Skip to content 
From Ranch Life to Easel: The Heart Behind My Western Pastel Art
How memories, photography, and emotion shape each piece I create
Inspiration is where every painting begins. That includes my Western pastel art. For me, it often starts in the heart — in memories, emotions, and familiar experiences that have never really left me.
Growing up on a cattle ranch gave me a lifetime of stories, images, and feelings to draw from. I spent countless hours on horseback with my best friend and neighbor, Terri, riding trails and just exploring. My childhood memories on the ranch are a huge part of my inspiration today. I grew up in small-town Idaho, and our lives revolved around horses and the outdoors.
Some of my favorite memories include:
Swimming horses in the Clearwater River with Kathleen. We weren’t really supposed to—but we did it anyway, and it was pure fun. Sorry Mom!
- Trail rides over the mountain to the Weippe Rodeo with friends, and riding with my summertime horse riding buddy, Marci.
Riding horses from our ranch into town (about three miles) with my sister and my bestie, Terri, to practice Drill Team routines at the rodeo grounds. On the way home, we’d stop at our local drive-in restaurant—the Road Runner—and order half-and-half ice cream cones from the outside drive-up window while still on horseback. Then we’d ride back home – sometimes arriving after dark!
Cowhide races at gymkhanas — a wild, hilarious event where an older sibling (on horseback) pulled a younger one lying flat on a cowhide behind them, racing from one end of the arena to the other, around a barrel, and back to the finish line. What a kick!
My dad and brothers rounding up cattle in the mountains in fall, using our ranch horses on the USFS grazing allotment, and packing elk and camp supplies during hunting season.
My aunt and uncle racing Quarter Horses in California and Nevada. My aunt also owned and barrel raced a mare who was an own daughter of the famous stallion, King.
My sisters and I taking part in rodeo royalty—from CVRA Rodeo Princesses to Border Days Queen. I loved everything about it.
Of course, I loved all the usual school activities too — cheerleading, playing on the softball team, swimming in the community pool, and floating the Clearwater River with friends every summer. But nothing compared to the horses.
At the time, we didn’t realize how lucky we were.
Look Within for Inspiration
My advice for those who are interested in creating art yourselves to dig deep and explore your own inspiration. Whether it’s a memory, a feeling, a place, or a story—those personal connections are what make a piece of art resonate not only with you, but with others too.
And if you’re a collector, you probably already know: we’re drawn to art that stirs something inside us—memories, emotion, curiosity, or a sense of familiarity. That’s the power of story and inspiration in art.
Finding Inspiration Today
Now that I’m an artist, I pull from those memories constantly for my Western pastel art pieces. But I also find inspiration in the present—especially through visual references and stories I discover along the way.
Today, my reference photos come from many places:
Online marketplaces where you can purchase photography licenses for reference photos
Facebook groups full of Western, ranch, or rodeo-themed photography
Connections with photographers, where I request permission to use their images
Occasionally my own photos, though I prefer to focus my time on the drawing process
No matter where the photo comes from, I’m always searching for something specific — something that stirs a feeling, reminds me of a moment from my past, or tells a story that feels true to the Western lifestyle I know and love.
When searching for just the right photo to work from, I look for:
A compelling subject and overall feeling
A sense of story—either told by the photographer or one I imagine myself
Strong composition, contrast, and lighting
Clarity and sharpness — especially important since I work in pastel pencils and detail matters.
I also credit my dad — a former professional photographer — with teaching me how to see a photo. He used to say that I (and two of my brothers) had a “photographer’s eye.” That early training helped me develop the ability to recognize strong composition, light, and emotion in a photo — a skill that has become one of my most valuable tools as a pastel artist.
Featured Painting: Peek-A-Moo
“Peek-A-Moo” is a great example of how memory and inspiration come together to help create my Western pastel art pieces. When most people look at this painting, they see a cute, curious little calf. (He’s a favorite of many!) But what I see is a familiar expression I saw so many times while growing up on a cattle ranch.
This piece has also connected with others—it won the McCalla Award for People’s Choice at the Mountain Oyster Club’s 51st Annual Contemporary Western Art Show and Sale.
If you’d like to learn more or collect the original, here are the details:
Product Details:
Title: Peek-A-Moo – Original Pastel Painting
Medium: Pastel on Pastelbord
Size: 14″ x 11″ unframed; 25 ¼” x 21 ¼” framed
Framed and Ready to Hang
Photography Reference: Karen Broemmelsick, used with permission
Want to read from the beginning of the series?
