The Old Double Diamond

"The painting is based on a song by the popular cowboy poet Gary McMann. The song is about a ranch that is bought out by a large corporation and the cowboy who is told to pack up and get out. I wanted to make my own statement about losing the romance of these small, family-owned ranches. 'The Old Double Diamond' was such a ranch. "The song goes on to talk about the old cowboy life and how it is quickly dying out. I share the songwriter's nostalgia for the independent old ways, and I felt that it was best to capture this old way without sentiment or obvious symbolism. A sense of design is always the approach I take."