Laurie Stevens' Painting Journal » Farm / Ranch

Motel Galata

admin — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 05:31:28 +0000

For our 100 Mile Radius Show, I chose to do this painting of an old motel sign on the Montana high line. This is quintessential Montana of the 1950 – 1960′s. There are still quite a few funky old signs of this era scattered across the Montana countryside, probably not because anyone had the foresight to see what great pop cultural art they might become over time, but because nothing ever changed enough in the area to warrant putting up a new sign. You have to love that about Montana!

Galata is a tiny town with a current population of 67, give or take. Sadly for these old towns, the younger generation moves away, leaving just a few of the die hard older generation to hold down the fort. I thought the sign, and the focus on a town like Galata was important for my view on this 100 mile radius – a snapshot of Montana from my perspective.

“Motel Galata” is an oil, 48 x 36.

Paint America 2010

admin — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 02:53:04 +0000

Yahoo! I see that TWO of my paintings were chosen for the Paint America Top 100 competition for 2010! I am excited! Those paintings will go to Kansas and then travel with the National Show. I have been lucky and made the cut a few other years as well. I am wondering though, does having two paintings in the Top 100 move me into the Top 50? Ha! Just kidding!

These are the paintings that were chosen. “The Home Place” is 16×16 and is of a ranch homestead near my home. Much as I don’t like getting up early, I was driving down the road early one morning, and was lucky enough to catch this view of the sun coming up on Mt. Cecelia, or “Pooh Bear”, as my girls used to call it.

“The Season’s Last Lilies” is 24×24 and one of the series of lily pad paintings I have done. This particular scene is on the north end of Yellowstone Park.

Both of these pieces will be for sale through Paint America.

The Home Place 16×16

The Season’s Last Lilies 24×24

Our Summer Sky

admin — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 06:57:37 +0000

You really can’t beat the Montana “big sky”. This is a view looking east from our house. The summer cloud formations can be incredible at sunset! This is the other painting I sent to the Settlers West American Miniatures Show, to be sold the night of February 12th. It is 9×12, and an oil. If you’re in the Tucson area, I hope you’ll get there to see the show.

Opportunitree

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:19:16 +0000

Hi. I know I’ve been a long time gone. I’m working on pieces for the March Russell Show(s) and have many things in the works, but none finished. I will post some of them soon.

I did just hear today that my painting “Opportunitree” was selected as one of the Top 100 in the 2009 Paint America Top 100 Competition. It will travel with the national show in 2010. Another of my pieces was selected for the Top 200.

I thought I would also include some more – YES – SNOW pictures as that’s what it’s been doing around here lately! Recently, we got over two feet of snow, which was beautiful, but a pain to deal with when the wind started to blow. Yes, more shoveling, plowing, pulling vehicles out of snow drifts, hiking home, etc. It pays to stay home in that kind of weather! This storm has been exceptional in that we’ve had so many mornings where the landscape has been iced up just like a crystal fairyland. And interestingly, the crystals have been different from day to day. One day they were long chains of snowflake shaped crystals. Gorgeous! A few days ago those were gone, and everything was covered in little icy crystal daggers. So interesting!