Stumbling upon a piece of my art heritage.
The iconic signature of Oklahoma Cowboy Artist Fred Olds.
“Meandering through a thrift store in Woodward, Oklahoma, I turned a corner to see a glimpse of my past!”
I haven’t lived in Oklahoma since 1988. But, roots go deep and I will always have a soft spot in my heart for those dry, crusty, sienna textures of central and western Oklahoma.
Just recently, I returned to the panhandle of Oklahoma for a family reunion and a wedding. Along the way, I did something that my wife (Lana) and I love to do—meander through thrift stores. To my surprise and delight, I immediately noticed a very familiar brand-like signature on a portrait painting that was sitting on the floor. It was leaned up against an antique tricycle. The painting was a portrait done by Fred Olds in 1976. I am guessing that this is a self-portrait after studying his other paintings. What a find for me!!! A small piece of my art heritage. I didn’t purchase the piece immediately. I went on to my mother-in-laws house (our destination for this trip) and did a little more research about Olds and his art. The more I learned of him (not only of the artist but the citizen and family man) I couldn’t resist so I returned to the thrift store a couple days later and made the purchase.
Fred Olds standing beside his portrait painting of Annie Oakley.
Between 1960 and 1972, I lived in Yukon, Oklahoma. Middle school was when I took my first art class. I had a wonderful, energetic art teacher, but ironically, I was also fortunate to be influenced by our principal—Avis “Gene” Eugene Hartsell—who was also an accomplished watercolorist. He presented a demo to my 8th grade art class that forever impacted me. I fell in love with watercolor as a medium. And, if that wasn’t enough influence, the high school art teacher at that time was a well-known Oklahoma cowboy artist by the name of Fred Olds.
During high school days, my family moved west to little Hydro, Oklahoma just down I-40 about 75 miles. At the time, I had heard that Olds (Yukon’s high school art teacher) was teaching at Southwestern State College (now Southwestern Oklahoma State University). Knowing of his reputation as a fine artist, in the back of my mind I figured that I would someday study under him in nearby Southwestern. Unfortunately for me, Fred Olds left Southwestern to become the inaugural director of the Oklahoma Territorial Museum in Guthrie, Oklahoma. His move to Guthrie may have been my loss but definitely the State of Oklahoma’s gain as he created a long and lasting legacy through this appointment.
Proximity of three of the towns mentioned near central Oklahoma.
Who was Fred Olds?
[Below is a montage of facts that I learned about Fred Olds]
Cowboy artist—Fred Olds (Frederick Albert Olds) died in 2005. He was born in Ohio but grew up in Warsaw, Indiana.
He served as a bombardier in the U.S. Army Air Corps in North Africa and Europe for four years in World War II.
He was educated to teach and coach at Ohio Wesleyan University and received his Master of Fine Arts Degree from Columbia University.
In 1949 Fred married Flora Anne Conner in Port Washington, New York where he was teaching art and coaching football and track.
In 1950 the young couple established a home in Warsaw, Indiana where Fred taught art and coached in the public schools. Fred painted every day. His artwork depicted his love of horses, cowboys, Indians and the West.
Achieving success in art shows in the Midwest and Southwest, he moved his family to Wynnewood where he fell in love with Oklahoma when he taught Oklahoma History and art in the Wynnewood public schools.
He taught art in the Yukon public schools.
The family moved to Weatherford where Fred taught various art classes to student-teachers at Southwestern State (College) University to teach art. He helped to set up the College Rodeo program.
Fred was a foundation breeder of Longhorn Cattle and won four national championships with his Appaloosa horses.
In 1972 the family moved to Edmond then Guthrie where Fred was engaged to rehabilitate the Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library. He served as director there for fourteen years and his paintings and sculptures are exhibited worldwide, in museums, churches, universities, on public grounds and in private collections of neighbors, statesmen and celebrities.
He painted more than one hundred pictures of the Oklahoma Land Runs. In 1996 his "Horses from the Sea" was unveiled in the Red Earth Art Center.
Fred wrote poems describing most of his paintings and in 1999 he earned the Westerners International Poet's Award for his volume, "A Drop in the Bucket."
Sampling of some of Fred’s artwork:
The painting that I discovered at the thrift store:
My intrinsic love for art and the Southwest is emboldened by this thrift store find. I will cherish the connection to my past and hopefully honor this icon of Oklahoma—land of my birth and childhood. Now, on to the next painting and the next thrift store! :)
If you would like to see recent works that I have done, feel free to visit my studio by appointment at 113 North Three Notch, Troy, AL. Enjoy!