Born 1942 in Gila Bend, ArizonaFather was a working cowboyMother was a artistSelf taught artistOne of few actual cowboy artistWorked all his life as a ranch hand and raised in a cowboy lifestyle Believes the contemporary working cowboy is a true “endangered species” Has a studio in Wickenburg, AZ where he still paintsLost his eye in a roping accident The youngest artist ever to be inducted into the Cowboy Artists of America

 Painted at the historical Babbitt Ranch in Northern Arizona.  The Working Cowboy depicts a group of cowboys performing daily tasks in the Arizona desert.  Some cowboys tie up calves, while others keep watch over the cattle.  The painting conveys the action and vibrancy of the cowboys’ jobs, while at the same time showing the difficulty of the tasks.

 Uses many textures and colors to convey realism in the painting.  Foreground is painted with blotches of paint that create the rough texture of the desert while in the background, more fluid brushstrokes are used to create smooth mountains.  The color palette includes earth tones that suggest the toughness of the terrain and the heat of the Arizona sun.  The use of large negative space, or the space that is not filled with action or objects, suggests the vastness of the land.

 In the painting, the real-life cowboys are made to appear tough and absorbed in their work.  Notice the cowboy in the foreground. Although he holds a prominent place in the painting, he is turning away from the viewer. In fact, the only face we can see completely is a cow that looks directly at the viewer.  Owen chooses this technique in order to convey the value of the cowboys and their importance to the Arizona landscape. It seems these cowboys are too busy to pose for a painting.

 What things do you see in this painting? What is this type of painting called? (Western Art – art that depicts historical and contemporary scenes and symbols of the American West).  What other sort of theme (certain topic or subject is always represented) would you see in Western Art (Stage coaches, western landscapes, buffalo, native americans etc.)  Does the painting itself look real to you? When art looks very genuine or realistic-it is called realism. Bill Owen accomplishes this by using a smaller brush, a smaller amount of paint and many brushstrokes.  The cowboy in the foreground is not facing the viewer? Why do you think the artist chose to do this?

Step 1 - On the small light brown sheet of construction paper design your brand Step 2 - Tear the edges of the light brown sheet of construction paper Step 3 - Wrinkle the light brown sheet of construction paper then flatten out Step 4 - Glue down the light brown construction paper on the middle of Step 5 - Take a thin line glue and make a design Step 6 - Take the white string and lay it over the glue design. Cut off any extra. Step 7 – Stamp a western design in each of the corners