J. Payne Lara is an exceptionally gifted and
talented western artist who works in the
tradition of Frederic Remington and Charles
Russell. His subjects vary from cowboys to
wildlife to miniature donkeys, but his true
passion is the Native American Plains Indian.
His summers have included visits to the Pine
Ridge Reservation in South Dakota where he has
studied the traditional customs and culture of
the Lakota Sioux. Payne's art has been
displayed in some of the finer galleries in
Santa Fe, NM, Jackson Hole, WY and Scottsdale,
AZ. He is being praised as one of the
youngest artists in the country today producing
bronze sculpture of this caliber. Payne
has completed several life size monuments
commissioned by private and public entities.
Payne has produced limited-edition bronze
sculptures of miniature donkeys (including a
life sized bronze) exclusively for the Rio
Brazos Miniature Donkey Expos in 2000 and 2006.
Some are sold out but some are still available.
Visit his website for more information.
Professional artist Laura Butler was raised in
Mingus, TX (pop. 200) and studied art while
earning alt="Quarter Moon Ranch Artists of
Miniature Donkeys" her Master's degree in
English from Tarleton State University. In
1988, she was named Outstanding Alumnus and in
1995 was named to the College of Arts and
Sciences Distinguished Alumni ranks. Also,
in that year Laura was diagnosed with Multiple
Scleroses and has lost half her vision. In
spite of this obstacle, she continues to paint
beautifully detailed works of art which are in
demand nationwide. Her art concentrates on
Western and animal oil and acrylic paintings,
drawing upon her lifetime love of animals and
her relationships with real working cowboys and
ranchers in her tiny Texas hometown.
Laura's paintings are held in collections
throughout the United States and Europe.
Collectors include Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn,
Ann Miller, Southland Corporation, Methodist
Hospital in Dallas as well as in hundreds of
private collections. Laura discovered and
fell in love with miniature donkeys years ago.
She maintains a 1,000 foot studio in Mingus with
her eight donkeys right outside the door.
Laura has created an array of paintings
exclusively for the Rio Brazos Miniature Donkey
Expo 2006. She accepts commissioned work.
ASSpiring Artist, Jan Cawthon, specializes in
watercolor paintings. Jan has combined her
passion for donkeys and animals and her love of
painting to offer unique creations of miniature
donkeys as well as other pets, florals, and
landscapes. Jan has been painting for over ten
years and has participated and won awards in
numerous juried exhibitions. Her work has been
sold to miniature donkey and art enthusiasts in
the United States, Canada and Europe. Original
paintings, limited edition prints and greeting
cards are available. Jan accepts commissions
for custom paintings.
Cary Constantine creates miniature donkey
artwork in oils and watercolor that are
exceptional. Because he and his wife
Jackie own miniature donkeys, Cary is never at a
loss for subject material. Cary captures
the soul of the miniature donkey along with its
comical and loving nature. Cary created
one of his signature pieces titled "A Mother's
Love" from a photograph. It was done in
preparation for his first public art show and
was displayed on the back cover of the National
Miniature Donkey Association calendar for 2008.
Custom oil paintings are available in a number
of themes. Whether you're doing a
valuable piece of art for your award-winning
alt="Quarter Moon Ranch Artists of Miniature
Donkeys" herd sire or jennet, or a whimsical
painting for a child's room, you're limited only
by your imagination. Cary not only does
commissioned work but also sells prints of
original oil and water color paintings.
Charles has been creating art for the past 25
years using several disciplines. It all
started with wood sculptures, wood turnings,
wood carvings and pencil drawings to develop
pieces in wood. About seven years ago, he
started devoting most of his time to pencil
drawings mostly in the western genre.
About five years ago, he was introduced to the
Miniature Donkey world and has been drawing
donkeys almost exclusively since that time.
His work is available as original work and
limited edition prints. Commissioned work
is accepted.
