Spirit of the West

Wyoming ranch featured in ‟Art of a Cowboy” 

Behind every cowboy is a story, and Steve Boaldin brings those stories to life through his art. As he travels across the U.S. visiting different ranches, he is able to capture their rich history on his canvas and tell their story.

Boaldin and the ZGN production crew have been preserving the legacy of cowboys and ranchers in the documentary series “Art of a Cowboy.” Each episode is filled with real-life action, giving viewers a rare glimpse into cowboy culture handed down through generations.

In July, Boaldin and the production crew visited Wyoming to film a future episode of “Art of a Cowboy” at the Lucky 7 Angus Ranch, owned by Jim and Jamie Jensen.

Boaldin and the Jensen family share a common ideology – to live life through drive and passion. In the episode, the two generational ranchers share their stories, based on the Code of the West.

Cowboy artist

Raised on a farm and ranch in southwest Kansas, Boaldin, a third-generation rancher, grew up working cattle, rodeoing and breaking horses, which inspired his passion for art.

From a young age, Boaldin enjoyed art, and around the age of 18, he was encouraged to study art with a formal instructor. 

His instructor encouraged him to pursue his passion seriously, so he moved to Oklahoma City in 1986 and began studying commercial art. 

Boaldin has worked as a commercial artist and illustrator for 30 years. He was the graphic designer and illustrator for The Oklahoman newspaper and started the art department at Mardel. Now, he is a full-time professional fine artist. 

Over the years, Boaldin has studied with various Western artists who have influenced him, but he chooses to paint the contemporary cowboy, wildlife and portraits.

“There has always been something there, driving me to draw and paint, and while growing up on a ranch, it was just natural for me to capture what I saw every day,” Boaldin stated. “A few years back, I had an idea to capture a shared passion – the spirit of the West and the cowboy lifestyle.”

“It’s about timing and following your passion. It’s what leads us to where we are at today,” he continued. “One day on a drive home, I had an idea I would love to do – travel to different ranches across the U.S. and take pictures so I’d have material to paint from. The other idea was I could tell the stories of the people on those ranches.”

“So we started a new television series called ʻArt of a Cowboy,ʼ where we share our adventures while capturing the spirit of the cowboy and teaching others through my passion for art,” he added.

Lucky 7 Angus

In 1895, James Jensen moved to Boulder and lived in a dugout during his first winter, keeping seven cows and three horses alive.

Shortly after, the Lucky 7 Angus Ranch started raising cattle which could survive in harsh conditions.

“My dad was the real John Wayne, and my family knows the blood, sweat and tears it takes to keep the ranch going,” Jim stated. “For over 30 years, we have been raising cows and bulls in tough conditions so our customers can purchase quality stock.”

Jim continued, “The goal at Lucky 7 is to have the most profitable customers in the livestock industry, to be good businessmen and continue the legacy started by my family.”

“In 2002, we started feed efficiency testing in order to know how much every cow, calf and bull were consuming, and in 2009, we were the first Angus only seedstock producer in the U.S. to purchase a GrowSafe feed intake monitoring system,” Jim explained. 

“We take pride in producing durable bulls,” he added. “And, we live by doing the right thing.”

Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.