Iron and Leather, 2025

Oil pastel, oil on pastel paper

20x28”

This painting presents a tightly framed, dynamic portrait of a rider mounted on horseback, rendered in oil pastel and oil on pastel paper. The figure is shown from the waist up, angled slightly toward the viewer, creating a sense of immediacy and motion. He wears a dark, wide-brimmed cowboy hat adorned with subtle decorative elements, and dark sunglasses that obscure his eyes, lending the figure a guarded, self-possessed presence. His facial features are modeled with expressive strokes, combining warm browns, deep shadows, and sharp highlights that emphasize structure and intensity.

The rider’s clothing—most notably a bright blue shirt layered beneath a dark vest—is rendered with bold, gestural marks. The pastel medium remains visible throughout, with lines and smudges reinforcing movement and texture rather than polished finish. His hand grips the reins firmly, and the curve of the horse’s neck and tack enters the composition at the lower edge, grounding the figure in action.

The background is loosely worked in muted purples and browns, softly blended and atmospheric, offering contrast to the more sharply defined figure. At 20 x 28 inches, the work invites close viewing, emphasizing expressive mark-making, layered color, and a charged moment of control, motion, and quiet intensity.