In the Brazos de Dios by Bruce Greene
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Tell Me MoreEvery Spring a bunch of us get together for a cowboy gathering and reunion. We meet on the Brazos River in Palo Pinto County. It's a grand time for men and boys. We spend several days ropin' everything on four feet and just being horseback with friends. The whole deal culminates with a worship service under a big live oak tree. A couple of years ago, as our ol' preacher was wrappin' up, he said we needed to head down to the river. One of our men's wife had made a profession of faith on her death bed and when she did her husband stated his faith and asked to be baptized. Upon hearing of this, his son and grandson each professed their faith. That morning we went to the river with three generations in tow and another young man joined in his desire to be baptized as well. As our wet men were coming out of the water, one of our number who is blessed with a most beautiful voice, sang out with "How Great Thou Art". His tribute filled the river bottom as three Canadian geese flew in formation past us, low over the water. The actual old name of the Brazos River is the Brazos De Dios which means the Arms Of God.
About The Artist Bruce Greene is a Western painter who has ridden trails and experienced the cowboy life he portrays in the very narrative images he creates. The artist is a native Texan who has reached the pinnacle of his profession through hard work and an extraordinary talent for painting the story of one of our country’s most revered icons, the American cowboy. His scenes of contemporary cowboys going about their daily work are admired and collected across America. Several years ago, Bruce began making annual trips to join in the spring work on the legendary JA Ranch in the Palo Duro Canyon of north Texas. As Greene describes his trip, “I go up there and stay on the chuck wagon with the JA hands and the neighbors that have come to help. We ride a lot of miles in rough country. It can be cold, hot, windy, and wet. As a matter of fact, it can be all of these in one day. A fella' could get lost in some of the mesquite or cedar thickets. Of course, we work a few cows on our place and help out a neighbor now and then, but the JA trip has been a real inspiration for me each year. I am absolutely sure that this experience has greatly affected my artwork. It seems necessary, to me, in order to depict the contemporary cowboy with accuracy and feeling. My good friend, Red Steagall, calls it ‘getting the dust in your nose.’ For me, that dust makes the difference.” One of Greene’s most enjoyable, recent projects was creating a painting for the Texas Rangers Association Foundation commemorating and honoring the history and high standards of the Texas Rangers. The painting, titled “The Ranger Code,” was purchased by members of the Foundation’s board and is in the permanent collection of outstanding Ranger art at the Texas Ranger Museum in Waco. Greene was elected to membership in the prestigious Cowboy Artists of America in 1993 and served as its President in 2003. The artist and his family live on a small ranch in the historical community of Norse, near Clifton, Texas. Greene’s studio sets on the edge of a hill behind his home. From this vantage point, large north windows offer a continuous view of the Texas Hill Country, a few Hereford cows, and the occasional whitetail deer. “It is a wonderful blessing to be able to make a living for my family doing what I love in this beautiful place,” says Greene. Greene’s works are represented by several well known galleries in the Southwest. He has presented his art in annual shows and exhibition such as the Cowboy Artists of America Exhibition, the Prix de West Show at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, and the Autry Museum of Western Heritage Sale, just to name a few, and other prestigious venues. View Related SubjectsMore Info |
