Southwest Cowboy Art - Not Your Ordinary Decorating Style

Art always benefits from striking images and dynamic themes. Southwest cowboy art focuses on a subject that grips the imagination with its feeling of energy, ruggedness, self-sufficiency, and freedom. The American cowboy is one of the world's most distinctive, iconic images. He is normally seen sitting on his horse with a broad-brimmed cowboy hat to shade his eyes and spurred boots to control his mettlesome steed. Hanging from his saddle is a lariat coiled on his saddlebow and his gaze is as if he is looking at the far horizon. Including cowboy art in your home's decor is a sure way to bring the wind of the open range, the quiet companionship of the trail, and the warmth of the evening campfire to your own house as well.

One of the most dramatic, immediate ways to conjure up the cowboy scene is through the use of paintings. There are many wonderful artists today that create cowboy imagery art. Whether you desire a view of a dusty cattle drive, with busy cowpokes galloping around the margin of the herd swinging their lariats or a rodeo scene with a skilled horseman clinging to the back of a wild bronco or even a quieter image of spurred riders sitting around a campfire, there is an artist ready to supply you with your needs.

To help break up the wide open spaces on your walls, use paintings that express your decorating theme. The true cowboy theme can be created by alternating them with western accessories such as a set of deer antlers, a pair of replica pistols or something else to bring up the textures of the Old West.

Paintings are not the only medium that you can use to show your interest in the cowboy and bring the southwest into your home. A bronze statue of a cowboy is a good centerpiece for any table, mantle or collection cabinet. The striking image of the cowboy on his steed is excellent for statuary, whether bronze or porcelain, with the exact choice of medium depending on what your decor color scheme calls for.

Ready to give that rugged finishing touch to your bunkhouse are countless cowboy items. There are many possibilities for bringing a southwestern room to life such as wrought iron lamps in the shape of a cowboy, limited edition plates, painted hides with cowboy scenes, and even photographs of modern cowboys at work on the ranch. Through careful selection and placement, items such as real cowboy gear may be turned into objects of art. The unchanging mood of the west can be created simply by adding a cowboy hat on the wall, or a saddle placed artistically in your living room.