasture 24 x 36 oil
Trailside Gallery's Fall Open House
October 16th 1-4 pm
Scottsdale, Arizona

Gathering Adobe Pasture was born from a scene I had the opportunity to view last spring.  The cowboy in the foreground is Toby Foote, who works for a neighboring ranch and helps on roundups.  The two men in the back are Jay Runston and Hugh Campbell, who work on other ranches but "neighbor" during fall and spring works.  Our son, Brooks Cameron, runs cattle in Adobe pasture which is located on a family ranch south of the Grand Canyon. It is predominately flat country covered with brush and grama grass.  The animals kick the powdery red dirt as they move.  It rises, permeating the atmosphere, transforming it into a dusty rose color that gradually fades into the blue above. The grass in this country is strong and cattle do well.  Brooks is the fourth generation of our family to run cattle on this ranch.  

During  spring works each cowboy tied and/or hobbled their horse while attending to work on the ground.   Usually a couple branding crews worked simultaneously with two mounted ropers dragging calves to the fire.  It was then these silent partners waited in the wings, outside the pen. Ground work doesn't require chaps so they are usually removed and  drapped over the saddle until later.  The black horse in my miniature piece was seen at such a time, waiting patiently for his time in the branding corral.

This painting will be part of Small Works Great Wonders Winter Art Sale at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum November 18.