𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑻𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓©2022 oil/board 30" x 36" Scottsdale Art Auction The inspiration for "Beating Thunder" was sparked by a building storm on the prairie that I witnessed some years ago. I want my paintings to represent an honest portrayal of traditional western wildlife. Early on, I wrote this on a scrap of paper as a reminder. 1) Wonder. Never cease in the wonder of nature. Approach it with a childlike naivety. 2) Dedication to the truth of the impression of nature. Tell its story with honesty and integrity. Work diligently. 3) Respect our natural world. Do not allow technology to creep in through the use of projection or computer programs. Do not commercialize with excessive print production. Or to paint paintings lacking the complexity of the animal or scene. I later added...Nature can be pretty and poised, but it can also be random and ordinary. Remember this! So with "Beating Thunder", I approached the painting with this mindset. Some years ago, I viewed a building storm on the eastern plains of Montana as summer shifted to fall. The enormous sky enveloped all. Everything appeared as a grain of sand under the towering blue. The bison belong there. The scene is not complete without them. Distance from the animal is respectful and natural. I sat in my old red Tahoe, viewing this scene, snapping pictures, and hearing the thundering hooves in my head. The rush of a transcending scene plants a memory seed that sometimes sits forever before it sprouts. I seek to relate the story faithfully. Naturally, wildlife has a story that is intertwined with the landscape it calls home. I can't separate the two. My path is to depict it in paint. That is the journey.
Categories All  Few things in life possess as much soul as original art. As wild places are calling to be enjoyed, I push aside technology. Technology replicates, not originates. I feel the grass under my hands; I hear the distant bugle of elk or the rattling of antlers as bucks spar. There is no place for shortcuts, only inspiration and hard work. This painting percolated for almost two years. I began with the dust devil. Some reach to the heavens and twist with admirable fury. They travel without hesitation, driven by heat, passing through ranches and livestock. I gathered my reference from West Texas to Eastern Arizona. I was fortunate to grow up around cattle. At times, they'd barely lift a head while grazing; at other times, they were spooked on a whim. Longhorns are as tough as the terrain. They are as western and wild as it gets and made the perfect cast of characters. An honest scene that borders on chaos was important to me. I thought of an old tumbleweed I picked up on a trip in my twenties. It was right out of an old western, and occupied sizeable space in my bachelor pad for years. The tumbleweed is as iconic as the longhorn and the dust devil making the story complete. Heck yeah!
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©2025 Brian Grimm All images are strictly reserved and copyrighted by the artist. For information on usage and licensing please contact the artist.
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830.456.6809
830.456.6809