Steppin' Back in Time

 

The Gunslinger by Frederic Remington

I could browse western art for hours. Sometimes, I do. 

Admiring period art gives a glimpse at how life in the wild west was actually lived. Oh sure, there are lots of glossy, showy art pieces romanticizing the era and they're often attractive...but they're not my favorite.  

The kind of art I lean toward is the pieces that don't gild the lily—they show life as it was. Raw, gritty, often deadly, these renderings make me feel as if I'm stepping back in time—and I love every minute of it!

My favorite western artist is Frederic Remington. His talents for painting, writing, and sculpting brought substance to his offerings. Perusing them, I feel the pulse of those days in its sweaty, difficult, dusty glory...and I yearn to somehow transport myself back to that time to experience a closer look at it all. 

I love this time in our history for a lot of reasons. One of the most is that those who decided to head west were strong. They had to be, if they wanted to survive. 

In A Wylder Christmas, Wylder's schoolteacher Violet Bloom is no shrinking violet. She faces near-death by snowstorm, underground imprisonment, and a host of other trials but she never gives up. Her goal to make a happy life for herself in this new territory remains steadfast—and that's the kind of attitude I admire. 

Until there's a way to time travel back to the wild west, I'll content myself with perusing western art. 

What about you? Do you see the western depictions and wish you could step back in time?     

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