I arrived at Crow Fair one summer just as the opening parade was starting. There was so much color and costume – beautiful! This painting is a compilation of images from that day. I loved this woman’s expression and I hoped to convey what I felt to be her strength and pride. I am enjoying doing these tonal paintings as they seem more “emotional” to me. “Under a Painted Sky” is an oil, 30 x 30, and is for sale through Montana Trails Gallery in Bozeman, MT. tara@montanatrails.com

To continue the parasol story, I did this painting by request after the Russell Show last year. The gallery wanted a painting like “Little Star”. I would not do another of the same, but did do this one of the same little girl. This painting is much larger, 48″ x 48″ and is for sale through Montana Trails Gallery in Bozeman, MT. This is not a terribly accurate image of the painting. The painting is better! www.montanatrails.com

To digress, I think I should show you my first “parasol painting”. It is called “Little Star” and is an oil, 24″ x 24″. I did this painting last year after having been to Crow Fair in SE Montana. This little girl was in the opening parade. I found her beautiful, and loved the mixing of the Native American and Chinese cultures. If one cares about being historically accurate, the Indians during the Reservation Period could well have traded for something like this Chinese parasol at that time.

This painting was chosen to be in the C.M. Russell Art Auction 2008, and it won the Russell Museum CEO Award given to one auction participant! It is now part of the Russell Museum collection. I have to say that when I saw this painting in a museum show recently, it was still one of my personal favorites.  www.cmrussell.org