The average painting by Nelson Boren embodies a number of the artist’s qualities—fastidious attention to detail, a tender eye for texture and a respect for the hard-working people of the modern West. But what makes Nelson Boren’s paintings unique is his playful composition and the teasing close-ups that invite each viewer to create his or her own story.

Engaged is no different. Two dusty, hard-working folks sit beside one another holding hands, perhaps a little excited, as the title suggests, with their new arrangement. But the rest of the story is up to you.