Email
PrintTim Cox
Painting a firsthand account of his time as president of the Cowboy Artists of America
Tim Cox revealed his painting More than Just a Horse at the Prix de West this June. “I enjoy trying to capture the relationship between a horse and its rider,” Cox says. Depicting a cowboy tenderly removing his horse’s bridle after a long day’s work, this beautifully executed painting conveys Cox’s deeply held belief that “a horse isn’t just a tool, he’s a partner.”
Compositionally, the artist emphasizes the bond between the cowboy and his animal companions by enclosing the group in a circle. The curved body of the horse leads the viewer’s eye across to the chuck wagon in the background, down to the dog resting in the shade, and up through the saddle, which arches back toward the horse to complete the circuit. Standing within the circle, the cowboy is the apex of this harmonious relationship.
The masterful painting is based on sketches made by Cox during a 3,000-head cattle drive. In the evenings, after completing his ranch hand duties, Cox would hang up his cowboy hat and record the day’s camp activities in his sketchbook. It is remarkable that, even while serving as the current president of the Cowboy Artists of America, Cox manages to continue to raise cattle and train award-winning cutting horses, yet he believes the work is necessary for his soul and his art.
Whether depicting ranchers driving cattle under looming storm clouds, a cowgirl casually soaking her feet in a peaceful mountain stream, or a lone cowboy huddled with his faithful dog around a fire on a snowy evening, Cox’s paintings accurately document the life of the contemporary cowboy and resonate with the viewer on a deeply emotional level.
“A long time ago, when I first started painting,” Cox shares, “I read, ‘If you paint your time, it will become history,’ so I’m putting down a firsthand account of my time. I hope that through my work, future generations can experience the American West that, unfortunately, is disappearing.”
ABOVE: More than Just a Horse, oil on canvas, 24 x 30.
GALLERIES: Settlers West Galleries, Tucson, Arizona, 520.299.2607, www.settlerswest.com. Tim Cox, Bloomfield, New Mexico, 505.632.8080, www.timcox.com. Trailside Galleries, Jackson, Wyoming, 307.733.3186,
www.trailsidegalleries.com.
