I wanted to do something a little different, a little looser and wilder, and so did this little painting of Rosie and her magpie friends. I had a good time with the color and the great cow shape. Cows really are wonderful shapes, you know? This painting is 12″x12″ and is on a gessoed board with a 2″ return (no frame). A little more modern and fun.

Also – I’m celebrating! Some of my artist friends and I submitted a show proposal and were accepted by Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art to do a five woman show entitled “One Hundred Mile Radius – A Response to Place”. The participating artists will be Fran Carlson, Lisa Easton, Christine McKay, Debi Schmit and myself. This show is exciting to us, as we all approach art from very different perspectives and mediums. We are finding already that this collaboration will stretch and push us all in different directions artistically, and make us reexamine our own work and focus as we interact with each other. I’m thrilled! Date to be determined, but will be at least a year from now.

In March when we lost Tara, and then Joe, I also had to put my 13 year old cat to sleep – during the first day of the Russell Show no less. What a month. I decided to paint a tribute to my special Possum, as a final farewell. It’s been good for me to do so. I really miss him. I don’t think the painting is finished yet. There’s something wrong about the eyes and I may want to push the contrasts. I’m waiting for the paint to dry though, so I’ll post it anyway. This painting is 12 x 16 and will not be for sale.

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.

While attending a high school rodeo with my daughter, I got some good pictures of the horses and kids in action. This was truly one good horse, and he was taking a well earned break. It was a cold, snowy day outside, and I liked the soft warm light in the arena that afternoon. This painting is an oil, 16″ x 20″

Our horse Cricket was the subject of this painting. The time was late afternoon and I loved the blue shadow running down his back, and the contrast between the shadow and the late summer yellows of the season. This painting is an oil, 16″ x 20″ and is available through Betsy Swartz Fine Art Consulting in Bozeman, MT. betsy@betsyswartzfineart.com