A Little Overdressed

A Little Overdressed 18 x 24" oil/linen

This is a painting I've been wanting to do for some time. While researching the history of U.S. Cavalry (McClellan) saddles for my painting Foray to the Front, I came across several images of parade saddles. I thought it might be fun to put one on a demur little donkey - a contrast I couldn't resist. These saddles originated around the 1930s and have all the craftsmanship and tooling of any fine art. You may remember seeing saddles like this in Hollywood Westerns during the 1950s and 6os.

Icons of the West - Dana Gallery

Frontier Girl 16 x 12" oil/canvas panel

For purchase information click here

Tonight is the opening for Icons of the West at Dana Gallery in Missoula, MT. This is one of my paintings featured in the show. I wanted this piece to show the historical significance of how military artifacts may have been acquired by pioneers moving onto the plains. Here I show an Anson Mills cavalry belt being used to fasten this young girls traveling coat.

2010 C.M. Russell Art Auction

"Highland Dreams" 12 x 16" oil/canvas panel

"A Passing Presence" 24 x 30" oil/canvas

I am so thrilled to announce that I'll be part of the 2010 C.M. Russell Art Auction next year, with not just one, but TWO of my paintings! The auction is in March and I'm so excited!

Looks like Bill's going to get his 15 minutes of fame after all.

:O)

C.M. Russell Museum's Master's in Miniature Auction

"Just a Thought" oil/canvas panel 10x8

"Tail Wind" oil/canvas panel 8x10

The Master's in Miniature Auction for the C.M. Russell Art Museum was held this past weekend, and I have great news! Both my paintings sold!

We had such a great time. So many artists from our region were there. And boy, does the Russell Museum know how to throw a party! I think my husband had more fun than I did, which is saying a lot, since he's sort of the quiet farmer type.

___________

Blog Update:

In case some of you are wondering where I've gone off to...my painting sizes have increased significantly this past year and are taking much longer to finish. How long does it take?

My only answer can be, "All my life."

Be back soon!

"Dog Days"

8 x 10" oil/canvas panel

For purchase information click here.

Geez, its sure been a busy summer. Our works starts around 5:00am, then we get just enough time to throw down a bowl of cereal or a pizza, before we collapse into bed at dark. Last night, with the windows opened wide to let the cool in, I smelled the first scent of fall. This usually means things will slow down on the ranch soon and I'll get back to cranking out more paintings.

I did this one last week and finally got a minute to photograph it. I like the way the ground has movement, leading into the subject. This is something I'm focusing on more and more in my work. Trying to make what could be a bland surface and using design features to make it more interesting.

Creighton Block Gallery

While I was traveling around the state this past week, I picked up a wonderful new gallery in Virginia City, Montana. Its an amazing structure built sometime in the 1860s, located on the historic Creighton Block. Theres a video tour about it posted on uTube by sculptor David Lemon. Stop by if you're in the area or coming in this weekend for the Virginia City Art Show.

Big Sky Art Festival

This weekend I'm packing up my paintings and heading to Big Sky, Montana for their annual Art Festival. I'll be there with two of my artists friends; Christine McKay, a fantastic clay artist, and Laurie Stevens an amazing oil painter who use to work for Disney. (These girls are really going to make me look good!)

Hope to see you there!

"Tall Grass"

12 x 9" oil - canvas panel

sold

Its been awhile since I did a painting of my dog Bill. He's such a great subject. I still want to work on it some, but for the most part I think its close.

What is it that we love so much about our dogs? Aside from the fact that they'll love us no matter what. I think for me its their cartoonish ways. I mean this is about as serious a look as Bill can muster and he still looks adorably goofy.

Paint Horse-study

6 x 8" oil - canvas panel

SOLD

Another little study of my cow horse "Bones."

Master's in Miniature at the C.M. Russell Museum

I had meant to post this yesterday, but I kept getting lost in the eternal resurrection of my computer files since the Big Crash.  Printer drivers missing, no contact list loaded to my artists software, etc.  So I do apologize to everyone for not getting this in the mail BEFORE the actual opening.  Luckily the auction is not till September, so I'll send one to each of you before then.  If you are not on my mailing list and would like to be, please subscribe to this blog and you'll receive any postcard mailings I send out, about two or three a year, and also get an email of my most recent work posted to this blog. 

Anyway, the Master's in Miniature Member's & Artist's Reception is tomorrow night, Saturday May 20, at the C.M. Russell Museum and the show opens to the public on Sunday May 21st.

Hope to see you there everyone!

"Easy Keeper"

8 x 10' oil - canvas panel

For purchase information click here

Heres another painting of my husband's horse Harley. I've actually had him on a diet this year, but hes kind of a stocky guy, so I haven't seen much of a change. In Montana, thats what we call an easy keeper.

Making your own Canvas Panels

This past week I received an email from Victoria Webb, about how to create your own canvas panels. I've used my own for many years, but it seems lately I don't have time to both stretch my own larger canvases and also make these panels. If I'm ever able to hire an assistant, I'll definitely go back to them. Its so nice to have control over the surface as well as the support. It seems that with commercial ones, you either lack one or the other.

These days I'm using either Pintura canvas panels or Raphael linen panels. I prefer the Raphael, as they are the closest thing to my own, but they are a bit expensive.

Anyway, once you make your own you'll be hooked!

So, heres the process.

Step One.

First I purchase a higher quality, furniture grade 1/8 - 1/4" poplar, oak or maple plywood. You can get it in 4 x 8' sheets at most hardware stores. I've also used masonite too, especially when I want to keep the cost down.

Step Two.

Then, using a table saw, I cut the plywood to the sizes I want. I usually make an assortment of 6 x 8 on up to 16 x 20. I have gone larger, but I usually stop here and stretch canvases for anything bigger.

Step Three.

Using 9oz or better canvas or linen, I trim it to about 1/2" to 1" around each panel. Its not necessary to be exact here, you'll trim off the excess later.

Step Four.

Using a 2" soft gesso or varnish brush, I liberally gesso the panel. Quickly, before the panel starts to dry, I also gesso the canvas. I then "glue" them together. I set the glued panel aside, upside down and place an old printers weight on top on it. Anything heavy will do. I continue processing each one, stacking them with the others and weighing them down. Remember here, that if you are using anything lower than 9oz canvas you'll get bleed through and the panels will stick together. When I've finished, I leave the weight on top and let the stack sit for a few days.

Step Five.

After the panels have dried I use a utility knife to trim the excess canvas from each one. I then gesso the front of each panel to my liking. About 2-3 coats, sanding between each one.

Thats it. Not too hard really, just time consuming. And as I mentioned, once you make your own, you will never want to paint on anything else.

Good luck and happy painting!

"H" for Horse? Yes, but how about a Haflinger!

8 x 10" oil - canvas panel
For purchase information click here

Of course I would do a horse for the "H" in my alphabet series, but the idea is to stretch myself creatively. Right? So heres a little Haflinger draft pony as a way to do that.
You know, this is actually the horse I wanted as a kid. I mean what little girl wouldn't love that pretty pony mane? I got a big, ugly 30 year old quarter horse instead. I loved her! Maybe someday.

"Rose Red"

8 x 6" oil - canvas panel
For purchase information click here

Heres a painting I did from life of my birthday roses.
I was trying to make the red be the lightest value. It was HUGELY difficult.

"Farm Maiden II"

9 x 12" oil-canvas panel - sold

I'm hoping to use this face on a larger painting I'm working on. She has that sad, reflective sort of look that draws you in. My daughter was the model, but I didn't use the photo reference literally. Its close, but not actually a true likeness.

"G for Geranium"

6 x 8" oil/canvas panel
SOLD

Now where was I?
Oh, right! Back to that alphabet series!

So, I'm finally back up and running. Well sort of. I still have lots of things to tweak and I need to find where I put all my back up disks, etc. Mac's new OS is making me relearn a few things, which is just enough to slow me down and cause a few episodes of you know, "cussing!"
Bill is still not being very supportive. I guess he's waiting till I'm a bit more settled. Coward.
At least I can photograph my work now and get it online. My website needs some work too, but that's next weeks project. Hopefully I'll have things ironed out by the end of the week, enough to get some auction things up? Lets keep our fingers crossed. Anyway, thanks everyone, for your patience through all this. I'm sure in the end, this will all make life easier...hmm...?


Bill

The Crash

"Watery Isle" 22 x 30 wc/arches paper

private collection

Sorry about the long, long absence. I've been doing a lot of computer upgrades this past month. What many of you may not have realized, is that I've been doing all this on dial-up. I know. I know! And for all you artists out there still puttering along this way, my hat goes off to you! Really though, something had to give. My nerves were shot and Bill (my dog) wouldn't even come to the studio.

Anyway, being out here in the boonies like we are, theres only one option for faster internet and thats satellite. Now like most computer gadetry, once you start fussing with one thing, many times theres a trickle down effect. And like most trickle down effects, its usually causes more grief than it solves. (I'll try not to get political here.) So as I'm surfing away enjoying my new Lightning Speed Internet Connection, downing gummy bears by the pound, suddenly my 20 year old Mac starts sputtering and smoking and making a strange wheezing sound. hmm...

Several reboots later...

...nothing...

Luckily I'm fairly good at backing up, but it actually took about a week for reality to sink in. Now don't laugh, but I actually took it in to get repaired. Mostly because the old Photoshop program is equally as ancient and the cost of replacing them both is well, you know... a lot.

Needless to say, it was returned to me functioning perfect, but exactly as it had back in the early 90s.

oh.

In the end, I've come to grips with the fact that these things just don't last forever. Shit, most don't have the life span of a hamster. So I sucked it up, sold a few dry cows that needed to go anyway and the new Mac (which I have nicknamed Tiny) is on the way. I should be back up and running hopefully by next week and until then, I'm going to enjoy my freedom away from all this Advanced Technology.

Remember,

"Jesus saves but everyone else loses their files."

artist - R. Tom Gilleon

.

"Born on the Range"

8 x 10" oil/linen panel

SOLD

Heres that little calf I did a sketch of back in March (below). I placed him in the same sort of landscape as my dying stallion. A little balance to that gloomy scene?

A few days ago my good friend Laurie Stevens put a painting of mine on her blog. Quite an honor to say the least!! She is a hugely gifted artist that use to work for Disney and has really made quite a name for herself. Thank you so much Laurie! To check out more of her work, go to her blog, Laurie Stevens' Painting Journal.

"Tail Wind"

8 x 10" oil/linen panel

sold

Here is another "sketch to finished" painting of my horse Bones.

The sketch below I have hanging here in the studio and is really a nice painting in its own right.

6 x 8" oil canvas panel

For purchase information click here.

An update on the "Range Stallion's Final Hour"

It seems this painting has some controversy to it, so I would like to shed some light on why I think I chose such an unhappy subject.

All artists express themselves through their creations. I mean, its not always about painting pretty pictures. Art that evokes emotion is both therapeutic and healing. Here in Montana, our artist's community has experienced several tragic deaths in the past few months. As dreadful as the painting seems, I believe it could be my way of processing the grief associated with these events. Today, after receiving several negative reactions to it, I even considered altering the piece to reflect a more pleasant scene. But the therapy for me would then be lost, so I've decided to let stand.

Thanks everyone for your comments, heres to happier days!