“When I first started painting on silk, I really wasn’t drawn to “western” themes because of the predominance of brown there-in! I got over that, and when I painted my Texan grandmother Stella on a bucking horse in brilliant color, that was the launch I had been waiting for. Many cowgirls, cowboys, horses and cattle later, I admit to using some brown now and then, but always mixed with other colors. I have enjoyed depicting early Americans with tipis and travois and such. There is something about the subject matter painted on silk which really appeals to some collectors. I once discovered that Charlie Russell painted a couple of pieces on silk, probably his wife’s old petticoat. We artists will paint on any surface given half a chance. Lately I have been painting more western figures under the big sky, with billowing cumulous clouds or a dramatic sunrise. I finished one commission not long ago of two sizable draft horses with a backdrop of the Tetons, lots of color and drama there!” – Nancy Cawdrey