Smoking Them Out 1906

Charles M. Russell made 'Smoking Them Out' using, what looks like, expressive brushwork with soft, muted tones. Imagine the artist, out in the elements with his easel, trying to capture the scene before him. I wonder, was Russell trying to depict a specific event, or more so evoke the spirit of the Wild West? The paint is thinly applied, allowing the texture of the canvas to peek through, giving it an airy quality, like a faded memory. The cowboys, they are a flurry of energetic strokes and dashes of earthy browns. The smoke billowing from the scene, painted in wispy, translucent strokes, creates a sense of drama and tension. You can feel the grit and the heat. Like many painters, Russell invites us into a shared experience of the world, interpreting it, re-seeing it, and inspiring our own creativity.