The Story Behind The Kneeling Cowboy

    Perhaps you've seen this familiar image at your local Cowboy Church, printed on vests, shirts, jackets, and caps at an action-packed rodeo or event, or on bumper stickers and decals while driving along roads and highways all across the great American West.
   With a quick internet search, you'll easily find this legendary symbol of Cowboy faith - and variations of it - throughout the western community on numerous household items such as coffee mugs, wall decor, and more.

  But who was the first to create it, and how did it begin?   

 Using artist Randy Wood's original drawing as a reference, this Texas-sized metal and wood sculpture was created in 1998 for the Cowboy Church in Henrietta TX.  It can be viewed along Highway 287.

 

   When new Western Galleries artist, Randy Wood, first began telling us how he enjoys the Cowboy Church and is wanting to donate proceeds of his new Bison Wood Sculpture to the Church in Wylie Texas, we were impressed.  Not only impressed with his life-size bison skull carving, but also impressed with his kind generosity.  
   A few emails and phone conversations later, we began to learn more as he began explaining his Cowboy Church connection, and a bit of his story.
   You see, he doesn't usually talk much about his famous design, The Kneeling Cowboy ...
 
   It started around 1995.    
  While driving down highway 287 in North Texas, Randy saw a small group of people gathered out in a pasture.    Not fully sure why, he quickly made the decision to slow down and turn.  At that time, there were no entrance signs, and no buildings. It was just a small open pasture, with a small group of Cowboy Christians gathered.  
  Randy Wood was a complete stranger to them.  
  Stepping out of his truck he greeted the first man who approached, with a friendly smile and handshake, while introducing himself; 
 "Hi, I'm Randy Wood, and I'm an artist."
  What Randy didn't know yet, was that the group was searching and praying for an artist.

  With a career as a full-time mechanical engineer, he normally doesn't go around introducing himself as an artist.  Although he has been drawing and creating art for most of his life, he instantly questioned himself, now why did I tell him that I'm an artist?
  But there was a reason as to WHY he needed to introduce himself as an artist, on that particular day, to this group of complete strangers gathered in the pasture.
 
  For a few years, this small group of Cowboy Christians had been gathering together for services and meetings at other locations.  Sometimes they would be under shade trees during the hot TX summers, or they would have church services at their local livestock sale barn, during all types of North Texas weather.    
  Through collaborative efforts, and with member Donna Gee's suggestion of starting a church in Henrietta TX, the group had just recently acquired this parcel of land.  Their goal was to build their future Cowboy Church, led by former rodeo participant and ordained minister, Larry Miller.

  They needed a logo and symbol to be designed and created for them for their soon-to-be-built Cowboy Church.
  But their first artist had just notified them that unfortunately, he would not be able to create a custom drawing for them at that time, due to his conflicting schedule.
  So they were praying for their new project, and for assistance with their artistic quest ...
 
   And on that special afternoon back in the mid-1990's, Randy Wood, while driving down the highway, happened to notice this small group of people gathered in an open pasture.  He stopped, parked his truck, and he just happened to introduce himself as an artist.
 
   Using a few of their ideas, he went to work, creating a new Cowboy Christian design that would fit their goals.  
   He used member Donna Gee's horse as a live model.  
   Randy also recruited the help of his own dad for this art project, asking him to pose as a kneeling cowboy.
   Skillfully drawing out the scene, Randy Wood created the image of a humble cowboy with his horse, holding his cowboy hat and kneeling in prayer at the base of a large cross.
   Once the design was finalized, he donated his drawing, along with his original copyright (ownership), to the Cowboy Church of Henrietta Texas.
 
  Their church was completed in 1998.
  Mr Wood's drawing was used as a reference by another sculpture artist, to create the large metal and wood sculpture of The Kneeling Cowboy.    This Texas-sized sculpture can be easily seen along highway 287, next to the church.
  
  Mr. Wood's original drawing began as a gift to a small congregation in a North Texas pasture.  The Kneeling Cowboy quickly spread among many cowboy congregations, and throughout the entire western lifestyle and cowboy faith communities.  Decades later, the Kneeling Cowboy continues to remind people of humility, faith, and the enduring spirit of the American West.
  And today, it's one of the most widely recognized and used enduring symbols of cowboy faith across the USA.

   Randy Wood continues to create wildlife and western art, including  paintings, and a limited number of intricate carvings, including life-size wildlife wood sculptures.
   A former Wildlife Biologist, he especially enjoys wildlife, as well as western art. 

EXPLORE AVAILABLE WORKS BY RANDY WOOD

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  We enjoy working with these incredible Texas artists here at Western Galleries, and hope their stories may help inspire others as well.
  Bookmark your favorite artist's page and visit often, as we may add artist's news, and new artworks, at anytime.

  Contact us with any questions.

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© Western Galleries Fredericksburg TX
All Rights Reserve
The © copyright The Kneeling Cowboy, is owned by the Cowboy Church of Henrietta TX, and is used here with written permission.