Alexandra Verboom Fritz is a contemporary western artist originally from the Cariboo-Chilcotin region of British Columbia, Canada. Verboom Fritz now resides in the rural area of Goodeve, Saskatchewan, Canada with her husband and young family. Alexandra’s art is strongly influenced by her love for the ranching lifestyle in Western Canada and her faith in God.
Completely self-taught, Alexandra learned to paint at an early age by studying the brush strokes and color compositions of other artists' paintings. Through trial and error, Verboom Fritz soon developed her own unique style of loose but accurate brush work that the artist is now known for.
Alexandra has been sharing her work with the public since 2018 and has participated in many group shows. Verboom Fritz had her first solo exhibition in 2020 and her works are held in many private collections across Western Canada.
Artist’s Statement
I am a contemporary western artist who paints western and equine themed work in a loose but realistic style. My art is inspired by my husband, Lane Fritz, who is a working cowboy, the cowboys we worked with at the Gang Ranch, and all the ranchers who keep the traditional west alive today. Common themes in my work include the relationship between horse and rider, the trade of the cowboy, the craftsmanship of western tack, and ranch life in Western Canada.
I capture these themes by painting in what I call “loose realism.” I endeavor to be accurate in details and proportions, but my goal is not for my paintings to look like photographs. I want my paintings to have a slight looseness to them, where brushstrokes can still be seen to embody light, darkness, emotion, or movement.
I am generally not interested in painting detailed backgrounds and landscapes for my subjects, as I do not want any superfluous details to detract from the focus of the piece. Instead, I like to have my subjects placed against an abstract background. To add to the emphasis of the subject, I often paint with a limited palette of muted colors.
Through my art practice I hope to accomplish three things. To honor the men and women who do their part to keep the traditional west alive today. To bring awareness to the traditional western lifestyle that is alive today. And finally, to document modern western life and to create a legacy for the generations to come.
-Alexandra Verboom Fritz
