As the July morning sun rises and the horses are saddled up, a group of artists eagerly awaits the opportunity to photograph and paint the West on Cottonwood Ranch in Cokeville, Wyoming, about a three-hour drive south of Jackson. Artists have been gathering here since 2010 to learn from several of the leading Western painters in the country. 

The 500-acre Cottonwood Ranch has been in the family of Charles Dayton since 1912. Dayton, an experienced corporate consultant and award-winning Western artist, hosts the annual Painting the West Artist Gathering and Studies Show.

Painting the West is a workshop for artists—including 12 who received scholarships from the Joe Beeler Foundation—to paint from life and to photograph models and horses for references for their artwork. The concept came together as Dayton, along with Cowboy Artist of America members Grant Redden and Chad Poppleton, created this unique event. 

Read the full article in the November/December 2025 issue.