This is the image that first attracted me to painting rodeo cowboys, one of the first pictures I took at a rodeo. I paint what I see. I don't alter the colors; at times these cowboys’ gear can get pretty flashy!

Did you ever wonder where 'rodeo' came from? The word 'rodeo', like most of rodeo's other unique terms, was borrowed from the Spanish cowboys or vaqueros. Rodeo is a form of the verb 'rodear', which means 'to surround' or 'round-up'. The word was used to describe the act of gathering cattle before a cattle drive. Interestingly enough, 'rodeo' was not used to describe cowboy competitions until sometime around 1916. Before then they were known as 'cowboy competitions' or 'cowboy tournaments'.