It is with some emotion that I post this painting. It is one that I finished just before Thanksgiving. This is the second time I have painted this piece, something I never do. But, the first one I did for Tara Bowman at Montana Trails Gallery, and it went there not long before the explosion. It was one of so many things lost that day. Afterward, it kept coming to mind again, and I felt I needed to do it once more. For the longest time, it wouldn’t paint, and then suddenly, this woman appeared. Her face is more serene than the first one. I think Tara may have had a hand in it. I would like to think so.

Under a Painted Sky ll is 30 x 30 and is dedicated to Tara Bowman.

One can only imagine that the Statehood Ceremonies as they came to be in the territories were very exciting – full of promise and hope – for most. This Sioux boy stands under an American Parade Flag, the kind that was used during Wyoming’s Statehood Celebration. His perspective, even as a young boy may have been a little different than those celebrating in the streets.

This painting is an oil, 18″ x 12″ and is available at Mountain Trails Gallery in Jackson.

One of my focuses as a painter is portraying the women of the west, as I feel their stories should be told. Originally I had intended to paint primarily my rancher friends and those hardy women that live close to the land. I keep coming back to the Native American women though, as I respect what I feel to be their spirituality and appreciation for the Circle of Life.

“She Loves Their Stories” tells of a visit by this wise woman’s magpie friends. Magpies are thought by many cultures to be messengers that can travel between the dark and the light, bringing word of other events and places. These magpies bring good news!

I have just started showing with Mountain Trails Gallery in Jackson, WY. and this painting is there. It is an oil, 24″ x 24″.

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 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