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Alexandra Verboom Fritz | Western Artist

@painterofthewest

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Ranch Stories Told in Paint
Quiet moments. Western life.
Commissions Open
Cowboy’s Wife | Momma | Douglas Lake, BC 🇨🇦

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You don’t need the perfect photograph to tell a story in paint.

Some commissions begin with a single image. Others come together from years of photographs — a favourite horse from one, a familiar landscape from another, or small details remembered more clearly than they were ever photographed.

That’s one of my favourite parts of commission work: bringing those pieces together into a painting that feels true to the story behind them.

I’m currently booking a limited number of cowboy, ranch and equine commissions for this fall, including pieces intended as Christmas gifts.

Commission details and pricing are available at averboomfritz.com

What story will you tell? taken in British Columbia by @painterofthewest

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2 months ago

Three colours, plus black and white. Endless possibilities.

Whether I’m working on a small miniature or a large-scale painting, I use the same limited palette.

With just red, yellow, and blue, alongside black and whites, I can mix an incredible range of colours. From warm golden light to cool distant shadows, every colour begins with the same handful of pigments.

Working this way not only simplifies my painting process, but creates a natural sense of colour harmony throughout my work.

A little glimpse into one of my favourite parts of the painting process.

#WesternArt #ContemporaryWesternArt #WesternArtist #PaintingProcess #limitedpalette taken in Douglas Lake, British Columbia by @painterofthewest

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21 hours ago

So much to be thankful for. 🍂

The people I share this life with, the land we call home, and the little moments that make it all worthwhile.

These two paintings are particularly close to my heart, featuring my husband and our daughters. They’re glimpses of our everyday life, moments that might otherwise pass unnoticed, but that I hope to hold onto through paint.

Ranch life isn’t always easy, but there’s so much beauty in the ordinary. I’m grateful for this life, the stories it gives me to tell, and the opportunity to share them through my art.

I’m also incredibly thankful for each of you who has followed along, encouraged my work, shared it with others, or welcomed one of my paintings into your home. Your support allows me to continue doing something I truly love, and that means more than you know.

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving, from our family to yours. 🤎 taken in British Columbia by @painterofthewest

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6 days ago

A whole lot of little paintings on the go!

I’ve been spending most of my studio time lately working on this collection of framed minis.

They started as little sketches on hand-cut panels, followed by a warm underpainting, and now I’m slowly working my way through them — building the landscapes first and bringing the horses, cattle and cowboys to life along the way.

There’s something I really enjoy about working this small. Every brushstroke has to earn its place, and I find myself simplifying each scene down to what matters most.

There’s still plenty of painting left to do, but they’re starting to come to life.

When the collection is ready, newsletter subscribers will get the first look and first opportunity to purchase. You can join the list through the link in my bio. taken in British Columbia by @painterofthewest

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a month ago

There’s something about seeing horses out on open country that never gets old.

Beneath a Restless Sky was inspired by a band of horses on the Upper Nicola Reserve—horses that live largely on their own terms, moving across the hills beneath a sky that can change by the minute.

I wanted this piece to hold onto that feeling of the country itself: the distance, the movement, and that little bit of wildness that still exists out here.

Beneath a Restless Sky
24 × 30” | Original acrylic
$2,200 CAD
Framed + complimentary shipping within Canada

Available taken in Douglas Lake, British Columbia by @painterofthewest

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a month ago

‘Against All Odds’

The title has a bit of a double meaning. There’s the country itself — steep, unforgiving ground where gathering cattle is hard work no matter who you are.

But there’s another side to it too.

On the big outfits, cowboying is still very much a man’s world. There aren’t many women horseback doing this work day after day, and the ones who do have earned their place there.

This painting is a small nod to those women — riding the same country, doing the same job, and getting it done.

One final coat of varnish.

Against All Odds
11 × 14” original oil
$600 CAD · Available taken in British Columbia by @painterofthewest

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2 months ago

Off the Map
16 × 20” | Oil on canvas

Sometimes the job takes you a little farther than expected.

A lone rider follows the tracks of a missing bull through the Pavilion country of British Columbia — off the road, off the trail, and for a while, off the map.

Available original. taken in British Columbia by @painterofthewest

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2 months ago

Ranch Story #4 — On Point

When the point moves like it should, the cattle follow, the miles roll by, and everything is on point.

One of those days when the work and the country come together just right.

On Point
36 × 48”
Oil on canvas taken in Douglas Lake, British Columbia by @painterofthewest

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2 months ago

Sometimes the photograph you have isn’t quite the memory you want painted.

This commission was created around a much-loved Peruvian Paso and the memories of riding him bareback. However, the photos showed a slightly different picture — English breeches, an English helmet, and a setting that wasn’t quite what she envisioned for the finished piece.

So we used the photographs as a starting point rather than an endpoint.

We traded the breeches and helmet for jeans and a cowboy hat, reworked the landscape, and built the painting around how she remembered those rides rather than simply reproducing one particular photograph.

That’s one of my favourite parts of commission work. A reference photo doesn’t have to be perfect. Sometimes it’s only one piece of the story.

Now booking custom artwork for fall and Christmas 2026. taken in Alberta by @painterofthewest

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2 months ago

Ranch Story #3 — Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Not every painting begins with a single photograph.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place was built from several references, bringing together the cowboy, cattle and rugged terrain into one scene inspired by ranch work in British Columbia’s Marble Canyon country.

Moving cattle through country like this leaves little room for rushing. A narrow trail, steep ground and livestock that still need to get where they’re going — it’s the kind of work where a good horse and good judgment matter.

When I put the composition together, I wanted the landscape to carry as much weight as the cowboy himself. The scale and difficulty of the country are part of the story.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place
36 × 48” | Oil on canvas
Marble Canyon, British Columbia taken in Pavilion, British Columbia by @painterofthewest

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2 months ago

A little peek inside the Nicola Valley Arts Council Gallery ✨

I currently have 9 original paintings on display as part of the Summer Artisan Show, featuring ranch stories and landscapes from across the West.

The show runs until September 13th, so if you’re passing through Merritt, stop in and see them in person!

I’ve also just stocked the gallery with a new selection of my coloured art cards — including several new designs.

📍 Nicola Valley Arts Council Gallery
Merritt, BC
On display through September 13
@nicolavalleyartscouncil taken in Nicola Valley Arts Council by @painterofthewest

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2 months ago

Sometimes the photograph that matters most isn’t the clearest one.

The reference for ‘Gary’s Herd’ was an old, fuzzy snapshot of a cattle herd that had belonged to my client’s late dad. It wasn’t a perfect photograph — but it held something worth preserving.

Using that little snapshot as my starting point, I worked to bring the herd and landscape back to life in paint, creating something she could hang in her home and keep as a connection to her dad and the life he built.

After receiving the finished painting, she shared:
“I was so blown away by the work put into my painting. It was absolutely gorgeous and every detail was so perfect. Exactly how I had envisioned!”

And perhaps my favourite part:
“This painting is going to be the main feature in my house forever. It is such a treasure to have.”

You don’t always need the perfect reference photo to create a meaningful painting. Sometimes the old, blurry ones hold the best stories.

Commissions are currently open. If there’s a photograph or piece of your family’s ranching story you’ve wondered about turning into a painting, I’d be happy to talk through what might be possible. taken in Manitoba, Canada by @painterofthewest

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2 months ago