Fred Oldfield - Mexican Cowboy Riding Out With HIs Packhorse c 1971 P3139

A touch of Don Quixote to this picture. A real cowboy painted this cowboy, and there is a wealth of fellow feeling and shared knowledge and more than a little gentle humor to it.

Measures 9" x 12", frame is 16 1/2" x 19 3/4".

FRED V. OLDFIELD
(1918- 2017)

Fred Oldfield was born in Alfalfa, Washington and raised on the Yakima Indian Reservation (Washington State).  His family followed seasonal work in central Washington and as a child he traveled in a horse drawn wagon from job to job.
This nomadic life and its contacts with cowboys, Yakima Indians, and migrant workers supplied him with later subject matter.

Oldfield worked at a variety of jobs eventually finding himself in the army in the early 1940s.  He was stationed in Alaska for much of the war.  During this time he worked on developing his artistic talents.  After the war he decided he was really interested in becoming an artist so with the help of the GI Bill he attended the Seattle's Burnley Art School.

Some of his early work involved painting murals in bars and restaurants.  These early murals were in Oregon, Washington and Alaska.  He made several trips to Alaska during his painting career.

Oldfield painted mostly in oils and his subjects were generally cowboys, Yakima Indians and northwest mountains.  His most popular mountain scenes are probably those done of Mount Rainier in Washington State. This artist has also painted a number of historic scenes.  In 2003 he was involved in the painting of murals in Toppenish, Washington.  He was a founding member of the Toppenish Mural Society.  Oldfield and other artists have been adorning various walls in the town with murals ever since.

Fred Oldfield spent most of his life in central and western Washington.