Earlier this month, Dusty and I drove down to Texas to attend the annual Cowboy Artists of America trail ride, held at the historic Kimberlin on the Brazos Ranch, originally Established in 1855 by Oliver Loving.

Settled this Loving’s or Big Valley Ranch in 1855 and was granted a Homestead Patent by Texas in 1859. Taking advantage of the numerous free-ranging Longhorn Cattle and the terrain of this Ranch, Loving and Family would roundup wild Texas cattle — driving many here where bluffs and their few rock fences provides a cheap place to hold and pasture cattle, while accumulating a sizable herd for the Drive. 

Loving’s early drives were to Louisiana. In 1858, he trailed the first major cattle drive North through Indian Territory to Illinois. In 1866 the 54 year old Loving and Charles Goodnight, a younger but experienced neighboring rancher and friend, teamed up with 18 cowboys to drive some 2,000 Texas cattle up an Indian Infested, arid trail from this area southwesterly to the Pecos River, then north through New Mexico on to Denver — later to be known as the historic Goodnight-Loving Trail. 

In 1867, Oliver Loving was wounded by Indians and died of gangrene up the trail in New Mexico. Honoring his last request, his partner Goodnight and others returned Loving’s body to Weatherford for burial. Larry McMurtry’s epic novel and the now famous TV movie “Lonesome Dove” were based upon that Texas and Western Legend. 

After Loving’s death, this ranch passed to his heirs, including his eldest son, James C. Loving — who in 1877 in Graham, along with Captain C.C. Slaughter, formed the Texas Cattle Raisers Association to deter rustling. From Loving’s notes, the Loving Brand Book was later produced, documenting over, 1,500 original early legitimate regional Cattle Owners and Brands. 

This Historic Ranch has belonged to the Kimberlin Family since 1941 — the year the first dam on the Brazos River was completed here and Possum Kingdom Lake filled. Coincidentally, the scenes in Lonesome Dove of the establishment of their “Montana” Ranch were actually filmed in northern New Mexico on a Ranch owned by the Kimberlin’s now known as the Hat Creek Ranch. 

Dusty had a few days to spend camped out in the serine setting next to the river with his fellow Cowboy Artist members in their ‘cowboy teepees.’ The ladies spent the week visiting at the Kimberlin’s Lake House, exploring nearby Graham, visiting the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, taking a scenic tour around Possum Kingdom Lake on a evening boat ride, and concluding the week at the Ranch with the guys, wonderful hosts, John & Charlotte Kimberlin, and honorary members for a chuckwagon dinner and carriage ride. A wonderful week was had by all as we look forward to this event every year.

The CA artists are planning on having an online art sale with work inspired by this years’ trail ride in early summer. I will be sure to update our show schedule with more details on this event.

Our show schedule is starting to look more like normal after the cancellations of last years’ events. Dusty will be showing art work at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show in July, with an opening reception on July 22. More Info Here. We will also be attending the annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale in September here in our hometown of Cody, Wyoming. More Info Here.

The Cowboy Artists of America Show will be held in Fort Worth, Texas again this year and Dusty is looking forward to debuting new work at this show in early November. More Info Here.

Please check back on our ‘Shows’ page for updated information on events for 2021.

Comanche Ways

We want to thank all of our collectors for helping us nearly sell-out of Dustin’s newest sculpture ‘Comanche Ways’. This was an exciting new Texas Rangers piece unveiled last year and we are expecting it to be completely sold-out this year, with only a few pieces left in the edition as of now. If you are interested in adding this piece to your collection before it is no longer available, contact me, tammy@dustinpayne.com for ordering information.