Tom Ryan (1922-2011)


West Texas Holidays signed and inscribed 'Tom Ryan CA' (lower right)conté crayon and charcoal on paper17 x 33in
|ProvenanceThe artist.Acquired by the late owner from the above.ExhibitedMidland, Texas, Nita Stewart Haley Memorial Library, Tom Ryan Exhibition, July 3 - 10, 1991.Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, The Brotherhood of Man: Tom Ryan and the Cowboys of the 6666 Ranch, October 13 - December 31, 2001.LiteratureS.H. McGarry, Honoring The Western Tradition: The L.D. "Brink" Brinkman Collection, Kerrville, Texas, 2003, p. 148, illustrated.In a letter to L.D. Brinkman, the artist notes of the present work, "In the rural areas of West Texas, cowboys get together on some Saturdays, Sundays or holidays to compete against each other...For sport and fun or a break in their working week. The wives and children join in on the festivities. Likely there will be a large cooled down tub of beer and soft drinks to wash down the dust. What makes the roping events particularly interesting are the side bets and jack pots. This drawing was accomplished in my Midland studio."1 1 Tom Ryan, unpublished letter, 13 April 1990.