Maggie Bassett and Wild Paintbrush Studio

More than a talented self-taught artist, Maggie Bassett finds her inspiration in the rough, wild beauty of Wyoming’s critters and Western culture. Her charcoal art often features horses from the McCullough Peaks, Bison residing in Yellowstone that reflect true Western imagery.

As a Wyoming native, Bassett grew up similarly to many Wyomingites: on her family’s ranch raising cattle surrounded by cattle, wildlife, and a deep-seated love for animals. Through which, she developed a deep physical and emotional connection to the west and its animals from a young age.

“My family was really big into hunting, and cowboys, western identity and wildlife were just always a big part of my life,” Bassett said.

Maggie Bassett noted that as the connection to western heritage fades, she uses her art to preserve its value, inspiring people to fully appreciate the sanctity of these traditions.

“People come to Yellowstone and they don’t understand that it is all natural. This is the way life is supposed to be, and I think that reflects in my work. I want people to not only see the beauty of it [the west], but also remember that this is real and important,” Basset said.

“So many of us live in this digital world where everything is instant and inorganic. People aren’t spending as much time in the actual tactile real world, which is still here.”

Bassett draws from her own photographs and those of close friends to capture what the plains have to offer, translating the true essence of Wyoming’s wildlife and Western heritage onto the canvas. To observe raw wildlife behavior for her portraits, Bassett travels across diverse Wyoming destinations ranging from McCullough Peaks and Yellowstone to the remote, untouched wilderness of the Pryor Mountains.

From there, Bassett uses her self-taught skills to translate her vision into a detailed, striking charcoal painting, utilizing contrasting highlights and deep shadows to tell a visual story. However, her artistic career was not always like this, as she serves as an inspiration to upcoming artists who may be starting in their creative journey.

“Working at Timmer Gallery, people come through a lot of times and young little artists have all the questions. I love helping a little artist get going or giving some tips one on one.” Bassett said.

Maggie Bassett has always had a creative passion that developed from a young age, drawing horses and animals from her ranch. However, high school graduation brought a change of plans: without art school scholarships, she decided to pursue cosmetology instead.

“I was a hairstylist for 25 years. And I liked that. It got me over a lot of my social awkwardness, which I think helps a lot when you’re trying to sell art and talk to people,” Bassett said. “Being a hairstylist was very physically demanding too. It’s a lot of hours on your feet all day. I used to work 10 to 12 hours a day, and not take lunch. And around that time, I met an artist by the name of Ty Barhaug, a really, really well-known artist, and in getting to know him and his family, with their encouragement to pursue art and keep trying, it opened me up into the ability to do art full time.”

For the first year of pursuing her career, she felt that she had hit a wall. Her art wasn’t selling, and she almost put down the brush.

“I had almost given up on art becoming my second career. I went a whole year without selling a single piece of art. We were getting ready to sell our house and move, and I had this little box of charcoal that belonged to both of my grandmothers. I thought, ‘I should just get rid of this. I’m never going to use this.’ At the time, all my art supplies were packed up and put away, and so I decided to just do this little charcoal painting, and I posted it on Facebook and sold it immediately.”

From there, it was only up. Her art began to gain recognition, and she received offers to display and sell her art in several galleries across the west including here in Cody, Red Lodge, Santa Fe, Virginia City and even New Mexico.

Her art sells out quickly at Cody Arts inside the Visitor Center, but you can find her original prints at the Timmer Gallery. To explore her full collection, visit her online shop at Maggie Bassett Fine Art.

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