Dirk Peterson:
"I Got Kicked Out Of
4th Grade Math For
Drawing Horses
On Tests"

   Fine Western Art  

Dirk Peterson

Meet Dirk Peterson

Dirk is a western artist who lives and works on a small ranch south of Anderson, Texas.  His career as an artist started out on shaky ground when, as he explains, “I got kicked out of 4th grade math for drawing horses on tests.”  Since that time he has continued to pursue his interest western art by developing a realistic style of pencil and pen & ink portraits. 

As a beginning artist Dirk would draw and paint pictures for high school banners and class programs.  This experience led to doing design work for t-shirts and banners that helped pay his way through college.  During this time he also started to do portraits for his friends on the college rodeo team. 

 The cowboys and cowgirls liked to have pictures drawn of their favorite runs, rides, or horses, and soon his reputation spread attracting a variety of clients who wanted originals to hang on their walls.  “When I started selling the rodeo drawings, people outside of rodeo began to take note, and pretty soon I was getting requests to draw everything from prize ducks to wedding portraits.”

Dirk's Best Work Is Pencil Or Pen & Ink

During his undergraduate studies in natural resource development, Dirk was able to enroll in art courses that exposed him to many mediums including oils, acrylics, watercolor, and clay.  However, he found that his best work was done in pencil or pen & ink.  Although he never received any formal tutoring from master artists, he learned from his experience doing commercial artwork.  While attending graduate school at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, Dirk illustrated the textbooks used as the curriculum for freshman biology courses. 

During graduate school and for a few years thereafter, he also worked and sometimes lived on the 85,000 acre Gibbs Bros. Ranch, one of the largest in East Texas.  While on the ranch Dirk worked alongside some of the most notable top hands from the “Big Thicket” and “Piney Woods” areas.  This experience was the research for many of his works.  He also credits nationally known artists like Cowboy Artist of America (CAA) G. Harvey for taking the time to review and critique his works.

If Dirk Isn't Working He's Hunting, Fishing,
Playing Guitar, Roping & Doing Movies

Since 1984, Dirk has been busy using his knowledge and education in natural resources and biological sciences to operate Lake & Land Mgt., a successful consulting company involved in numerous aspects of restoration and mitigation for the oil and gas industry.  When he is not at work his time is divided between hunting, fishing, playing guitar, and roping.

Dirk is an avid team roper and has maintained memberships in numerous rodeo associations including the USTRC, NOTRA, and PRCA, competing as often as his schedule will allow.  His outgoing personality and horsemanship have also landed him in print adds for pickup trucks and men’s cologne as well as appearing in several movies and acting in starring roles in two recent films.  He has recently had roles in True Grit, Cowboys and Aliens, and the upcoming Abraham Lincoln-Vampire Hunter.

Dirk Is A Voting Member Of The
Academy of Western Artists

Dirk is also a 2001 inductee into the Academy of Western Artists (AWA), and is currently a voting member of the AWA for their yearly awards.

Dirks drawings, pictures, and portraits have been on the cover of the TEXAS ROPER, (a publication advertising team roping and rodeo events) for the past 6 years.  His work is displayed in a number of tack and western stores, as well as restaurants in the area.  He has also had his work on display at the state capitol building in Austin, Texas.  Many rodeos and show organizations have also used his work for trophies and prizes for their participants.

 

 

Dirk Peterson
6241 CR 448
Navasota, Texas 77868
936-873-5031

Website Design By
 Magness Enterprises

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 may be reproduced in any form without permission from the Artist. 
All Drawings, Photographs, Logos and written materials are protected by Copyright