Jared Paul Wilson: Western Art

Boots On
11" x 17"
Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper
[SOLD]

"Well, they had a good, long run, the both of 'em.
And they went out with their boots on!"
- Secondhand Lions

"Boots On" was inspired while visiting the Fort Worth, TX Stock Yards, the only place in the world to hold two daily cattle drives. After speaking with one of the older cowhands responsible with herding the Texas longhorns, I began to pay closer attention the clothes he was wearing, particularly his boots. I immediately had the sensation, “If these boots could talk they would have plenty to share.” It’s that sense of aged character I diligently aspired to leave evident in my drawing. The boot within my artwork is clearly marred with wear and tear, scuffs and scrapes and dirt and grime - adorned like medals after years of hard work.

* Selected for the 2012 Galveston Art League Juried Art Show
* Selected for the 2012 National Society of Artists Fall Juried Show
* Featured on Prismacolor's website

Cattle Drive
24" x 16"
Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper
[SOLD]

No single endeavor has marked the image of Texas in the National mind more than the cattle drive - often romanticized through the arts. Many of the early cattle were longhorns, descendants of Spanish ranch and mission herds. This drawing is derivative of the Brazoria Cattle Drive, a tradition that lives on annually as a tribute to days gone by.

* "Barton Award" 2012 NSA Fall Juried Show
* "Second Place" 2013 Bay City Art League Juried Show
* Featured on Prismacolor's website
* Printed in 2013 Texas Gulf Bank 100 Year Anniversary Coffee Book

Cattle Line
12" x 18"
Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper
Original ~ $750

"TELL me not, in mournful numbers, life is but an empty dream! —
For the soul is dead that slumbers, and things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest, was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and time is fleeting, and our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating funeral marches to the grave.
In the world's broad field of battle, in the bivouac of life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle! Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no future, howe'er pleasant! Let the dead past bury its dead!
Act,— act in the living present! Heart within, and God o'erhead!
Let us, then, be up and doing, with a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing, learn to labor and to wait."
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, A Psalm of Life

* Featured in Colored Pencil Magazine August 2014

Perched Upon Legacy
18" x 12"
Prismacolor On Arches 140 lbs Watercolor Paper
[SOLD]

“Perched Upon Legacy” is an artistic interpretation of what many share as the heart of the South, the University of Texas. The Texas state bird, a mockingbird, rests upon a Texas longhorn, unifying two iconic symbols. A burnt orange sky fills the backgroud as it rolls into the distance, suggesting there is more to this story. From a design perspective, my purpose was to display brilliant light contrasting and complimenting the darkness within the clouds.

* "Second Place" 2013 Victoria Art League Fall Art Show
* Featured in IN Magazine March/April 2014
* Featured in Hill Country Sun Magazine February 2015

Horse's Point of View
11" x 17"
Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper
[SOLD]

"The way I see it, every time a man gets up in the morning he starts his life over. Sure, the bills are there to pay, and the job is there to do, but you don't have to stay in a pattern. You can always start over, saddle a fresh horse and take another trail."
- Louis L'Amour

* Featured in Colored Pencil Magazine August 2014

Texas Longhorns
18" x 12"
Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper
[SOLD]

While the origins of the "Texas Longhorns" may date back to the late 1400's, it's their long drives northward to market that imprinted that Texas icon within the nation's mind. A beautiful animal worthy of admiration, this drawing generates a level of calming serenity. In a world marketing fast cars, fast food and fast lifestyles there is something to be learned from how these cattle appreciate the world around them.
"We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are."
~Bill Watterson (Creator of Calvin & Hobbs)

* "First Place" 2012 Brazoria County Fair (Western)

Palo Duro Canyon Cowboy
11" x 14"
Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper
Original ~ $650

"Last night I couldn't sleep till after 4 in the morning — I had been out to the (Palo Duro) canyon all afternoon - till late at night - wonderful color - I wish I could tell you how big - and with the night the colors deeper and darker … I'm so glad I'm out here - I can't tell you how much I like it."
- Georgia O'Keeffe

* Featured in Colored Pencil Magazine August 2014

Yesterday's Rain
16" x 20"
Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper
[SOLD]

"I don't care what the future holds
And don't care about what you've been told
Don't want to hear what the weatherman has to say
'Cause I'm standing knee deep in yesterday's rain"
- Toby Keith, Yesterday's Rain

“Yesterday's gone on down the river and you can't get it back.”
- Larry McMurtry, Lonesome Dove

* Featured in Hill Country Sun Magazine January 2013

The Only Way I Know
11" x 17"
Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper
Original ~ $950

"That’s the only way I know
Don’t stop 'til everything’s gone
Straight ahead, never turn round
Don’t back up, don’t back down
Full throttle, wide open
You get tired and you don’t show it
Dig a little deeper when you think
you can’t dig no more
That’s the only way I know"
- Jason Aldean, The Only Way I Know

* "Second Place" at Brazosport Center 2013 People's Choice
* Printed in 2013 Texas Gulf Bank 100 Year Anniversary Coffee Book
* "First Place" 2013 Brazoria County Fair (Fair Theme)
* Featured in Sunwatcher Magazine Spring 2014

Live Like You Were Dying
24" x 16"
Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper
[SOLD]

"I went sky divin',
I went rocky mountain climbin',
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fumanchu.
And I loved deeper,
And I spoke sweeter,
And I gave forgiveness I've been denying,
And he said someday I hope you get the chance,
To live like you were dyin'."
- Tim McGraw, Live Like You Were Dying

Wrong Side of the Law
32" x 40"
Prismacolor On Arches Art Board
[SOLD]

Having viewed several Western films over the years, “Wrong Side of the Law” truly embodies the glamour of Hollywood blended with whispers of fact. While this artwork certainly contains theatrical undertones – at it’s core, this drawing is a dramatic revelation between right and wrong. The perspective provided offers a glimpse of a showdown between a Texas Ranger and an assumed outlaw. The winner of this duel is intentionally left to the viewer’s interpretation; however, hand positioning may suggests otherwise. The striking color, perspective and grit leave this artwork a memorable and creative portrayal of the artist’s romanitc love for justice within the wild west.

* Selected for the 2013 Brazosport Center Fall Juried Show
* "Third Place" 2013 Victoria Art League Fall Art Show
* Featured on the cover of The Bulletin January 2014
* Featured in IN Magazine March/April 2014
* Cover Art in Colored Pencil Magazine August 2014
* "Second Place" 2015 16th Annual Texas City Art Show

Rawhide Tough and Bull-Strong
22" x 16"
Prismacolor On 140 lbs Arches Watercolor Paper
Original ~ $2,000

"Rawhide Tough and Bull-Strong" pays respect to the historic legacy of Parker Ranch and their unwavering resilience over 160 years on the island of Hawaii. The artwork's title resonates far beyond the imagery depicted, reflecting Parker Ranch's commitment to maintaining traditions of family, loyalty and love of the land - momentous challenges for any privately owned ranch in modern times. It is within artworks such as this, an artist grows both physically and emotionally as they breathe life into legacy.

* Featured in The Show Circuit Magazine Jan/Feb 2014
* Featured in IN Magazine March/April 2014
* Featured in Colored Pencil Magazine August 2014

Catch Me If You Can
30" x 18"
Prismacolor On 140 lbs Arches Watercolor Paper
Original ~ $2,000

“Catch Me If You Can” embodies the exhilarating rush of anticipation experienced while attending a rodeo. Determination defines the cow’s elusive will to not go down without a fight. This artwork in many ways generates all the suspenseful tension one might experience while attending the sport. Dirt, dust and grit are frozen in the air, signifying the speed and intensity of the scene depicted within this Prismacolor drawing.
* Featured in The Show Circuit Magazine Jan/Feb 2014
* Featured in Colored Pencil Magazine August 2014
* Featured in Ann Kullberg's Colored Pencil Mag. Sept 2014
* "First Place" Lone Star Art Guild's 2015 State Convention

The Roundup
30" x 18"
Prismacolor on 140 lbs Arches Watercolor Paper
Original ~ $2,200

The Roundup

Cattle drives were rugged, strenuous and often dangerous. "The Roundup" takes the viewer along the Goodnight-Loving Trail, a major trail that branches from Texas to the Wyoming Territory. Much like a shepherd tends to his flock, these men were not willing to lose a single cow that broke away from the line. Cattle equalled profit and profit was not often abounding for these hardworking American cowboys.

* "First Place" 2014 Galveston Art League Spring Juried Show
* Featured in Colored Pencil Magazine August 2014
* Featured on cover of Roundup Magazine December 2014

Lunch Date
18" x 30"
Prismacolor on 140 lbs Arches Watercolor Paper
Original ~ $3,600

“Lunch Date” offers a personal and intimate glimpse within the equestrian world. Inspiration for this color pencil artwork was obtained while traversing Parker Ranch with my wife. As my wife and I enjoyed the picturesque scenery that only a location such as Waimea, Hawaii provides, we discovered a couple horses sharing a lunch on the top of a grassy hill. Unperturbed by our presence, the horses allowed us to venture near enough to document their moment of selfless bonding. Eerily human in manner, the horses brushed and nuzzled closely as they filled their palettes with lush Hawaiian grasses.

* Featured in Colored Pencil Magazine August 2014
* "Special Merit" 2014 Light, Space & Time Juried Show
* Cover of Hill Country Sun Magazine February 2015

Colder Weather
30" x 18"
Prismacolor on 140 lbs Arches Watercolor Paper
[SOLD]

"Colder Weather" offers a glimpse of the desolate and often dangerous landscape the American Cowboy encountered. Depth, color choice and size were executed in a technical manner, overdramatizing the emotion within the drawing.

"He said I wanna see you again, but I'm stuck in colder weather. Maybe tomorrow will be better, can I call you then? She said you're a ramblin' man, you ain't ever gonna change. You got a gypsy soul to blame and you were born for leavin'." - Zac Brown
* "Honorable Mention" Lone Star Art Guild's 2015 Convention

The Badlands
18" x 30"
Prismacolor on 140 lbs Arches Watercolor Paper
Original ~ $2,600

The Badlands

"The Badlands" was inspired by a trip North during my childhood. Anyone fortunate enough to observe the rugged beauty of the South Dakota Badlands where rhino, horse and saber-toothed cat once roamed, will quickly realize challenges the terrain posed for the Western cowboy. Lacking vegetation and water, the horses stop for a drink of refreshing rain water within this artwork as a looming storm presses towards them. The lightening and hawks circling above serve as a staunch reminder of the dangerous environment these two travelers have entered. It was not the subjects, but the story I was privileged to live within my studio as I created a narrative only few have had the honor and courage of experiencing.