Biography

Jane Bradley has painted the people and places of the West for years. As a child growing up in Salt Lake City, she displayed an affinity for animals and art. Her love of horses was matched only by the pleasure she took in drawing them.

Her work combines both realistic and romantic visions of the West: the rodeo cowboy, the native tribes of the Southwest, and, of course, the horses. Inspired by Frederick Remington's energy and immediacy, but also by Edward Hopper's empathy for the individual she distinguishes her paintings from the more documentary work of genre painters.

"Western art can also be fine art," she explains. "It can communicate something personal to us even if we never ourselves ride on horseback across the desert or dance the dance of our ancestors. Art can forge a bond of empathy between strangers. I want my work to do precisely that."

Jane has participated for several years in the Artists’ Ride in South Dakota – a four day photo shoot, to which 50 Western artists from across the country are invited (including many notable artists, such as Don Crowley). The models are carefully selected for their look, knowledge of history, horsemanship, and character, their gear is as close to authentic as possible.  Most of the models have appeared in motion pictures and documentaries.

Jane frequently participates in juried shows, including the Phippen Museum Western Art Show, the C.M. Russell Show,  the Southwestern Art Show in Indio, the Empire Ranch Western Art Show, and many others. In 2006, her painting “Red Shoes” won Best of Show and First Place in Oil  at the Phippen Western Art Show, and was featured in Southwest Art magazine.

Oil paintings of the American southwest, and commissioned portraits and artwork