GOOD WORK

Frontier Freedom

Alberta Mountain Show Day

Talent, Appreciation & Commissioned Creativity

Rebecca Shuttleworth, western artist.

By KIRK PRESCOTT BAR XP PHOTO

Rebecca Shuttleworth, 26, has graced the art scene with gratitude and an appreciation for western culture. Born and raised on her family farm, near Balzac, Alberta, Shuttleworth is country from the pasture to the paintbrush. She enjoys sharing the relationship between farmers and ranchers and their land and animals. From the moment she could hold a pencil, Shuttleworth has been drawing. She started formal art lessons at the age of 12 and sold her first painting by age 13.

Throughout school, Shuttleworth’s art gained notability. She was nominated for Airdrie, Alberta’s Qualico Youth Artist Award and won the 2014 Calgary Stampede Western Art Scholarship in Grade 12. The following year, Shuttleworth’s original piece, “Harmony,” was both accepted and sold in the Calgary Stampede Western Art Auction. Shuttleworth has completed numerous original pieces. One of her most noteworthy commissions was for the famed Douglas Lake Ranch. By the age of 19, Shuttleworth had sold work across North America and even to clients in Mexico.

The artist has also illustrated a children’s book, in collaboration with actress Amber Marshall, entitled, Where’d Cow Go? and remains open to all artistic opportunities. Recounting her achievements to date, Shuttleworth stated, “My most notable honour was being selected as the Calgary Stampede Poster Artist.” Her artwork was chosen from hundreds of applicants and Shuttleworth holds the honour of being the first youth to complete the Calgary Stampede poster. Her passion and devotion to the western way of life continues to influence her artwork on a grand scale. From commissioned pieces to contests, Shuttleworth lives for western and agriculturally inspired art. Enjoy, as we showcase a few of her prized pieces and share her sentiments on their background.

ALBERTA MOUNTAIN - Chalk Pastel

Accepted into the 2022 Way Out West Fest, Art and Artifact Auction, this piece was drawn from a photograph taken by Kirk Prescott of BAR XP PHOTO. The featured horses are part of the Calgary Stampede Ranch bucking stock herd. The work is named after the powerful stud in the foreground. The name of the horse and the artwork perfectly round out the piece, capturing provincial pride, strength and respect for our western way of life.

2019 CALGARY STAMPEDE POSTER - Chalk Pastel

Harmony

Baby Steps

Calgary Stampede Poster 2019

Calgary Stampede Poster Competition, because previous posters mainly depicted the tough and gritty role of males in western heritage. As much as men should be appreciated for their hard work and everything they do for the world and us ladies, it was time for women to be recognized. I wanted to push the graceful, yet hardworking role of women. I started looking for reference photos that had a female role, which Samantha Callioux captured so well in her original photograph. I will forever be grateful for Dana Peers (Calgary Stampede Chairman) who supported this movement and recognized women, by choosing my work.

BABY STEPS - Chalk Pastel

This piece was selected from multiple submissions, by the Canadian Fall Classic Warmblood Sale, to represent their 25th anniversary. It was used for their marketing campaigns, including the sale catalogue cover, posters, and social media. The piece was then auctioned, before the horse sale began, where it was the highest selling artwork that the sale has seen. It was such an honor to have my work chosen, because it was the 25th anniversary of the sale and many well-known artists had previously won this competition. The original photo reference is from Rachel Thompson.

FRONTIER FREEDOM - Pencil Drawing

This beautiful pencil drawing took life from a photograph that was taken by Luke Marshall. Prints of this piece have successfully sold across western Canada. One print even landed a generous bid of $4,200 in 2019. Later that year, the original artwork was auctioned during the Stockmen’s Memorial Foundation dinner, at the Cochrane Ranchehouse, for $5,200.

HARMONY - Chalk Pastel

Harmony was accepted and sold in the 2015 Calgary Stampede Western Art Auction. It was an honor to be a part of this auction, as there were over 250 applicants and only 60 pieces were selected. In this specific drawing, I wanted to depict the unique interaction/balance between horse and rider, or in other words, the “Harmony.”

SHOW DAY - Pencil Drawing

A commissioned pencil drawing, this specific piece is a great example of my work. I particularly enjoyed doing this commission because I grew up showing and jumping horses. This drawing has a unique connection to my past and my love of horses. You can see the respect between horse and rider in this piece and the beautiful connection that all horsemen and horsewomen know so well. I think this connection is important to share with others.