Bruce and his family live on a small ranch in the historical community of Norse, near Clifton, Texas. The artist’s studio is on the edge of the hill out behind the house. From there, large north windows offer Bruce a continuous view of the Texas Hill Country, a few Coriente cows and an abundance of whitetail deer. “It is a wonderful blessing to be able to make a living for my family, doing what I love in this beautiful place,” says Greene.
Several years ago, Bruce began making annual trips to join in the spring work on the great, old JA Ranch in the Palo Duro Canyon of north Texas. “I go up there and stay on the chuck wagon with the JA hands and the neighbors that have come to help. We ride a lot of miles in rough country. It can be cold, hot, windy and wet. As a matter of fact, it can be all of these in one day. A fella’ could get lost in some of the mesquite or cedar thickets. Of course, we work a few cows on our place and help out a neighbor now and then, but the JA trip has been a real inspiration for me each year. I am absolutely sure that this experience has greatly affected my artwork. It seems necessary, to me, in order to depict the contemporary cowboy with accuracy and feeling. My good friend, Red Steagall, calls it ‘getting the dust in your nose.’ For me, that dust makes the difference.”
Greene was elected to membership in the Cowboy Artists of America in 1993. He has served terms as Director, 1997 & 1998; Vice President, 2000; President, 2001; Past-President, 2002; Vice-President, 2011 & 2012; and President, 2013. He has also served the Joe Beeler Foundation as a Director, 2010 & 2011; and President, 2012.
The artist is represented by galleries in Colorado and Texas. His work is represented in annual shows and exhibitions including the Cowboy Artists of America Exhibition and the Prix de West Invitational at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Cowboy Artists of America Silver Medal for Sculpture, 1996
The Museum of Western Art Purchase Award
Ray Swanson Memorial Award*, 2007
Cowboy Artists of America Bold Medal for Drawing, 2008
TCAA (Traditional Cowboy Artists
Association)
for Best Cowboy Piece of Art, 2009
Cowboy Artists of America Silver Medal for Sculpture, 2009
Cowboy Artists of America Silver Medal for Painting, 2009
Cowboy Artists of America Gold Medal for Drawing, 2010
TCAA Award for Best Piece of Art, 2010
Cowboy Artists of America Silver Medal for Drawing, 2012
Cowboy Artists of America Gold Medal for Sculpture, 2012
Ray Swanson Memorial Award*, 2012
*Award given for the artwork that best communicates a moment in time and captures the emotion of the moment.
