Morning Broken

#6.1
oil on canvas
36 x 36 in.
41 x 41 in. (framed)
Set in the first half of the 20th century shortly after dawn, the figure of a working ranch hand in this painting was inspired by Taos Pueblo Natives. The title is a shortening of “morning has broken,” but within a somewhat harsher context. There may be a long day of hard work ahead, with missing cattle to find and little pay, or perhaps it is simply a portrait of a hired laborer eking out a living in a rough environment. However, in the visual representation there is optimism to be found in the form of light and beauty . . . ultimately, the story is up to the viewer.