Available Original Artwork

“Fur Traders on the Missouri” 18" x 36” Original Oil.

(American Narratives Series)

The fur trading era was a brief and dramatic episode in the pageant of the Old West. It promised European men a foothold in treacherous Indian country, and those brave enough, and lucky enough, blazed the trail for those who would follow.  The Mountain Men would make “bull boats” out of buffalo hides stretched around crude tree branch frames to haul the hard caught furs down the Missouri.  Yankee enterprise was quick to respond to the prospect of a profit. Expeditions started up the Missouri to establish company trading posts in territory which had yet to be mapped in any significant detail and where real sovereignty still belonged to the Native American Indian. Once the outposts were operating, trappers would no longer have to make the long journey back to St. Louis to sell their furs and obtain provisions. An even greater commercial potential existed if the Indian tribes could be induced to trade.

 

 

“Jim Bridger ‘Old Gabe’ the Frontiersman” 36" x 34” Original Oil.   (American Narratives Series)

James Bridger — more commonly known as Jim Bridger afterwards “Old Gabe” — was an American trapper, fur trader, and wilderness guide who played a significant role in the exploration and development of the American West in the 19th century. Bridger was renowned for his skill and success as a trapper and his ability to guide expeditions throughout America’s western frontier.

During his years on the frontier, Bridger was known for his ability to talk his way out of trouble and his friendly relations with Native Americans. He was described as tall and muscular by his contemporaries and was considered a shrewd, honest, and brave man. Although he had a reputation for being an exceptional mountain guide he was also known as an entertaining man who liked to laugh and tell “tall tales” about his adventures. Bridger’s stories painted a vivid picture of the West and inspired thousands of people to explore and migrate to the region.

 

"Life or Death” 32 1/2” x 24 1/2” Original Oil

(American Narratives Series)

Stories of man versus grizzly bear is a harrowing and perilous tale. Few animals command as much respect and instill as much healthy fear as bears. While fatal bear attacks are rare—there have only been around 180 deaths from bear attacks in North America since the late 1700s—they never fail to shock with their brutality. Men like Hugh Glass who was an American frontiersman, fur trapper, trader, hunter and explorer. He is best known for his story of survival and forgiveness after he was severely mauled and left for dead in 1823 managed to miraculously survive by crawling and scrambling 200 miles to Fort Kiowa.

  

"Prairie Sentinel” 24” x 18” Original Oil. 

(American Narratives Series)

The American bison, or buffalo, is a majestic icon of North America. Associated with the wild West, Native Americans, and “Buffalo” Bill Cody, the bison’s story is a dramatic tale of survival.
After the Civil war, white settlers began to push westward - and at that time vast herds of buffalo roamed freely across the Great Plains of North America. The buffalo provided an invaluable source of food and clothing, mainly in hides and other materials for settlers and army posts scattered towards the Pacific. The big push west had begun, and it attracted men like Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, and William F. Cody. These men were buffalo hunters, and were among hundreds of men trying to capitalize on the 10’s of millions of buffalo, in the untamed west. Sadly, the buffalo were hunted to near extinction, which is why conservation is so vital to the preservation of our precious wildlife, land and future.

 “Hunting Tales of Yesteryear” 34 x 36 Oil (Sold)

(American Narratives Series) 

Luke Frazier, (Russell Skull Society) 

“From the beginnings of time man was drawn to fire ~ reliant on it for survival, the cooking of meals, comfort and safety and depth of its mystical power. Here, the stories of the hunt, the adventure and the unexplained are laid bare. Tales and memories passed down for generations from fathers to sons, close friends and comrades are told and retold, creating legends, folklore and myth.”