My pardner, Tom Lucas, the master indian craft artist showing off his skills with Obsidian and explaining to a gathering of folks how to go from rock to arrowhead.

I have pretty well finished my Gouache Watercolor on Arches 300# Hot press paper. I see a few things to work over but it is essentially finished. It is 13.5"x21.5" image size.
It has turned warm in Dubois and even a little hot in the gallery painting in the window. 81 degrees today. Lots of folks in and we got to meet and visit with many who seem to love watching Tom and myself painting away and trading barbs at one another. We both love doing it. Tom even held an impromptu session out the back door napping arrowheads this evening. That was an attention getter and it wasn't long befor a pretty good crowd had discovered what was going on and trapsed through the gallery and out the back door to watch the master at work.

I spent the day working on my watercolor of the LEWIS RIVER MOOSE. It is slowly coming along. The gallery has been pretty busy and sales are up this past week.
I delivered my Cutthroat Trout today and my collector was more than happy with it. I even hung it for her. It now sits in a cabin with the Wind River flowing by just outside the door.http://www.silversagegallery.com/

I also worked on my HORSE CREEK SPRING Oil Painting. Detailing out the snow and light shadows across the snow surface. Water is now looking pretty good. Have to add willows on the left side in a day or two when dry enough. Seemed like a good day to work on snow as it was pretty cool-maybe low 60's today after a heavy frost last night. Also had a good rain last evening. The tourists are sure enjoying our cool weather after the temps the rest of the country is having.

I have finished my painting today of the Snake River Cutthroat on a Ginger Quill fly. 11"x14". It is a commission painting so now it is off to see what my collector says about it.

Received notification today on the Perez Gallery Show by vote. I didn't garner the neccessary votes but it was a lot of fun trying. Found out from family that they voted often. A no no. Maybe next time. Thanks to all who voted for me.

In checking out the calendar I realize time is running out for a show I have schedualed. As usual with this show I put in the titles then try and get something painted for them. That is the problem with the time lapse of entering and actually having the paintings delivered for the show. So I have begun this Gouache Watercolor painting to satisfy what I had titled.

I have gotten a lot done on my Cutthroat Painting. A little more work on the water and paint in a fly and I am about there. 11"x14" Oil Painting. SNAKE RIVER CUTTHROAT

This is another stream Painting I have begun that I am pretty excited about. I love doing detailed streams especially when there is so much transparancy in the water involved. This is an Oil Painting 20"x24" and is of the Fire Hole River in Yellowstone. It too is blocked in and detail work just beginning at the top of the painting.

I have had to put several of my painting projects aside to do this commission which is a rush job. I used to do a lot of fish art work and had several some years ago that were used in WYOMING WILDLIFE magazine covers and educational materials. This is a 11"x14" Oil Painting on Ray Mar canvas board and is to be a Cutthroat Trout leaping for a Damsel fly. Here I have it blocked in and beginning the detail work.

Thank you everyone for your votes on the Perez Gallery Art. We will see what happens. We had our annual summer kick off art show at the Silversage Gallery saturday night and I sold the painting there. It was a great turn out and sales were pretty good with great future promises from a lot of new prospective collectors. I will be posting photos on our Gallery blog linked to from my art blog.

I see by trying to access this site by my link it is apparantely not working. You may have to manually do the web site. Sorry about that. Would still appreciate your vote.
Vote for # 37

http://www.perezfineartgalleries.com/

I was invited to participate in the Summer Exhibition of the Perez gallery on line Art Gallery. This exhibition is awarded prize money for placing in the exhibition determined by voting. I hope you will take the time to check out some wonderful art found here and this is a plea for your vote. Mine is # 37

http://www.perezfineartgalleries.com

I have begun a new Snow-Stream painting, HORSE CREEK SPRING 16"x24" on untempered masonite. We had snow flurries all morning today outside the gallery window as I and my Gallery Pardner, Tom Lucas slaved away in the Gallery. Folks seemed most appreciative of our Wood Stove we had stoked up.

I began this painting yesterday with an underpainting of Acrylic and then today began overworking with Oils. I am pretty happy with its beginnings and have received good critiques from the tourists who watch and are all too free with their comments.

I still have a ways to go on this painting. WILDCAT CREEK. It is a gouache watercolor painting on Illustration board and certainly has some challenges to it.

I have finished this painting. RAMSHORN PEAK 12"x24" Oil. It is from a view NE of Dubois looking across the high plains towards the Ramshorn. The prominent peak above town.

I had posted this painting, Monsoon Colors, on my Painting-A-Day blog earlier this year and had entered it for consideration for the Masters In Miniature, C M Russell National
Art Show in Great Falls, Montana. I received word today that it had been chosen for the show. That is an honor and the second time I have made that prestigious show. It will be held in September.

I have also been working on this gouache watercolor painting the past few days off and on. It is hopefully a mountain stream with water falling over rocks. A ways to go yet so don't give me a hard time yet on the rock that presently looks so contrived and uninteresting. I will get there. While in Yellowstone thursday I stopped to give my artist friend, Jim Reed who you will find painting in the Old Faithful Lodge a bad time. I have known Jim many years and he is an amazing Gouache artist. With that in mind and after a long visit with him I am determined to again hit my gouaches pretty hard.

I have been working on this 12"x24" Oil Painting on linen the past few days and am getting close to finishing it. A little touch up here and there and the forground should do it. RAMSHORN PEAK

Just spent several days in Yellowstone and though I took my paints with me, Vicki and I had more fun looking for and photographing wildlife including this very strangly colored Grizzly that came up out of a draw too close for comfort to me. I will be posting some of our incredible adventures that we had on my Outdoor Adventure Blog in the next few days.

My artist friend, les Lefevre and myself did a little research trip yesterday morning north of Dubois and had a pretty eventful morning including watching this very young elk. I have posted our trip on my OUTDOOR ADVENTURE blog. Hope you will take the time to look it over.

http://www.silversagegallery.com

Spring has arrived in the high country with warmer night time temperatures and light rains other than snow falling nearly every day. We still have a good chance of seeing some snow by the end of the month which is normal but even with the mostly cloudy and very cool days folks are still kind of grumpy just because of mud in the mountains, high water, cool gray drippy skies and just hard to get into the back country. People have short memories as this is a yearly occurance. June is usually more miserable than May. But the leaves are about 75% out on the trees and the first wildflowers are now blooming and the wildlife as of this last week are being followed by their new born.
Thursday Vicki and I were invited up to Ring Lake Ranch for dinner that kind of kicks off their season along with volunteer groups who have come to help open the camp. It was great to visit with old and new friends. Dinner in the dining hall is always a treat looking out the large picture window across the cliff the building sits on, the lake below and the mountains and glacier above.
We were entertained by the fellow who is the new Grocery Store manager who is quite a violinist/fiddler and his mother who is a concert pianist. This fellow used to play some with several Nashville Bands . Just another one of the highly talented individuals who have found and call Dubois home.
this photo is of Torrey Creek from the bridge into the Ranch.

I have been working on this 11"x14" Oil Painting, Subalpine Stream off and on between several larger paintings for the past week. I will probably do some touch up yet but it is essentially done. I love these mountain streams that are found in the Sub alpine areas. They are past, for the most part, the tumultuous descent of falls and fast water and leisurly flow through mainly old growth forests on their way to join larger streams. Full of lush growth of grasses, sedges and wild flowers they are a quiet delight. And the same to paint.

This has been the year of graduations in our family. Our grand daughter Kassi Leseberg who is Kendra's older sister[see 2 posts ago]graduated as Doctor Kassi Leseberg out in California. She is now a Physical Therapist. It has been a long road for her to arrive at this point and we are really proud of her accomplishment. We ourselves were unable to attend the event but her mother [our daughter] and sisters and family were there. Here is Kassi with her dad, Harry Leseberg and mother, Kim Leseberg.

I have posted this photograph I took several falls ago of a nice Mule Deer Buck on my Wilderness Art Challenge blog. Hope you will check it out and try your concept of this fellow.
I think spring is finally arriving. Am home again and for a while. Did do a day up in Yellowstone Memorial Day. There is still more snow than bare ground there. A little less in the Tetons and the weather is now in 60's day time and only down to 44 last night. The trees are just now sprouting leaves and in a few days there should be a green canopy overhead.
Sure a lot of grumpy folks in Dubois. Particularly new people and a few more homes for sale from discouraged folks about our long winter and no spring. Just a normal year. Is a chance of snow for tonight. And winter begins again in 3+ months. LOL

Been away from painting for nearly a week again as we just had to take in my grand daughter's graduation. Kendra who plans on taking art in college and loves pottery. She does some nice work so stay tuned and see where that will take her.