New Western Portraits by s.c. jones and Susanne Forestieri
November 1, 2008 through January 3, 2009

Goldwell celebrates the western spirit of "Beatty Days" and the Death Valley 49ers Encampment with
an exhibit of new paintings and charcoal drawings by Las Vegas artists s.c. jones and Susanne Foresteri.
The gallery will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Free admission.

Goldwell Museum
Goldwell Open Air Museum
Near the ghost town of Rhyolite, Nevada
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 405
Beatty, NV 89003

Born and raised in the vacant frying pan known as Las Vegas, I was often in the company of migrant cowboys
working this old gambling town with a small population and a giant urge for success. Real cowboys, with hair slicked
down like plastic and a tray of cigarettes on the lacquered old wood tables. They had whiskey on the breath and dust
on their boots. They wore a hat like it was the law.

My grandfathers and my father-in-law all appreciated the simplicity of the classic, Hollywood western.
There is unquestionable good, and there is definite bad. It can all be solved with courage, a gun and honor.
American westerns are more popular in foreign countries than in our own. Who wouldn’t want a world so simply
defined and heroically corrected by a valiant deed?

Asked to paint pictures of “cowboys,” I found myself turning to the mythic characters
of my youth. These are the men who I would hope our children would learn values from.

Not wanting to paint simple portraits of the actors that can be found at swapmeets or shops in Barstow, I looked for a way of combining the contemporary with the classic. I’ve done the classic portrait, but added a pop twist to comment on them.

- s.c. jones October, 2008

CLICK HERE TO VIEW
COWBOY PORTRAITS BY S.C. JONES