Rhonda was born and raised in Bartlesville,Oklahoma and has a BS in Art Education from Oklahoma State University and hours toward a minor in printmaking. She is married to Paul and has four grown children. Rhonda has lived in Verdigris, Owasso, Oologah and Bartlesville in Oklahoma. She has worked as an  Advanced Placement High School Art Teacher as well as teaching art at both the elementary and middle school levels. Throughout the years Rhonda has worked as both a commercial artist as well as a fine artist. Since retiring from teaching in 2020, she has been concentrating on her work as a fine artist, painting commissioned artwork in oil paint. Rhonda is a current member of the Bartlesville Art Association.

Audrey Caylor is an award–winning contemporary wildlife and western artist.  Her medium of choice is oil with a heavy bold brush and palette knife technique through which she explores the beauty of wildlife and how the simplicity of one brush stroke can depict that.   The purpose of her work is to capture the feeling or the spirit of the animal with a simple glance.

Every day in America, there is a tragic loss of family owned, working ranches. Through my paintings, I am trying to capture this lifestyle, before it disappears altogether. I want to provide a window into a world of how the ranchers work, and to commemorate the disappearing landscape, animals, ranchers and traditional tools of their trade.

I have lived all my life near the border of North Dakota and Montana, and it is in this area I spend time on these vanishing ranches.

Every day in America, there is a tragic loss of family owned, working ranches. Through my paintings, I am trying to capture this lifestyle, before it disappears altogether. I want to provide a window into a world of how the ranchers work, and to commemorate the disappearing landscape, animals, ranchers and traditional tools of their trade.

I have lived all my life near the border of North Dakota and Montana, and it is in this area I spend time on these vanishing ranches.

“Art has always been an intricate part of my life. I feel that a successful work of art is a combination of creative vision and the integrity of the subject matter. To me this makes for a finished and honorable painting... job well done.” 

I find myself constantly inspired by light, color, and the sense of atmosphere found in western landscapes- from grand vistas to simple scenes with interesting light. My goal is not strict realism but rather to convey the 'feel' of a particular place and time; I want to share the sense of excitement with you that made me want to paint that scene in the first place!

After moving to Colorado 30 years ago from Switzerland, Doris Hubbell finally found time to discover oil painting. Her western lifestyle here in Colorado on their horse & hay ranch with beautiful Labrador Retrievers inspired her to explore her artistic expression. “I enjoy expressing my love for all of them through my art!”

Deborah Day is an accomplished horsewoman, nature enthusiast, passionate painter and registered nurse. She has combined these interests to create a multifaceted career. Artistically, much of her inspiration comes from outside her back door where the Rockin’ D Ranch is home to about 20 horses and various other animals. She has a deep, lifelong love for horses and they are frequently depicted in her work. Other animals, mostly of the domestic sort, find place in sharing her life in and out of the studio as well.

Carol Biering Hendrix creates oil paintings of animals, especially horses and the horse racing industry.  Much of her output is commissioned portraits of well-known race horses. 

Bonnie Shields is a well-known American Western artist known as, “The Tennessee Mule Artist.” She is especially famous for her detailed, humorous, and affectionate artwork focused on mules and donkeys.  Her work stands out because it captures the personality and intelligence of mules, sometimes with narrative flair, sometimes with a cartoon-like twist.

Gaylene Fortner creates artworks inspired by her cherished country life in her home state of Montana.  Wildlife, ranch life, antiques, and flowers grace her paintings created with oils or watercolors.  She explores new methods in her paintings in order to reveal the uniqueness of each subject, utilizing a variety of sizes from small to large formats. She especially enjoys painting miniatures, some of which are so small that a magnifying glass is needed to appreciate the details.

Elin Thomas has been painting professionally in both acrylics and oils since 1983.   She owns and rides a motorcycle, which she uses to travel to many gorgeous locations for camping, painting and loving life. Her dog Bessie is a companion on these journeys.  She’s been called the “fastest brush in the West” when doing on-location painting, completing a painting in about 40 minutes.  

Marla Smith is a contemporary oil painter known for creating artworks that reflect the landscapes and spirit of the American Southwest.  Her paintings capture Southwest scenery and ranch life, drawing on the natural beauty and wide–open spaces of the region, especially near Prescott, her home.

Melody DeBenedictis is an American contemporary fine artist, painter, singer, songwriter, and advocate, best known for her expressive oil paintings that capture the rugged landscapes of the western United States and the wild mustangs that roam them.  She often travels across western rangelands to photograph and experience the wild firsthand, using these experiences as inspiration for her paintings.  DeBenedictis is an advocate for wild horses, using her art and music to bring awareness to their habitats and the challenges they face.

Christy Daniels is a respected bronze sculptor known for her depictions of real life western and wildlife experiences. Her exceptional understanding of animal body language and emotions, not only flow through her pieces but help her tell a story forever preserved in a three– dimensional snapshot.  As well as the body language and necessary conformation, Christy feels "the look in the eye" of her animals is key to drawing the viewer into the story.

Lana Dunlap is a self-taught fine artist known for creating artworks inspired by the working West — including portraits and images of ranch life, livestock, and western themes. Her pieces often capture both the quiet strength and raw emotion in her subjects.  She works in gouache, colored pencils, and charcoal on various substrates.

Barbara Summers Edwards, born and raised in Southeastern Idaho, is a fourth generation native of the American West. Graduating from Utah State University in illustration and working as a freelance illustrator, Barbara evolved as a fine art oil and watercolor painter. Commonly portraying figurative imageries, her painterly, realistic paintings have received numerous awards as they have been exhibited in international, national, regional and state juried, invitational, group and two person exhibits.

The art of Molly Mellinger celebrates and explores the horse. Her connection to horses and horsemanship informs her understanding of movement, balance, and softness—qualities that naturally emerge in her work.  Mellinger is a multidisciplinary artist with a foundation in drawing, an emerging interest in sculpture, and a primary focus on oil painting.  Her paintings are vibrant and textural, rich with color and contrast. Each piece attempts to reconcile the tension between the precise and the abstract, where sensitively rendered forms emerge from painterly, expressive backgrounds. Artistic magic happens in the space between these contrasts. Calculated design and composition meet intuition and play, and the flow found in the process creates a dynamic harmony.  Mellinger strives to establish a sense of equilibrium—where control and fluidity align, much like the unity achieved between horse and rider.

Kadra Nevitt is a Kansas-based artist known for her evocative works centered on Western themes, outdoor life, natural landscapes and animals —most notably horses.  She blends heartfelt subject matter with technically strong pastel and watercolor work to evoke the beauty and spirit of the American West.  She is self-taught and has developed a reputation for life–like portrayals that lean toward soft realism with expressive technique. 

LJ McLoughlin is an artist and a working cowgirl.  She creates oil and acrylic paintings.  Her inspiration comes from the gritty scenery and western lifestyle she is surrounded by — historical ranches, working ranches, and the Native American land where the Apache and Navajos once lived, along with the special ambient light of Arizona, the color of the rocks, dirt, sky and the mountains.  McLoughlin’s work reflects her authentic experience with ranch life—she grew up raising and training horses and continues to live and work on a ranch in southeastern Arizona with her husband.