young cowboy is very pleased with himself. he is bringing home a watermelon for his family. it has been thumped and approved.
in my experience the two best ways to set a mood in a painting are to show warm welcoming light inside a building when it is raining or snowing outside or to show warm fire light on a cowboy camp.
art is all about creating an emotional reaction from the viewer to what they see in a painting or sculpture. almost everyone can relate to the story of this painting. a cold wet night in the saddle or a warm meal inside this restaurant. i bet the antelope stew is 