Among the many cowboys, spectators and vendors present at the 83rd Annual La Fiesta de los Vaqueros (held Feb. 21 to March 1) were two promising artists by the names of Jerry Culver and John D. Bowman.

Craftsman Jerry Culver

Patience sells.

At least that’s what Jerry Culver will tell you about his artwork.

For an artist that has spent up to six months working on specific woodworking projects, using a 68 drill bit on a scroll saw, patience is indeed a virtue.

For Culver, who started his woodworking business in 1991, it is a simple, yet nitpicky task. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

He sees creative patterns in magazines, glues them onto a piece of wood and starts drilling. Some of the more prominent pieces of woodworking Culver has crafted have been rodeo pictures, a place where he also likes to sell his art. In February, he displayed his work at the Tucson Rodeo, otherwise known as La Fiesta de los Vaqueros.

Culver also crafts portraits, as well as animals, which he designs from magazines he subscribes to (one being Creative Woodworks and Crafts).

It’s a very long, but gratifying business, according to Culver.

“I don’t rush detailed (projects),” he said. “Sometimes it goes faster, sometimes it doesn’t. It teaches patience.”

Culver, a native of Three Points, retired in 1991 from Fry's. He has been doing woodwork his entire life, but his retirement allowed him to really take off artistically.

He has since done about 120 projects in the last 17 years. A huge source of inspiration came from woodcrafter Jeff Zaffino, whose patterns Culver has used several times for artwork.

Culver’s work sells anywhere from $5 to $300. If he doesn’t get the asking price for one of his pieces, he doesn’t like to sell it because of the huge time commitments involved with each one.

“That’s what I tell my customers when they’re looking at my projects,” Culver said. “I sell patience.”





Watch clips of Culver demonstrating and discussing the process he undergoes while working on a project.













Watch a slide show of Culver's work.







Artist John D. Bowman

John D. Bowman just never got into oil paintings.

That’s why he does all his work with graphite. Yes, pencils and erasers.

But the final product looks more like a photograph than a drawing.

Bowman has been doing graphite art for three years, but just officially debuted his business last week at the Tucson Rodeo, where he showcased and sold his first batch of art.

Also a photographer, Bowman takes interesting photos at rodeos, prints them, and then replicates the pictures on paper with nothing more than a 2B pencil, creating an original piece.

Bowman’s impressive collection of western art include pictures of barrel riders, horses, horseback riders, and his signature drawing of a gun holster.

“People love that (piece) because of the detail,” he said. “I’m real big on detail.”

Bowman usually takes about three days to produce a piece of artwork.

“I’ve been doing portraits for years,” Bowman said. “Then someone asked me, ‘Do you ever sell your art?’ So a little light bulb went off, and I decided to start producing my own art."

“I think you’re born with the ability to draw," he said. "I’ve always been a doodler forever."

The multi-talented Bowman, originally from Pittsburgh, moved to Tucson 25 years ago. Most recently, he was the art director at Clear Channel Outdoor Advertising and still does home remodeling and logo designs.

Bowman admitted he likes to do a little bit of everything. Now, however, selling his art at rodeos and fairs is his main focus.

“I like doing art, and doing what I like doing, and getting my art into people’s houses,” Bowman said. “(My) poster is going to be all over the United States and all over the world.”

Bowman said he has been getting tons of custom orders.

“The next couple months are going to be real busy,” he said. “I don’t even consider this work.”

Bowman looks forward to his new projects and what lies ahead for him in the future.






Watch a slide show of Bowman's graphite art.