This was Saturday night at the Russell Show. A little fraternizing. I won’t go into details about what we were doing here, but it had something to do with commiserating, enumerating, extrapolating…

From left to right, Sara Walsh of Latigo and Lace, and artists Todd Conner, Frank Hagel, Sheila Rieman and Laurie Stevens. ( I know that Sara is currently working on her new website. Keep checking.)

If you’ve never been to a Native American Fair or ceremony, you’ve missed something. Everyone is usually dressed in their finest ceremonial dress, and many of their other ceremonial or traditional items are draped out over their horses or pickups for all to see. The sound is wonderful – ceremonial drumming and song, the jingling of jingle dresses; lots of horses, dogs, kids. The color and style are spectacular and hard to resist as an artist! This is one of a series of paintings I’ve done of this subject. Here, I was playing with value (dark to light) and color to see how close I could come with both in the girls clothing and the background and still make the painting work. This painting is an oil, 18″ x 14″.

I have to say that I learned a valuable lesson during this year’s Russell Auction: – always paint “sofa paintings”! I had received so many positive comments on my painting, “Just One Last Touch” prior to the big event. But – the bottom line, I guess, is that it wasn’t a painting people wanted to hang in their living room. I had hoped the museum or collectors might be interested in “the story” and want it for that reason, but still the market for that was pretty narrow. It did sell (I’m not sure to whom) but I came away humbled. I’m sure the economy has played a roll in this year’s event as well. Many artists are REALLY feeling the pinch.

Well, we artists are a tough lot. We have to be or we’d be doing something else – like selling shoes at Walmart.

It’s time for some reflection now, I guess…

Tomorrow begins the Russell Show. I thought I would post a painting that I’m taking there tomorrow. I had intended to include a lot of very colorful pieces in my show room, but several of those burned up in the explosion, and with all the stress and heartache of the last few weeks I didn’t finish the big one. My problems pale in comparison.

This is my favorite little landscape though. I did push the color. This is a Montana scene and is an oil, 16″ x 18″.

I posted this painting last fall, but I thought I would show it again now, as it is going to be in the C.M. Russell Auction on Friday night, March 20. It will be Lot #122. (I will also be showing in Room 176 at the Heritage Inn during the show.)

I enjoyed this endeavor as the subject is my husband, Tom Gilleon – Mr. Tipi – who has been known to stroll in at the last minute with his auction pieces. I had fun with this as it’s the only way I could get away with painting a Gilleon tipi! So tip your hat to the ol’ codger. Today is his birthday!
24″ x 28″ oil www.cmrauction.com

Another sadness for the art community and beyond. How much more can we take? Sculptor Joe Halko died this Wednesday, March 11, at the age of 68, after suffering a series of debilitating strokes. Joe was a very kind and gentle man, loved by all who knew him.

We are lucky to have many examples of his fine work in the community which will serve as continuing comfort, inspiration and tribute to Joe.

I sent this “card” out with notification of Joe’s funeral. The landscape is Joe’s beloved wild country, Gibson Lake in the Sun Canyon area and near the Scapegoat Wilderness on the east slope of the Rocky Mountains in Montana.

The geese are Joe’s and are escorting him away.

I decided I needed to put something tranquil up today, and so this painting. The subject is also Brown’s Lake, as was my earlier lily pad painting. I loved going camping there with a pile of kids and a few Mom’s who were and are good friends – my support team. I had done this painting last year, but just reworked it a little. This is an oil, 16″ x 20″

Sadly, yesterday they found Tara Bowman’s body in the wreckage of the gallery explosion. So many of us in the art community are devastated. Tara was our champion, and such a great person. Today was her birthday…

Tonight I did this computer sketch in honor of Tara. It will become a painting at some point. I will quote Kahil Gibran’s words, hoping this to be true.

“For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?”

Tara, we will all miss you so.

You may see other tributes to Tara at these blog sites:
David Lemon - http://adayinthelifeofalemon.blogspot.com/
Debi Schmit - http://www.debschmit.blogspot.com

This has been a tragic week. On Thursday, March 5th, an apparent gas leak in downtown Bozeman, MT. caused a horrific explosion. Three buildings were totally demolished, and many others damaged. Montana Trails Gallery was at the epicenter of this explosion. The gallery and everything in it was destroyed by the blast and subsequent fire. But much worse than that, Tara Bowman, our beloved gallery Director is feared to have been there and killed. There are no words to describe the loss and sadness so many of us feel this week.