I have posted my newest paintings and thought you might like to hear the story behind them. Partners with the Sun and Rain  will be part of the Heart of the West Show at the Cowgirl Museum in Ft. Worth, Texas  which begins October 1,  2010  and runs through December 5, 2010.     

This painting was inspired by a scene I have witnessed many times.  The recent monsoons of the  southwest were well received by ranchers. This weather relationship to the cowman is what "Partners" is about.  It is a visual reminder of the cattleman's position between heaven and earth.  He truly is in partnership with mother nature for his life and livelyhood greatly depend on heaven's provision.  Few cattlemen are atheist.  They revere their maker and respect their grazing land.  Grass is an asset prized beyond description. 

The Dust of Wagner Pens will, also, be part of the Heart of the West Show.  This painting was a real event that occured in this year's spring roundup.  It is a painting of my husband, Dean, who was helping our son brand his cattle.  His horse, Pinto, is a large, big boned horse that has no trouble dragging large calves to the branding fire.  He is a pleasure to watch!  While other horses struggle to pull the weight of a heavy calf at the end of a rope, Pinto marches like a freight train with his ears forward, enjoying himself!    He was purchased out of a bucking horse string years ago that came from the northwest.  However, he conducts himself well in the corral and on long days in various types of country.  He is a sweetheart and is the subject in many of my pieces, including my miniature, Dallied Tight. 

 

  Dallied Tight, is going to the Coeur d' Alene Gallery for their Miniature by the Lake Show  September 10th.
This gallery show is in Coeur d' Alene Idaho.

I am currently working on my next newsletter.  If you are interesting in receiving it, don't forget to click on the "newsletter" icon to subscribe. 

 

"Loosening Up" is my newest painting to date and is headed to Trailside Gallery in Jackson, Wyoming.   The inspiration was our son-in-law, Danny,  who had been gathering cattle all morning during spring roudup.   At the corrals, he loosened his  cinch, creating some breathing room for his partner.   The corral branding was next and would predominately be ground work. 

If I were to chose one word for this painting, it would be reflections.   It is a moment of transition connecting the mornings work and what would occur in the hours to come.   This was the pause between the chapters of the day where I am sure Danny gave thought to his morning as well as what was ahead. 

 The figures reflect the colors of the environment but the lighter values of the white shirt and grey horse provide added opportunity for color to vibrate.   This piece was fun...I enjoyed the journey!  



"Red Silk" is miniature that will be available at Tierney Fine Art in Bozeman, Montana.  Again, the vibrations of cool and warm attracted me.


There are more paintings on the easle...I look forward to sharing them with you!   

 


I did it...

I sent out my first e-newsletter this week to those who have  "subscribed".   If you are interested in receiving my "Studio News",  click on the Newsletter icon and complete the form.  I included some  roundup photos along with news of past and upcoming events.  It was fun to put together and I even received  feedback! 
Yea!  I like feedback...


Recently... I once again, spent some time at the ranch gathering material and inspiration as the cattle were brought in for branding.  It was great to be there and I am looking forward to the paintings that result from this year's spring roundup.  I hope you will check back before long to view the new artwork. 

 

Once more, I have been reviewing painting resources.  Most of what I create on canvas comes from our life on various cattle ranches in the state. However, Dean has had cattle in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas as well. I realized that we have been blessed to be part of a wide variety of Arizona country.  We have gone from the hot, dry Mesquite and cactus covered desert to land south of the Grand Canyon which can be bitterly cold and a wicked wind often blows.   There flat land is broken occasionally by hills and small canyons.  Our cattle have pastured in some of the state's most rugged terrain…that of Burro Creek.  This area is situated on the western edge of Yavapai County and presents breathtaking scenery.   It is difficult to ride,  however.  Cattle can escape, becoming wild and nearly impossible to gather. The land is rocky, steep, and brush covered.  These adventurous animals seem to do the impossible and make their way into areas that appear inaccessible. During the past year our son, Brooks, my husband,  Dean and a few well chosen cowboys entered the canyon to locate a few head hidden within the crevices of Burro Creek. It was during the month of July. They camped on the rim the night before so they could be on the trail early. They hoped to locate the animals before they brushed up in the heat of the day. Land this rugged can destroy men or horses not up to the task. It demands horses with larger bones, bred to endure the stress of long, hard days in rough terrain.  Many of them have mustang lineage giving them a toughness of spirit and body.   Some of my paintings have featured Chief, a mustang cross.  He is a short statured white horse with a thick neck, feathered fetlocks, short canon bones and pasterns for stoutness.  Dean is riding Chief in the painting, “Halfway Home." I have an admiration for these animals and men who know the depths of hardship but do not quit. They push themselves to the limit and seem always up to a challenge.   It is as though these men, as well as their horses, were divinely created for the difficult task at hand...such as gathering wild cattle in Burro Creek. These men, like the animals they ride, are relatively few in number.   These are my people and the horses I have known.   I cannot begin to accomplish what they do, nor pretend to possess their hardiness.    Although I fear my gifts cannot compare to theirs,  my passion is to portray their story.   

I have put the final brush strokes to my miniature painting for the Phippen Miniature Masterpiece Show.  It is a small painting   but I am pleased with it.  It has a boldness of stroke that is the direction I wish to go in future work.  Definitive brushwork pleases me in paintings.  I can follow the artists mind and vision as they move through a piece.  It is relaxing to know they were confident of their decisions and fully aware of their ultimate goal.  In this piece I have made a simple statement, but I feel it is a strong one.  That is my goal in painting, and I hope to take it to a more sophisticated level in larger work.  "Where the Wind Blows Free" is a painting of our son, Brooks, on the family ranch south of the Grand Canyon.  There, the wind is a constant companion and it blows freely and often.  My son is like the wind...although quiet at times,  can be strong, powerful and undeniably present.  This country and lifestyle is his legacy...he a fifth generation in our family to raise cattle in Arizona.  I pray he can continue at what he does so well. 

I was pleased to see my paintings in Trailside Gallery's window.  My painting are on the left and James Reynolds are on the right.  I felt blessed the night of the reception to meet so many great people and for my paintings to find good homes!

Scottsdale's Trailside Gallery show, Ranching Traditions, went well.  It was a pleasure to share the walls with Brenda Murphy and Cynthia Rigden.  The art was beautifully exhibited and  I was blessed to have the entrance display for my 30 x 40 piece, Fall Gathering.  I was thrilled this painting  found a new home with a Texas couple who purchased it during the reception.  I sold several other pieces as did Brenda and Cynthia.  I enjoyed the experience very much and feel so honored to be part of this gallery and the people who own and operate it.  Maryvonne Leshe is the managing partner of both gallery locations in Scottsdale, Arizona and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Both businesses are a classy outfit and I'm happy to be represented by them year round.  

I feel a sigh of relief as I put my final brush strokes to the canvas of my Cowgirl Up! paintings.  I am excited about the upcoming event on March 27th and looking forward to seeing the entire show and artists in attendance.  It is always fun!  I am anticipating an excellent show this year, from the previews I've seen.  What an opportunity to meet the artists, as well as view their work in person!  I have been in touch with several out of state who are planning on attending.  It is quite a spring gathering, indeed!  The Desert Caballeros Museum goes all out to make it as elegant an affair as possible.  With several days of events, there is much to do and see...hope to see you there!   

Today I photographed my major painting,  Fall Gathering,  for the Western Traditions Show at Trailside Gallery.  The cowboys in this painting are left to right: Pete Criner, Danny Tomerlin (our son-in-law) and Brooks Cameron (our son).  One  morning I watched these men as the curtain rose in the east and light spread across the landscape.  It was one of those cold October mornings I've mentioned before!  I was captivated by the sunlight on the figures  before me.  Before dawn the cowboys had located the cattle and driven them to the corrals.   Fall roundup is a gathering of many things. The day is filled with the sound of hoof beats in the dark, bawling cattle, cowboys hurrahing, and the rumble of cattle trucks coming down the winding dirt roads.  In spite of the cold, young cowboys and cowgirls in the making rode with the experienced hands and now, at the corrals, are thrilled to be part of the activity.  It is an exciting time.  The entire year has been building to this day...all the ice chopping, water hauling, pasture rotating, hay hauling, tank cleaning, fence repair, horse shoeing etc. was preparation for this event. Although it is pay day,  the check is not the only reward.  God has been gracious!  In spite of the hard work, it is a privilege to care for the land they respect and animals they love.  Now, with prayer, they look ahead and it begins again...

On February 13, 2010 Dean and I delivered five paintings to Trailside Gallery in Scottsdale that will be part of the Western Traditions Show beginning March 15.  It was a feeling of accomplishment to load the final pieces in my vehicle, drive the two and half hours to Scottsdale and finally place them inside the gallery.  Paintings seem to look different once they're under professional lighting.  It is another time to evaluate what I've created and see how it all has come together as a finished product.  Another evaluation comes when the show is hung and I see them as they are finally exhibited.  Although this is an exciting time, I am usually my worst critique. I make mental notes that help me on my artistic journey.  Continually raising the bar of my expectations makes me look forward to the road ahead.   

I love being part of a gallery that deals with such a high caliber of art. After handing my work over and a short visit I strolled slowly around, taking time to study the pieces I most admired...again, making mental notes of how  problems were solved and what made them a success.  I especially enjoy artists I perceive to, also, be lifelong students.  What a joy to discover the advances they've made!  Art viewing may seem a passive activity but in truth, is just the opposite. Good art can powerfully engage our soul often expressing what we cannot otherwise say.  These experiences can leave us feeling truly blessed!