I have been doing lots of landscapes lately. I’m not quitting the figurative pieces, but I feel I need to gather some more good research in that regard. I hope to get to some rendezvous, rodeos, Native American events and biker rallies this summer!

It was a year ago today that our friend Joe Halko died. He was a very kind man, a good friend to many and a talented artist. Joe worked as a taxidermist for many years, which I’m sure led to his great talent as a wildlife sculptor. We are lucky that several of his large bronzes grace establishments here in Great Falls so that we may continue to see them. Joe’s wife Margaret and girls just donated a huge Mama Grizzy and cubs to the Russell Museum. It’s wonderful to know that it’s there.

Joe had a smile for everyone, and the sound of his laughter stays in my mind.  He left a hole in the community that can not be filled. We miss you Joe.

Many of us in the art community are marathoning for the Russell Shows that begin on Wednesday, March 17th. That is enough to think about, but also on our minds are the events of a year ago at this time, when Tara Bowman was killed in the Montana Trails Gallery explosion. Just a few days later, another good friend, artist Joe Halko died as well. Such a sad time it was, and now it comes to mind again. I had posted a blog then with a sketch I’d done for a painting to be done in Tara’s memory. I have recently finished the painting. It was time. I will be giving it to Tara’s family.

The Bridger Range of mountains lies just to the north east of Bozeman, MT. I understand that Tara once lived where her view was this one of the Bridger’s. Tara, may you rest in peace.

Come see us at the Russell Show beginning March 17th in Great Falls, MT.

This area is dear to my heart. It’s out of Augusta, MT. and along the Dearborn River – my old stomping grounds. This is also my favorite time of year, autumn, when the quaking aspens turn to gold and contrast with the dark green pines as if they’re lit from within.

This painting is 12×16 and will be in my room – 176, at the Heritage Inn in Great Falls for the week of the Russell Art Shows. March 17-20th.

I’m still painting away on my circle of paintings. I do think this is good. I really am seeing a lot of things I want to change or finish as they come around a second or third time. Not that I always have time to paint like that, but it’s a good thing.

Buddy, I hope you’re racing through green pastures now and kicking up your heels.

With the Russell Shows fast approaching, I’ve got seven or eight pieces in the works, none of them finished although this one is getting close. I keep rotating which in some ways is good, as I have the time to distance myself a little from each piece. It takes that for me to begin to see a painting objectively and then decide what is good about it and what needs to be worked on. This painting is 16 x 20. My focus is it’s tonal character. An artist friend of mine said that “it’s all in the grays”. I’m beginning to understand that, which hopefully means there’s some artistic growth happening here! Grays are not easy.

The subject is a ridge on the edge of the Big Belt Mountains SE of our place. You don’t see this ridge from the west in the daytime as the lack of shadow flattens the whole thing out. But come late afternoon, there appears this fascinating “dinosaur” ridge back (much of it hidden from this angle). We rode horses through that high country one fall day. What a treat!

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!

I seem to be doing double consonants this week… Remember the second of my two little paintings didn’t work out. This is the third, and is of a Cactus Wren, the Arizona State bird, perched on a prickly pear cactus fruit. I haven’t thought about cactus wrens for a long time, but now am remembering watching them when I lived in Phoenix. They’re a scrappy little territorial bird. Fun to watch! This painting is called “Desert Delicacies”, is 12 x 9 and will also be for sale at the Settlers West “American Miniatures Show” on February 13th in Tucson.

This is one of the little paintings I was working on this last week. I had fun with it as I was glad to have an excuse to do some southwestern subject matter. I love the Arizona desert and it’s wildlife. The Sonoran Desert is really so beautiful, and more lush than some deserts as it has two rainy seasons, winter and the summer monsoon season. I like this silly title, and feel it does reflect the way the crazy hare takes cover – sort of like an ostrich sticking it’s head in the sand! Harebrained Hideout is 12 x 9 and will be part of the Settlers West “American Miniatures” Show on February 13th in Tucson, AZ.

Oh, I had mentioned how one of these little paintings (this one) went so smoothly and the other not? The other didn’t make it… I painted it out and did a third painting I’ll try to remember to put up tomorrow.