About the Artist
Shawn
Shawn has been described in articles as "The Real Thing".
She and her family have lived the western ranch life that she portrays on canvas for over 6 generations. Both maternal and paternal great-grandparents came to northern and southern Arizona in covered wagons bringing cattle with them in the early 1870s. The southern clan, the Woods, settled around Globe while the northern family, the Wingfields settled in Camp Verde and nearby mountains. Shawn's grandfather, John Osborne, rode horseback from Kansas, working on cattle ranches along the way. In the early 1900s he hired on with the Chiricahua Cattle Company and rose to foreman about 1914. It was then the largest ranch in Arizona. John wed Mary Wood and their daughter brought the two pioneer families together through the marriage of Billie Osborne and Louis Wingfield, Shawn's parents. Members worked together and lessons learned from life and the land were passed on. Today they are in the seventh generation of ranching in Arizona.
So...from a young age Shawn absorbed life around her filled with talk of cattle, weather, the smell of horse sweat and leather, the sound of hooves before dawn, the weariness of long days…and sense of purpose. Dean and Shawn remain involved in Arizona ranching as they assist their grown children who have operations of their own. With no memory of beginning she continues to record and preserve ranch life as it unfolds, through paint and canvas. God's gifted her with ability and opportunity to capture fleeting moments that are re-lived by the viewer providing a window into a world she reveres. Her subjects are real and their story is true.
Learning is a life-long passion and the art world is an infinite resource. Although primarily self-taught, the mentoring of several prominent western artists helped her work grow and evolve into an a career that has spanned three decades. She remains grateful to all but especially Bill Owen, for generously sharing his knowledge in many areas, for Joe Beeler whose continued encouragement and support meant so much and to Robert "Shoofly" Shufelt who opened a door to the world of professional art.
Shawn explored many mediums as she began her art journey. She originally worked in graphite pencil then charcoal, colored pencil, water color, oil and bronze. The Mountain Oyster Club purchased her bronze, "Tail to the Wind" and exhibits it in the club. Today she primarily works in oil.
Resource material is gathered on the family’s ranch of Dean, other family members and cowboys as they work. These captured memories become visual references. They are taken to her studio where they are studied, drawn, re-drawn and finally arranged on canvas.
She is closely surrounded by critics for accuracy yet her goal is to grow in ability to portray the life few have experienced.
She follows a call for excellence and a drive to continue improving...
Exhibitions of her work include the Prix de West and Small Works Great Wonders at the Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, OK. She is one of the founding artist of Cowgirl Up! Art from the Other Half of the West at the Sigler Western Museum in Wickenburg, AZ where she was awarded the "Artist's Choice Award" in 2007 and the "Governor's Choice Award" in 2015 and 2016. In 2020 she received the Desert Caballeros Museum's "Purchase Award" and her painting, "Dusty Haze" became part of their permanent art collection. In 2025 The Booth Western Art Museum in Carterville, GA added "So it Begins Again" to their permanent collection. Shawn was extremely honored to serve with Martin Grelle as Co-Featured Artists at the C.M. Russell Auction and Sale in 2008 in Great Falls, MT. She's participated in the Night of Artists at the Briscoe Museum in San Antonio, TX. and the Heart of the West at the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Ft. Worth, TX where her mother's 1942 Madison Square Garden photo is displayed. She's been part of The Coors Western Art Show at the National Western Livestock Show in Denver, Colorado and The Cheyenne Art Show in Cheyenne, WY as well as Great American Miniatures at Settler's West Gallery in Tucson, AZ and the Legacy Gallery's Holiday Miniature Show in Scottsdale, AZ. It's been her pleasure to participate in tthe Masters in Miniature at the Phippen Art Museum in Prescott, AZ. In 2019 she was invited to become one of the founding artists of the Masterworks of the West at the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Canada. Early in her career she was awarded the "Phippen Family Award" for a graphite drawing titled "Ranch Weathered" at the 1993 Phippen Western Art Show, in Prescott, AZ. The Mountain Oyster Club in Tucson, AZ presented her with a "Lifetime Honorary Membership" in 2013.
She is very honored to be the first woman ever invited to exhibit with the Cowboy Artists of America (as a guest artist) during their 60th Anniversary Show in October 2-3, 2026 in Denver, CO at The Legacy Building.
In 2013 and 2014 Shawn's art was selected as a Staff Pick from the FASO daily art show.
In 2018 Shawn was given the "Will Rogers Award for Artist of the Year" by the Academy of Western Artists.
In 2022 she received "The Steel Dust Award" for Best of Show at the American Quarter Horse Museum's America's Horse in Art and in 2024 she was honored as the "Master Artist" for Art of the Cowgirl.
Shawn enjoyed supporting the community she lived in and the world of art by serving for several years as a board member and Vice President of the Phippen Western Art Museum in Prescott, Arizona.
She has shared the cowboy and ranch world she knows through her poetry. Her written work has been included in various publications and recited by her and others at events.
Her art has graced the cover of publications such as Western Art Collector, American Cowboy and Western Horseman. She's been a featured artist in a number of magazines including Southwest Art, Art of the West, Western Art Collector and Western Horseman. In 2025 Texas Tech University Press published Artists of the Horse-Capturing the Spirit of America's West, by Heidi Brady and Scott White where her story and artwork was shared.
Shawn agrees with Poet Utah Phillips who said of the Cowboy, "If dirt were a kingdom then he would be king."
Art Resume:
Selected Publications
Western Art Collector-Women in Art-June 2025
Western Art Collector-Women Artists Feature article-May 2022
American Cowboy-Cover, Special Issue “Code of the West”, April 2015
Western Art Collector-Cover, December 2014
Western Horseman-Cover and article, January 2014
A Cowgirl’s Diary-Western Art Collector, March 2009
Quiet Pride-Western Horseman, October 2008
The Real Thing-Southwest Art, November 2008
Cover-Rocky Mountain Rider, November 2007-March 2009
Cowboy in the West-Persimmon Hill, Autumn 2004
Cover Artwork-Western Horseman, April 2004
Start Your Collection-Southwest Art, March 2003
Stirring the Emotions-Art of the West, April-May 2002
A Century of Arizona Women Artists-American Art Review, February 2001
Artist Profile-Western Horseman, December 1998, April 2003
Gallery Previews-Santa Fean Magazine, May 1998
Artists to Watch-Art Talk, 1993
Selected Shows:
2024: Cowboys North and South, Claggett-Rey Gallery, Edwards, CO
2010-2026: Night of Artists, Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX
2025-2026: Coors Western Art Show
2005-2025: Settlers West American Miniature Show, Tucson, Arizona-Feb.
2006-2025: Cowgirl Up! Desert Caballeros Museum, Wickenburg, AZ
2009-2025: Small Works Great Wonders, Oklahoma City, OK
2003-2009: The Prix de West Show, Oklahoma City, OK
2022-2025: Legacy’s Holiday Miniature Show, Scottsdale, AZ
2005- Legacy of the West, Legacy Gallery, Scottsdale AZ
2007: Legacy Gallery 3 person Show, Jackson Hole, WY
2019: Masterworks of the West, Calgary Stampede, Calgary, Claggett-Rey
Gallery
2010: Ranching Traditions, 3 person show Trailside Gallery Scottsdale
Deck the Halls, Trailside Gallery, Scottsdale AZ
2021-23 Coeur ‘d Alene Miniature Show
2008: C.M. Russell Auction-Co-Featured Artist, Great Falls, MT
2005-2015: C.M. Russell Auction, Great Falls, MT
Cheyenne Western Art Show,
2018,’21-23: Hold Your Horses, Phippen Art Museum, Prescott, AZ
2022-2024 : America’s Horse in Art, AQHA Hall of Fame, Amarillo, TX
2022 - 2023: Summer Stampede, Ranching Heritage Association, TTU, Lubbock, TX
2008-2010: Heart of the West, Cowgirl Museum, Ft. Worth, TX
2006-2024: Phippen Miniature Masterpiece Show, Prescott, AZ
2005: Visions of the West, Legacy Gallery, Jackson, Wyoming
2002-2004: The Peppertree Art Show, Santa Ynez, CA
1999: 5 Women of the West, Trailside Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
1998: One Person Show, Jackson-Kirkland Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
1997-2003: The Cattlemen’s Western Art Show, Paso Robles, CA
1992-1994: Women Artists and the West, Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ
1991-1995: The Phippen Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ
1991-2025: The Mountain Oyster Club Show, Tucson, AZ
Museum Exhibitions (non-sale exhibition or collection):
2001: Women Artists of the Twentieth Century-The Desert Caballeros Museum, Wickenburg. Arizona, 2001
2001: Arizona Women Artist-The Phippen Art Museum, Prescott, Arizona
Selected Awards/Honors:
1993 - Phippen Western Art Show; Phippen Family Award
1993 – Phippen Western Art Show; Second Place Drawing
2007 – Cowgirl Up! The Other Side of the West, Artist’s Choice Award
2007 – Cowgirl Up! The Other Side of the West, Highest Selling Quick Draw Painting in
2007 – Phippen Miniature Masterpiece Show, Highest Selling Auction Painting at Gala
2008 – C.M. Russell Auction, Co-Featured Artist
2013 – Mountain Oyster Club, Lifetime Honorary Member
2015 – Cowgirl Up! The Other Side of the West, Governor’s Choice Award
2016 – Cowgirl Up! The Other Side of the West, Governor’s Choice Award
2019 - Masters of the American West, Calgary Stampede, Founding Member
2019 – Academy of Western Artists, Will Rogers Award for Artist of the Year
2020 – Cowgirl Up! The Other Side of the West, Museum Purchase Award
2021 – Guest Speaker for Charter 100 Arizona at the Mountain Oyster Club
2022 - America’s Horse in Art, Steel Dust Award (Best of Show)
2023 – Guest Speaker for Friends of Western Art at Mountain Oyster Club
2025 – Night of Artists Auction, Booth Museum Purchase
2025 – Art of the Cowgirl, Master Artist
Collection-The Pearce Western Art Museum, Navarro College, Corsicana, Texas
Desert Caballeros Museum, Wickenburg, AZ
Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, GA
Selected Posters or Program covers:
2013, 2018: Cowboy Poetry Poster, Bar D Roundup
1992, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2022: The Arizona Cowpuncher’s Rodeo, Williams, Arizona
1993: The Cowboy Classics Art Show, Arizona Livestock Show, Phoenix, Arizona
1998: 50th Anniversary of Gold Rush Days, Wickenburg, Arizona
2004: The Tucson Rodeo, Tucson, Arizona
2004, 2009: Arizona Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Prescott, Arizona
Related Links:
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