Western Through My Eyes: The Inspiration Behind My Art

My style has always come from the things I love and the world around me.

I live in the West, and so much of my inspiration comes from simply paying attention to it—the incredible colors in a sunrise or sunset, the walls of Palo Duro Canyon, wildflowers along a fence line, mesquite, cattle and horses in the pasture. I notice the little things too: the unexpected turquoise or yellow on a bird, the pattern of a butterfly's wings, the colors and details of insects, and combinations in nature that I never would have thought to put together on my own.

That is probably why I've never been afraid of color.

I love turquoise, teal, yellow, terracotta, deep reds and blues. I love putting colors together that feel a little unexpected but somehow work—because nature does it all the time.

Western history and style are another huge part of what inspires me. I love vintage Western design, old ranches and worn wood, tooled leather, denim, colorful wild rags, turquoise and silver jewelry, and the beauty and artistry found in Native American-made art, textiles and jewelry. Horses, cattle and the ranching world are naturally woven through my work as well.

All of those influences eventually find their way onto my paintbrush.

When I look at an old piece of furniture, I don't just see something that needs to be refinished. I see a blank canvas. I want to give it a personality and make it something you aren't going to find anywhere else. I don't want my pieces to look new. I want them to feel as though they have a story—just a much more colorful one than when I found them.

That same idea is behind my Western tees.

I wanted tees that felt like my version of Western—not something mass-produced that looked like everything else. They needed color, personality and a little unexpectedness. They needed to look right with worn denim, turquoise and silver, a great wild rag and a pair of boots.

Then came my Artist Series, which brought the two sides of what I create together.

The Artist Series takes elements from my original hand-painted furniture and turns them into wearable art. A design may begin on an old buffet, dresser, table or chair and eventually find its way onto a tee. I love the idea that someone who connects with one of my furniture pieces can wear a little piece of that artwork, even if the original now lives hundreds of miles away.

That's really the heart behind The Brushed Bronc and my tees.

I don't create Western art because it's a trend. I create it because these are the things I genuinely love—the colors, animals, landscapes, history and details of the West that surround and inspire me.

It's Western through my eyes.

Bright. Colorful. A little unexpected. And always meant to feel like something with a story.

Cortney Shaller
The Brushed Bronc