About Jack Sorenson
Cowboys, stagecoaches, and a Six Gun City childhood on canvas
Jack Sorenson paints the Old West with a warmth that comes from living it, not just imagining it. Growing up at Six Gun City on the rim of Palo Duro Canyon, he spent his childhood surrounded by horses, dust, stagecoaches and the kind of stories that settle deep in a kid’s bones. That early life shaped the way he sees the world and gave his paintings their homespun, storytelling heart.
Jack Sorenson at a glance
- Born: 1954; grew up at Six Gun City, Palo Duro Canyon, Texas
- Nationality: American
- Known for: Old West paintings of cowboys, horses and stagecoaches
- Training: Largely self-taught; painting full-time since 1974
- Style/Medium: Oil painting, Western storytelling with humor and nostalgia
- Recognition: Texas Legislature honor (2009); Cowboy Artists of America member (2021)
- Collections/Exhibitions: Originals shown at Joe Wade Fine Art, Santa Fe
- Official website: jacksorensonfineart.com
As a teenager, Jack Sorenson wasn’t flipping burgers or stocking shelves. He was driving stagecoaches, performing as a gunfighter, and training horses. Those real experiences gave him a sense of rhythm and humor that later showed up in his art. When he began painting full-time in 1974, his first solo show sold out, and he knew he had found his path.
His work soon appeared on the covers of Western Horseman, Beef, and The Cattleman, among others. Leanin’ Tree picked him up in 1996, and he became one of their best-selling artists. His paintings later spread into puzzles, prints, and wall hangings, reaching homes far beyond the ranch world he grew up in.
Harvest House Publishing released two books of his art, celebrating the warmth and nostalgia he captures. In 2009, the Texas Legislature honored him for his achievements, recognizing how deeply his work reflects the spirit of the state. The land honored him too, naming Sorenson Point after a peak he painted often.
Jack Sorenson’s humor shows up in his scenes of kids, cowboys and horses, always with a wink and a story tucked inside. He believes Western art can do more than show a rider crossing a landscape. It can pull the viewer into a moment, a memory, a feeling.
Four decades into his career, he still paints with gratitude, saying he’s exactly where he’s meant to be. His faith, family and love for the West guide every brushstroke. Today his originals can be found at Joe Wade Fine Art in Santa Fe, keeping his stories alive for new generations.
A warm, story-driven scene built from Sorenson’s own cowboy upbringing. 
Horses and riders rendered with the lived-in detail of someone who trained them himself. A quiet moment of Old West humor, one of his signature touches. 
Soft, nostalgic light gives the scene its homespun feel. 
A stagecoach scene drawn from his years actually driving one. 
Palo Duro Canyon’s rugged color shows up throughout his Western work. 
A child’s presence adds the gentle, storytelling warmth he’s known for. 
Painted with the rhythm and humor of his own ranch-town childhood. 
A scene built to pull the viewer into a moment, not just a landscape. Classic Western subject matter rendered in his warm, narrative style. 
One of the many scenes of cowboy life that made him a top-selling Western artist. 
A warm, story-driven scene built from Sorenson’s own cowboy upbringing. 
Horses and riders rendered with the lived-in detail of someone who trained them himself. 
A quiet moment of Old West humor, one of his signature touches. 
Soft, nostalgic light gives the scene its homespun feel. 
A stagecoach scene drawn from his years actually driving one. 
Palo Duro Canyon’s rugged color shows up throughout his Western work. 
A child’s presence adds the gentle, storytelling warmth he’s known for. 
Painted with the rhythm and humor of his own ranch-town childhood. 
A scene built to pull the viewer into a moment, not just a landscape. 
Classic Western subject matter rendered in his warm, narrative style. 
One of the many scenes of cowboy life that made him a top-selling Western artist. A warm, story-driven scene built from Sorenson’s own cowboy upbringing. 
Horses and riders rendered with the lived-in detail of someone who trained them himself. 
A quiet moment of Old West humor, one of his signature touches. 
Soft, nostalgic light gives the scene its homespun feel. A stagecoach scene drawn from his years actually driving one. Palo Duro Canyon’s rugged color shows up throughout his Western work. 
A child’s presence adds the gentle, storytelling warmth he’s known for. 
Painted with the rhythm and humor of his own ranch-town childhood. 
A scene built to pull the viewer into a moment, not just a landscape. 
Classic Western subject matter rendered in his warm, narrative style. 
One of the many scenes of cowboy life that made him a top-selling Western artist. 
A warm, story-driven scene built from Sorenson’s own cowboy upbringing. 
Horses and riders rendered with the lived-in detail of someone who trained them himself. 
A quiet moment of Old West humor, one of his signature touches. Soft, nostalgic light gives the scene its homespun feel. A stagecoach scene drawn from his years actually driving one. Palo Duro Canyon’s rugged color shows up throughout his Western work. 
A child’s presence adds the gentle, storytelling warmth he’s known for. 
Painted with the rhythm and humor of his own ranch-town childhood. 
A scene built to pull the viewer into a moment, not just a landscape. Classic Western subject matter rendered in his warm, narrative style. One of the many scenes of cowboy life that made him a top-selling Western artist. 
A warm, story-driven scene built from Sorenson’s own cowboy upbringing. 
Horses and riders rendered with the lived-in detail of someone who trained them himself. A quiet moment of Old West humor, one of his signature touches. Soft, nostalgic light gives the scene its homespun feel. A stagecoach scene drawn from his years actually driving one.
How did his early life shape his art?
Growing up at Six Gun City and working as a teenage stagecoach driver, gunfighter, and horse trainer gave him real experiences that still shape the stories he paints today.
What defines his artistic voice?
He mixes humor, nostalgia, and lived Western experience into scenes that feel warm and full of storytelling.
What does he believe Western art can do?
He believes Western art can tell deeper stories, giving the genre heart and narrative instead of just depicting scenery.
As Sorenson has put it, “I think great paintings should tell a story, should involve the viewer.”
See more of Jack Sorenson’s western paintings on his official website: Jack Sorenson’s Official Website