I am happy to announce that this dear girl, Clementine has been picked as a poster girl for the Montana Land Reliance. You will see her pretty face in advertising – promoting “Cows, not Condos.”

In their own words, the Montana Land Reliance is an organization that “provides permanent protection for private lands that are significant for agricultural production, fish and wildlife habitat, and open space.

The immediate accomplishments of MLR’s conservation work are measured in miles of stream banks and acres of land and habitat protected from unchecked development. The lasting benefits of MLR’s work are the perpetuation of a lifestyle and economy that rely on responsibly managed private land and increasingly valuable Montana open spaces that will continue to nourish the spirit of future generations.”

I am proud to say that we have Conservation Easements on our ranch through the Land Reliance. I can’t say enough good things about this group and the job they do in helping others protect some of Montana’s agricultural land, open space and wildlife habitat in perpetuity.

“Clementine” is an oil, 12″ x 12″.

I have wrestled some with whether I have “the right” to paint Native Americans, much as I love the subject. The interplay of historical subject, sacred story, beautiful design and artistic treatment of clothing and everyday things are too much to resist as an artist. But – I am thinking that I may try to tell those stories in a way that may give me a little more ownership of the subject. This painting is the first of those. I believe there had to have been some some positive encounters between the Native American and the white man during the terrible years of the early reservation period. This is my version of one of those presumed encounters. “Like Kind” is an oil, 30″ x 30″.

This is a painting I did about 5 years ago. I loved the story, as is usual for me! I was just contacted by a man who liked this painting, and who has traveled the country on a motorcycle, taking pictures and then writing a book of his life and adventures. I’ll bet the book is quite interesting, as his site and facebook page look to be! If you are interested in hearing more about that, his site is www.americabymotorcyclebook.com

I’ve found it interesting that when on paint outs with other artist friends, men tend to paint the cars in a street setting into their paintings, while women often leave them out, myself included. Still, as an artist I find I am drawn to the rusty old hulks of vehicular history. The first painting I am showing you here is a new one – “Going Nowhere Fast”. It is 14 x 18, and will be among those I will be showing at the Western Masters Art Show, March 16-19 in Great Falls, MT. I love the combination of the vehicle that implies (or once implied) movement, and the tree that says, “No there won’t be any of that!”

I had done a similar painting a year or so ago, the second one shown here. It is called “Opportunitree” and was inspired by an actual car and tree combo I spotted when driving through the countryside. That painting was chosen as one of the Top 100 in the Paint America Top 100 Competition for the year 2009.

I do have a lot of fun painting these old vehicles! I have a couple more in mind, both involving old trucks I have come across. I had hoped to get then done for this show, but don’t think it’s going to happen as I’m out of time!

Going Nowhere Fast 14 x 18

Opportunitree 16 x 20

I was going to save this image for a blog closer to the 4th of July, but I wanted to put something besides a landscape up today. This is very Montana – and appropriate as it’s now Rodeo season. The brand on the horse is ours – TL. “Stars & Stripes” is 18 x 12 and for sale at the Beartooth Gallery in Red Lodge, MT.

I finished this painting recently. It’s called “Shade is Shade. Don’t Matter Where You Find It.” It is an oil, 24″ x 24″. I really enjoyed combining the images of the ladies’ feminine parasol, and the gruff, macho cowboy.

If you’ve spent any time at all on a ranch, you’ll know that ranch people are by necessity innovators and opportunists. Duct tape and baling twine can fix almost anything. All sorts of ‘parts” can be adapted to serve some completely different purpose. In this case on a hot summer day, the ladies’ parasol was quite the find. I had fun creating this very manly guy who obviously wasn’t at all embarrassed about using whatever he could to make his day a little more bearable!