A Painted Tribute to the Cowboy Way
an iconic mural honors the grit,
camaraderie, and rhythm of ranch life.
Tucked inside the heart of the historic Cross Bell Ranch house in Osage County, Oklahoma, the dining room tells a story
far beyond words—through a sweeping, hand-painted mural created in 1943 by celebrated Western artist John Craig Sheppard.
The mural spans the full length of the room’s walls, capturing a vibrant and nostalgic tableau of cowboy life on the open range.
Every brushstroke of Sheppard’s work invites guests into a scene filled with grit, camaraderie, and daily ritual. Cowboys gather around a chuck wagon, some hunched over campfires stirring cast iron pots, others pouring coffee or carving meat from a midday spread. Horses wait patiently in the backdrop, while the ranch hands—drawn with animated expressions and relaxed postures—share conversation, meals, and the kind of companionship only life on the trail can inspire.
The mural is more than decoration—it’s a preserved window into the past, painted during an era when the legacy of the West still echoed in everyday life. Framed by the room’s rustic wood paneling and anchored by the sturdy stone fireplace, the artwork infuses the space with authenticity and timeless character. Guests seated at the long ranch table can take in this living piece of history, where the brush of Sheppard meets the heart of Osage ranching heritage.
From the artwork archive: artworkarchive.com
Artist: Craig Sheppard (American, 1913-1978)
Craig Sheppard (1913-1978) received his education at the University of Oklahoma, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting, 1938, and
a Bachelor in Sculpture, 1939. He was an instructor at the University of Oklahoma, 1939/40, then at Montana State College, Bozeman, 1942/42.
During the intervening years before joining the faculty of the University of Nevada, he was a production illustrator and designer in Tulsa,
Oklahoma. In 1947, Sheppard joined the Art Department at the University of Nevada and is credited with enlarging facilities, improving the
quality of instruction, and initiating a program of exhibitions which brought the works of major artists to the campus and community. He
was a Fulbright Lecturer at the University of Oslo, Norway, 1955, and sabbatical leaves took him to France in 1961, and to Mexico in 1979.
Sheppard is noted primarily for his Western theme oil and watercolor paintings, though his range of graphic expression is diverse, and his
work was acclaimed in numerous national and international exhibitions. Craig Sheppard retired in 1973, and in 1974 was named
emeritus and awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts.
Whether you’re enjoying a meal or simply soaking in the atmosphere, the mural at The Cross Bell Ranch invites you to linger a little longer,
connect with the spirit of the cowboy, and appreciate the storytelling power of Western art.