A new painting by Jeff Dodd is the latest in NBC Oklahoma’s Artist Series and will be featured at the Kingfi sher branch.

His realistic work, “Frontier Rodeo Company Yearlings,” depicts a herd of horses under an open sky with cumulus clouds. The oil-on-panel painting measures 60 inches by 53 inches.

Dodd’s work is the 15th painting in NBC’s Artist Series, for which NBC commissions an original work of art from an artist with Oklahoma ties and then offers prints, posters and postcards to customers.

This year’s prints measure 26.5 inches by 24 inches.

The series is part of NBC Chairman Ken Fergeson’s longtime focus on boosting arts and culture in the communities the banks serve and around the state.

The public can see the original painting as it travels to NBC’s various locations between now and Christmas.

It will be on display in Kingfisher at 801 S. Main St., from Dec. 2-6.

There will be a Christmas open house from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, at which Dodd will greet guests and sign posters.

Dodd said inspiring his work are all the times he has visited the Frontier Rodeo Co. in Freedom, where he has photographed the horses and gotten to know the ranch hands who work there.

“I always get excited over animals that are bred for a certain trait and happen to be great athletes,” Dodd said. “I love the animals … such as bucking broncs and bulls for the pro-rodeo circuits.”

Born in Kingfi sher, Dodd grew up near where he lives now with his wife Helen just outside of Arnett in Ellis County.

He has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford and attended The Art Students League of New York Academy before returning to the heartland.

He also began a master’s degree program at Wichita State University, but received a commission for a mural project and focused his efforts on that.

Two murals that are 22 feet wide and 11 feet tall are permanently on display in the east and west porticos at the State Capitol – above the Senate and House chambers.

The State Arts Council of Oklahoma commissioned Dodd for the paintings in 1990 to commemorate the oil and gas and agriculture industries of Oklahoma; these works are called “Oklahoma Black Gold” and “We Belong to the Land.”

Others who have commissioned Dodd’s work include the Philbrook Musuem of Art in Tulsa and the Norman Regional Hospital HealthPlex.