"Focus" 48x72 by Sharon Markwardt

I took the reference photo in the bull pen of the rodeo grounds in Jackson, WY.  Lots of motion and tension, but this one bucking bull was fixated, just staring at me with intense focus.  On one hand, it was slightly uncomfortable, but it also felt like the calm in the eye of the storm, stillness in the midst of chaos, almost a meditative sensation.  The bull's eyes will follow the viewer around the room when seen in person, and the life-size scale of the piece adds to that impression.

This painting is in a feature article on me in the August 2018 issue of Southwest Art Magazine.