I posted an image of this painting in March but was never quite happy with the piece. I redid it recently and do like it better. I thought you might be interested in seeing the redo. It is still called “Story Teller”, and is an oil, 18″ x 12″.

This is the original painting.

And below is the redo.

For the 100 Mile Radius Show, we decided that we would all do a piece about Great Falls, as it was the epicenter of our radius. Most of the pieces were interpretive. Mine of course was pretty literal, and hales back to my scenic artist days and huge motion picture and theme park backdrops. YIKES. To me, Great Falls is about the confluence – a meeting place, and about the river. “Before the Falls” is an oil, 48″ x 36″.

Boy, have I forgotten about my blog. It has been a busy 3 or 4 months! I neglected to post the invitation for our 100 Mile Radius Show at Paris Gibson Square! The show opened in August, and now will hang a few more weeks. As Fran Carlson so aptly put it, “The inspiration for this show lies in the High Plains of central Montana that these artists call home.  Though their styles and media are diverse, they share a strong love for this place.  They all wrestle with the complex responses engendered by a place that can be heart achingly beautiful and tediously difficult all on the same day.  This show explores the variety and commonality of their artistic responses.” If you haven’t seen the show, we’d  love it if you would!

On another note, I attended “The Artists’ Ride” in South Dakota in August. It was absolutely incredible – so many models, animals, wagons – period costume and sets – fantastic for the western artist! More about that later… I hate to say too much, I want to keep it for myself! I do have a whole new cache of research photos, which is everything!

I should have posted this earlier. The Trailside Galleries Masters in Miniature Show began on July 4th and will run through July 24th in Jackson, WY.  I heard that they sold 87 pieces the first night, which is fantastic! My piece, “Sail with the Clouds” has sold. Remaining is “Emerge”. If you’re near Jackson this month be sure to get to the Trailside Galleries!

“Sail With the Clouds”  12×12  oil

“Emerge’” 11 x 14  oil

Another in my series of lily pad paintings is this one. I hope it took you a minute to notice the star of the show, the little frog. I find that in nature that is often the case. Some of the most amazing things happen right before your eyes, but still  we humans can be unaware – not tuned in to the bigger picture, you know?  Noticing this frog in a sea of lily pads would be quite serendipitous! “A Shady Spot in Paradise” is an oil, 24 x 24. It will be showing at Creighton Block Gallery in Big Sky Montana, as soon as I can get it there!

I thought the timing was appropriate to post this painting. Some ranch humor, you know? Around here, some of the ranchers put the bulls in with the cows on Mothers Day and take them out on Fathers Day. I love that theory! So, one more go round for the Big Daddy here! “Fathers Day is an oil, 36×24. It will be showing in the “Western Icons Show” at the Dana Gallery in Missoula, MT. The show opens June 16, I believe.

I just received word that this painting won the People’s Choice Award at the Clymer Museum of Art Exhibit and Auction, May 20 & 21. Of course I was thrilled! “She Loves Their Stories” is an oil, 24″ x 24″.

In many cultures, the willful Magpie is seen as a messenger, a harbinger, a being that can travel between the dark and the light, the good and the bad. The wily magpie is also seen as one that stands in the doorway of new realms, bringing word of other events and places. This wise woman is thrilled by a visit from her magpie friends, enjoying the stories they have to tell of their forays into other worlds and realms. They bring good news.

Her dress speaks of a past raid on another tribe and the procurement of new horses for the People. This particular dress does exist and is on display in the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. It is attributed to be Sihasapa Lakota (Blackfoot Sioux) circa 1890.

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