cowboy artist

Here are my most recent decorations added to the kids' room. Courtesy of Will James, cowboy author and artist.

No, we did not name our son after this Will James (born Joseph Ernest Nephtali Dufault....you can't blame him for changing his name to sound more cowboyish after leaving Quebec and moving to the American wild west). Mainly because the aforementioned Will James lost everything, including his life, to alcoholism and we'd rather our son didn't emulate that. However, I am a huge fan of Will James' books and authentic cowboy sketches and so I don't mind our Will James having a connection to him through the enjoyment of his work. And sharing his name.

I fall in love with these pictures (and every other picture drawn by Will James) every time I look at them.
And there's a certain charm to his cowboy slang too....

"Six-guns and Ropes" was the starting name of this picture where I introduces myself to the screen. It was supposed to've been of the days when most everybody wore red flannel shirts and was overweighed about twenty pounds with guns and ammunition. Us boys had to mash down the crowns of our hats to make 'em match up with them times and a few was picked out of the crowd to wear full beards -- about that time Sam and I was missing and didn't show up till everything was safe."