On March 6, 2016 — I navigated a 48-foot-Uhaul along Scenic Route 33, pulling into Victor, Idaho — forever changing our lives in the best way possible. Over the years, our time out West has impacted everything — including my art.

Scrolling our local community page, I spotted this Texas Longhorn skull for sale. On a whim, I contacted the seller, and drove to the next town over to meet in-person. I had questions: “can you tell me about the Longhorn’s life? Are you comfortable with my painting it?”

The answers: “happy to… and absolutely.”

During a severe March Blizzard, a farmer and his daughter raced to the barn to discover a cow in labor. Three cows arrived, unfortunately, one didn’t survive. As they managed the scene, the girl noticed a fourth set of legs poking out of the snow. They pulled the frozen cow out of the powder and sprang into action, spiriting the cow to their home. Thanks to a blanket, dog bed, space heater and a consistent diet of milk… the cow quickly recovered, and acquired the perfect name — Lucky.

This beloved beauty lived a wonderful life in Teton Valley, and when the time came, she was put down swiftly and ethically. No part of Lucky was wasted — the meat was shared between the family that raised her, and their best friends.

In my previous life as a city dweller, I often indulged in a fabulous steak or a juicy burger, with little understanding of how these delicacies arrived on my plate. Farm-to-Table is widely marketed as a concept, but the nuances remained mysterious.

Living in the Tetons, I’ve learned a great deal about gun ownership, handling, safety; and, the basic mechanics of farming everything, from greens to potatoes (thank you Arnold’s) to animals. I’m grateful for these experiences, and to the wonderful folks who have taken the time to educate me.

When I had Lucky back at the studio, I found myself immediately drawn to her horns. They showcased a beautiful ochre-to-black gradient which were begging to be preserved.

And so, to ensure the beauty remained — I taped-off the horns, spray painted Lucky’s skull with a black matte finish, and got to work painting the neon lines.

As with all neons… I identified the tubes, then began painting darker shades as the paint moved outward.

Having painted a goalie mask for Jackson Hole Moose Goalie, Nick Krauss, I am familiar with creating on undulating surfaces. Still, I’ll confess, painting on bone proved challenging… so, I found myself constantly changing the angle of the skull to maintain stroke integrity.

Lucky was put down with a bullet to the temple… the most ethical way to put a Longhorn down. Again, as a former city guy… I found this extremely fascinating… so, I marked the spot of the bullet-hole with concentric rings.

I found this experience educational, interesting and cathartic. It was a honor to celebrate Lucky’s legacy, creating a work of art someone will cherish.

I’ll keep my eyes open for other beautiful, ethically sourced skulls to celebrate.

Oh, and I made a video of the process — pop over to Instagram and give it a look.

Before I go, I wanted to give a shout to my artist friend Lyndsay… she has been painting skulls for years, and does incredible work.