Vic Payne (Texas / New Mexico, b. 1960), "Texas Two-Step", artist-cast bronze sculpture on wooden base, incised signature and edition number, 76/100

height 31 in. x width 36 in. x depth 13 in. (including base)

Provenance: Originally purchased from the Mountain Trails Gallery (Jackson, Wyoming); thence property from a home in Kerrville, Texas

Vic Payne was inspired to pursue sculpture by his father, artist Ken Payne, who began sculpting Western figures in bronze. Payne developed his skills largely through hands-on experience, creating wax models while working as a cement-truck driver and receiving early assistance from his mother, who owned a foundry and helped him cast some of his first pieces. He began sculpting full time within three years and built his career through the support of collectors in the New Mexico oil fields, who purchased his early work. His career also includes competitive success, with Payne and his son each winning a saddle at a rodeo in Farmington, New Mexico, in 2000.