Walter Piehl (American, b. 1942), Fruitcake: Sweetheart of the Rodeo

Watercolor, acrylic, and graphite on paper, 1986, signed and dated to the lower edge, mounted and framed below glass.

Sheet size 27 3/4 x 39 in.; Frame dimensions 34 1/4 x 46 1/4 in.

Private Collection, Raleigh, North Carolina

Suzanne Brown Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona

Walter Piehl is an American painter and educator from North Dakota whose work fuses western ranching and rodeo imagery with contemporary abstract expression. He studied at Concordia College and the University of North Dakota, and taught at Minot State University for decades. Known for dynamic depictions of broncs, riders, and cowboy culture, his paintings are distinguished by bold color and energetic brushwork. Piehl’s work has been widely exhibited, including retrospectives at major museums such as the Plains Art Museum and the Eiteljorg Museum.

Good estate condition, not examined outside the frame.