It is amazing the ingenuity and imagination artists employ in creating. It is amazing to see the vast array of antlers and horns that have been collected. Nature has done her part in producing some pretty amazing anomolies and natural characteristics in growth patterns for the artists to bring out the best in them.

This is the second day of 4 days of the Antler Sales and display in Dubois and is the forerunner of the big Antler auction in Jackson this coming weekend when antlers are auctioned off from collections done on the National Elk Refuge by the Boy Scouts. Proceeds go towards buying feed for winter feeding. About 30 vendors are in Dubois currently selling antlers, art work done with antlers as well as furniture. Artisans from miles around come to this event to stock up on all types and kinds of antlers and horns which are then used in their various artistic forms. Dustin Stephenson who is our potter at the Silver Sage Gallery was here yesterday and claims he spent too much money. His young son who was with him said he was in big trouble with mom when they returned home.

Kurt and Lynn who have a gallery featuring Curts antler work are one of the vendors and was showing off the elk he crafted this winter made from Deer and Elk antlers. Several hundred of them. Lynn showing off the crafted elk here is also an amazing potter and does some unbelievable abstract work with her photography which she has received national attention for.

She was explaining to me that song birds at their gallery have taken to building nests within the cavity of the elk. That is pretty cool.

Both going to and returning from Jackson and dinner there we watched thousands of elk. They are moving across the 40 miles of Jackson Hole on their spring migration into the high country. It is a fun event to witness. Not seen by many.

Intense in spite of the cold and wind. Dinner at Bubbas[barbeque]in Jackson is my reward.

Not quite sure where I should post this. Here on my personal blog or on my Painting-a-day blog.

My wife and I went over to Jackson Hole yesterday with news from various folks that a grizzly was near the Oxbow Bend and easily photographed. We didn't find him but spent some time chasing around the countryside looking for critters and with the idea to do a little Plein Aire painting. Took the road up to Pilgrime Creek until we were stopped by a lot of snow. Had a picknic off the tailgate of the truck surrounded by snow and was wanting to do a painting there but it was cold and quite windy. Finally went to Pacific Creek and set up for this scene of the Grand Teton. Sometimes is fun to paint in the absense of much light as this was a very clousy day. Wind and cold. No grizzly but lots of elk. Saw probably 2-3000 head. One moose and various other critters.

9"x12" Plein Aire Oil Painting

I worked some more on this painting today and am getting close. Added more trees to divide the Aspens from the light struck Sagebrush middle ground. I think I am on the right track now. The burnt sienna's are way more intense in this pix then in the painting. Gonna have to learn how to manipulate that either through my camera or the computer.

I don't know why it is but after working so long on a commission painting I get to where I can't stand looking at it any more. It is sure money coming in but why is it so hard to stay focused on a commission piece? But. It has to be done though it is July befor my collector will be in town and so I have forced myself to get excited about finishing this up. For those of you who have followed me as I have painted on this I apologize for taking so long in getting back to it. I did spend a lot of time today on the painting and am getting close. I set it up and my pardner and I got to critiquing it and find a number of things that bothered us both about it. That opening of light on sagebrush is a terrible distraction and some of the light under the Aspens need work on. I am determined to work it out though so will promise to repost tommorow and that should give me incentive to finish it up.

This was my entry for the Petroleum Club purchase award. It is an Oil Painting 30"x36" BLUEBELLS AND PAINTBRUSH. Kinda gimmicky but I put this leather frame built by Dan Miller [see Dan's work through my blog on the Silver Sage Gallery]on the painting. If I had to do it over again I think I would have seperated the frame and painting with a liner of some sort. I was voted into the top 5 finalists. But. Lost out in the final judging by an artist from Cody. All was not lost though when a fellow approached me at the end of the show and bought the painting for his wife for Mothers Day.
I ended up having a great show.

I have decided to do Giclee prints of this painting. It will be my 4th Giclee print. The painting seems to be poular with a lot of folks. The giclee is 16"x20" image size and framed will be $250.00 signed and numbered with an edition of 50.
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Friday night, May 1, was the Petroleum Club show in Casper, Wyoming. The show allows the invited artists to display and sell 3 miniatures at silent auction, a quick-draw for the artists who do that sort of thing. [We get 70% of the auction proceeds] and the main event the artists vie for which is the $4,000.00 purchase award decided on by the vote of the Petroleum Club members. The club in that way has amassed quite an art collection over the years.
This 12"x19" gouache watercolor was my quick-draw. We are allowed 1 hour to complete our paintings with no drawing done befor the opening whistle. I had wanted to do this off a photograph I had of the backside of Casper Mountain looking to the SE across the Laramie Range but setting up to get started I could not find my reference so did it from memory. I am allowed one guest and being as my father-in-law really enjoys this show-I take him every year and over the years he has aquired 3 of my quick-draws. He was high bidder on this piece. Another good reason to take him.
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Just had to post this pix of my yard this morning with 12" snow from last night. Not really that unusual but many find it intriguing for April 27. Most folks are talking about their gardens and spring flowers. We have a month here befor we get spring flowers. Yes. Some folks around here try and garden but it is very labor intensive and with frost chances any day of the summer is a pretty futile business. Our trees will not leaf out until the last week of May. Ahh! The joy of living at 7000 feet elevation.

Some of the ranch country along the Wyoming-Colorado border on the Laramie River. Great painting opportunities

After fast trip to Denver and a pretty wild snowstorm reintering Wyoming I am glad to report that I delivered my painting in Laramie, Wyoming and my collector was happy with the painting. It was a great opportunity to also go to Saratoga, Wyoming and trade out art at the Blackhawk gallery for the coming season. Took a little side trip into North Park of Colorado and up the Laramie River into Colorado [research]

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I have been burning the midnight oil to complete this painting which is a commission from a similar painting that I had won as the purchase award at the 2-Shot Show last December that I had posted earlier. I have to deliver this painting in Laramie, Wyoming this coming wekend.
It is a 24"x30" Oil Painting

Tom and Tinker in the gallery corner after a long day of getting ready for the new season.

I have had to put down the paintbrush again for a few days as we are pretty busy getting the gallery in working order for the season. Maybe it is our ranch heritage that Tom and I are dealing with as every spring we are doing maintenance and adding to. This morning Tom is putting insulation in the old gallery portion ceiling. We think it will really help with the heat in summer and cold in winter. Amazing how some of these old buildings in Wyoming were constructed. I truely believe it was all for today and we might do something else tomorrow if we aren't kilt by injuns or grizzlies??? Anyway we also get these "visions" to improve this or that and are working on some of those projects. And they are helping. It is looking better all the time.
I did get some good news. I have been accepted to participate again in the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival Quick-draw. Up to last year I was a participant through DiTomasso Gallery[You need sponsorship to be eligible] and when they closed down the gallery I lost my sponsorship for last year. We have been advertising and promoting our gallery through the Jackson Chamber who runs this event and through our own gallery I am back in the show. It is one of the major quick-draw events in the country. 2 years ago my piece auctioned for $2750.00. The artist gets 50% of that which is pretty good for an hours work. I think they should do it every day. The only draw back is the weather in September as several of those years I did it it was either frosty from the early morning or snowing. It has been a pretty cold event. Intense but a lot of fun and some really great people who are in Jackson for that week long event. It is an artists world during that week. It also is the week after the Susan K Black workshop in Dubois which is a spectacular Art workshop with well over 100 artists attending along with world-reknown instructors in Landscape, Wildlife and Western art. During those two weeeks the hills are alive with plein-aire artist from all walks of life. Google in Susan K Black workshops if interested. It is a great experience.
I earlier posted that Peaks & Plains was going to do a 3 page article on me and my art work. Was interviewed the other day for that and have just schedualed a "true"photographer for picture taking. I am glad that they have picked Dubois own, Steven Lundsford to do that. Steven sells his photography in our gallery and is a true artist with the lens. Check him out through www.silversagegallery.com His work is a true inspiration, and later this summer if you are flying over western skies look for that magazine, PEAKS AND PLAINS. It is an airline publication.

It is a busy week as we open the gallery for the season. Tom my pardner is back from the Celebration In Art Show in Arizona and he, his wife Tammy and I hung and rehung paintings for most of the day. Chris who does that fantastic jewelry and Verna Boller worked hard at shampooing carpet and filling nail holes and touching up walls. We are now officially open and in our first day made a good sale. In spite of the down economy we are optimistic about the season. As Tom says, "We put our trust in the Lord and we can't help but be successful. It sure worked last year with a way better than expected season. That is Tinker our gallery "mascot", who thinks everyone coming into the gallery is there to see him. I have the perfect sales pitch. "If you buy the dog I'll throw in a painting". Toms wife is quick to straighten folks out on that. Dan,our leather worker is the other hombre in these pixs. He has been a great help in opening too.
That big bronze of the Pack horse on the floor is one of our pardner, Bud Boller's pieces. It was commissioned by Charleton Heston and Bud nailed it. Since Charlton's death there is talk about doing a monument of this bronze for the NRA headqurters. If you are ever in Jackson, Wyoming-Look at the bronze in the middle of the town square of the bucking horse. It is Buds.

I finally got back to this painting this afternoon and worked on the deer quite a bit as well as working on the darks and lights of the grass. Also added more evergreen in the back. Finally getting to look like something.

Another view of Debs moose

Deb Robinettsent me this photo she took the other day out beside their barn. She and her husbasnd are the ranch managers for a ranch at the upper end of the DuNoir valley. It is a beautiful location and loaded with wildlife. It is also a constant battle with wolves and Grizzlies. Deb is a fantastic photographer and one of the artisans in our gallery. Check out her work in the www. Silversagegallery.com web site

Today was my fathers birthday. He passed away in 1993 of cancer. His life was filled with work and adventure. He was definitely a Jack of all trades. I am sure he is where I get my sense of adventure and just having to know what is over the next hill. This picture is so typical of him. He built his own canoe and had so many coats of fiberglass that it was unsinkable and water tight. He fashioned the bar across the back for a 5 hp motor. One of his favorite places was the Green River, tributary of the Colorado River that begins in the northern Wind River Mountains of Wyoming and just south of Dubois, Wyoming. In this scene from an old slide I had taken he is lining his canoe up the River between Lower Green River and Upper Green River Lake. Motors are allowed on the lower lake so he would use it that far then stash it in the brush and continue on by lining the canoe up to the second Lake. He actually paddled and lined it way beyond that. It was great to canoe down the river then. That is what we are doing in this pix. My wife, Vicki and oldest daughter, Kim, who was 4 at the time are taking advantage of Dads work. A friend of his is along for the trip. I remember on one occassion going up river with him when the Outward Bound students who had just been dropped off for their sojourne in the mountains with canoes passed us on the Lake only to get bogged down when they hit the river between the two lakes. They didn't have a clue how to handle their canoes. Dad taught them how and away they went.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD.

I should be working on the Aspen, Mule Deer painting that I had been working on from some weeks ago and I apologize for those folks who are patiently waiting for me to finish it off. We have had a number of snow storms come through here in the last ten days or so and another this morning. I have a huge old Engleman Spruce tree just out my front door that really spoke to me with the way the snow had collected on its boughs. Every morning I have been greeted by the hooting of 2 Great Horned Owls that nest every year in a neighbors Pole barn. These are the same ones who put a pretty big dent in my cottontail population. It just seemed the perfect time and with inspiration I have begun this oil painting depicting the Owl on snow covered Spruce boughs. I've got things pretty well blocked in and beginning to detail out the top from left to right and quite a bit done on the Owl. Been working pretty steady at it as I will probably be interupted beginning wednesday as we will be opening up the gallery and the girls want to shampoo the carpet and will be pretty intense getting things hung properly, getting the water turned back on and all the other things it takes to get the season started. We are all anxious to be back in the gallery and this new season. My pardner, Tom Lucas has finished the Celebration in Arts show in Scottsdale, Arizona and I know he is sure anxious to get back home and get things going. Its been a long 3 months for him.

It is springtime in Wyoming but if you were not familiar with Wyoming you might wonder. Newcomers in our area are moaning but this is just normal for us. After all it is not July 4th yet. Yesterday it got clear up to 42 and melted about 4" of the white stuff. This morning it dumped about 3-4 inches more but is now up to 36 and "melting". It really is spring though as these geeese who have taken over my yard this morning will attest to. Love this time of year when the Canadian Honkers are flying up and down the river and voicing their opinions at first light. It is the perfect alarm clock.

Spring snowstorms are a part of Wyoming. We missed a good one this past week that really struck eastern and central Wyoming. It was a full fledged blizzard. We didn't miss last nights storm whcih is now headed for Colorado. It was not very spring like as it was quite a dry snow and at 13 degrees this morning. My neighbors sheep wagon from my studio window is cloaked pretty good with 6" of snow on top.
I am slowly getting back into the swing of things working on my smaller Painting-A-Day[see my blog site here]project. A little sore yet but puttering around and getting a little painting done.

I finished installing the fish on my mural this afternoon. Newspaper showed up to get some pictures and I had Andrea at the Museum take a few for myself. The 6 Wyoming trout species are represented her, Actually 2 Brown Trout; Mackinaw or Lake Trout; Brook Trout; Rainbow Trout; Golden Trout; Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout;[I have put a bug in the museum staffs ear for including a Snake River Cutthroat] A Whitefish; and a Grayling.

I havn't been posting any new work recently and many are wondering what happened to the Deer through the Aspens I have been progressing on. Things went a little haywire here for the time being. I finally went to Denver for the operation that was inevitable. This is supposed to be the last of what has been an ordeal for 3 1/2 years. I sure hope so. It was a pretty miserable trip back home but we survived it. Don't know if Vicki was more stressed out about the drive up I25 to Wyoming or putting up with a sick patient. She is the real thing and did a great job. About last saturday I was wondering if I was on my way to heaven or what and can't believe how much better I am doing this saturday. Still a little sore but really bored and trying to figure out how to get in just the right position to push a paintbrush. I think I could get started on some small watercolors if nothing else. Sure gonna try it in the next few days. My pardner, Chris Phelps says there are a ton of elk all around her place right now. Maybe if I drove by doing ? ? Probably not but it is an enticement.
Good news though. PEAKS AND PLAINS magazine which is a magazine the airline industry puts out want to do a 3 page story on me. It is a quarterly magazine and features stories and photos of various tourist related places around the country. I think that will be pretty cool.

Finished. Have cleaned up my mess and the Museum folks have all come by and given their approval. Blaze is wagging his tail so guess he is O K with it too. Thanks to Andrea who has dogged my progress with my camera. Had asked her to take an occassional picture as the day went on. She has taken 50 pictures. When an artist has as much paint on himself as on the painting it has turned out O K. The finished display will have moulding put in, a glass front and mounted fish hanging against the front of the mural. It will consist of the 6 trout species found in our area as well as a Grayling and White Fish. I have silhoueted a whitefish just to my right just above the log. It should look pretty neat when put together. I have done a number of backgrounds for the museum over the years including eco-system murals which are the various fauna and flora of our region as they exist in different elevational life zones. I had painted 3 of them almost 20 years ago and am after the powers that be to add 2 more. A Riparian Zone and a Prairie Zone. It really needs to be done to finish their natural history area. The other zones I completed were Alpine, Subalpine, Montaine

I have painted myself into the corner but am getting close to the finish.

After lunch I put the acrylics aside and go to Oil paint. I pretty well have the fish in and detailing begun on the log and rocks.

I pretty well get the log and rocks I want in the mural by noon. I also have my first fish that is merely a silhouette painted in.

I had a constant art critic who occassionaly voiced his opinion about the whole procedure. Blaze, the Museum pappilon mascot

Today I had quite a project, painting a background at the Dubois Museum for a fish display. It is approximately 4'x12'. I began by putting in a rather streaky background coloring using Acrylic Paint which I just hate working with as it dries so fast and I am used to working the paint.

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After working on this painting for some time I have finally called it finished.
It is a commissioned piece for a collector of mine. At one time I did many wildlife vignettes and had a great market for them. Wyoming Wildlife magazine[Wyoming Game & Fish Commission]used a number of them on magazine covers and educational materials. I think the last time I did any was for the National Parkways for some of their poster art. It has been a number of years since I have tried another, this watercolor vignette, Pronghorn Antelope-14"x18", and it took a while getting back into the swing of what at one time seemed so effortless.

After a week being away from this painting I got back into it this afternoon. I have enlarged the Deer and straightened up their anatomy and have put in a little more work on the Aspens.

In my next session I will be working on the forground vegetation and the lighting so that I can see how the deer will fit into what I have going.

This is another Arizona Oil Painting I have just finished. I had started this several years ago, drug it out of its hiding place and reworked it. Looks a lot better than it did. EVENING COMING is 8"x10". If you are interested in this or any other piece please e-mail me at gkeimig@dteworld.com

As I have been working on my Aspen painting I have also been painting a number of smaller paintings and continuing with my Arizona Desert pieces. I have just finished this 9"x12" Oil Painting I call Palo Verde Sunset
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I did decide to change the deer. I enlarged and moved the Buck forward and added another to the left back in the Aspens. I think I am liking it now. Worked on the Aspens behind the deer a little but it is really too wet to do much so I will put it aside for a few days.

I have continued working this painting from left to right and have added three Mule Deer does and a Buck. Not quite that sure of my placement and next posting don't be surprised to see that I have changed them.

I have been working on this painting off and on for the past 10 days and I think I am going to call it finished. WINTER FOG is a 12"x24" Oil Painting. Some folks out there who are receiving my Outdoor adventures may recognize the location from one of my entries. A collector of mine who receives my photography and writings commissioned it from seeing the photo. I have done a few changes to it but the integrity of the photo is preserved. I will deliver it this weekend and see how he likes it
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I spent about 1/2 day today on this painting and have begun to detail it out beginning on the left side and working left to right and up to down. I will work up the detail as I go along but will continuously go back for refinement and to make sure it all flows together as I go. About the time I get to those most forward Aspen trunks I will put the deer in which I want moving into the Aspen grove from right side moving from right to left.

After a day of drying [just using odorless turpentine as a medium]Iput in the trunks of the aspens. I'm not worried about any detail or shading at this point. It is really abstract looking but the placemant of the trees is fairly important. The next few steps are going to look really discouraging and look as if I am lost and never going to find my way through this. At times I feel the same way but after years of doing this I know I just have to stick with it and my idea although that will even evolve and change somewhat. Will probably be awhile befor I get back to this as I am off to Denver and be out of circulation for a few days.
stay tuned.

I haven't done this in a while so I thought I would post a painting from start to finish.
This is an oil painting, 24"x30" It is a commission piece and will be looking through an Aspen grove. I plan to include some deer also moving through the grove. I have merely blocked color into it at this point to establish an idea of what I want along with getting rid of the white of the canvass.
Stay tuned.

This is a recently completed oil painting, 11"x14" WHITEBARK PINES. So typical in the subalpine areas of our part of the country. These pine trees-so important to the ecosystem they are found in are a favorite and important food source for grizzlies who devour their pine cones in very late summer to early fall. The trees are now being decimated by Pine beetles and disease. It is hard to find a living tree in the Union Pass area SW of Dubois that is producing cones. There are younger trees coming along but there will be a long period of time befor they will produce the essential ingredients for many species survival. Clark Nutcrackers, a Jay like bird is another species important for survival of both species.
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At last I have finished this oil painting of INDIAN PAINTBRUSH AND BLUEBELLS 30"x36".
I have spent a great deal of time on it and is the second painting I did [see Indian Paintbrush posted previously]and now must decide which of the two Paintbrush paintings to enter in the upcoming Casper Petroleum Purchase award show. I have come close to winning that show over the years and missed it by 1 vote with a Paintbrush painting some years ago. So. Will try that subject again.

You may notice I have added a new blog to my site I simply call, Wyoming.
In order to free up this blog to my art and the events that feature the Silver Sage Gallery I am moving my photos to this site and upon the urging of several friends-that will consist mostly of a 'Photo of the Week". I hope all will enjoy it and please comment often.

I had to leave the show on saturday afternoon to run down to Riverton, 75 miles downcountry to participate in an art quick-draw at the Winter Carnival being held there. About 25 artists from around the region were participating with 1 hour time limit to produce a piece of art which was then auctioned off. Here is my finished piece depicting the Grand Tetons in winter dress. It is a watercolor. Were a lot of people in attendance and I got a great price for this piece.

Chris Phelps is another pardner in the Silver Sage Gallery and specializes in fine silver Jewelry using a lot of turquois with her own designs. She is a true artist and does great work. She also is a great sculptor and comes up with the greatest little pieces. A turtle is a collectors favorite and her Beaver candlesticks are a real jewel.

Our fourth pardner, Tom Lucas is in Arizona doing a 10 week show. He is a great painter using oil and particularly in doing his still life paintings. Tom is also a master at doing museum quality indian artifact work. Check out his blog accessed from this site.

My pardner Chris Phelps got a picture of me at my booth.

Dan Miller, is one of our artists in the gallery and specializes in leatherwork which includes a beautiful touch to western mirrors, picture frames, and various other items.
In the other photo are two other artists represented by Silver Sage Gallery. John Finley on the left is explaining the finer points of scrimshaw which he is a master at along with his watercolors displayed on the panel they are standing in front of depicting wildlife and western life. Les Lefevre is a fantastic western oil painter. His wife, Kathy listens in on the conversation

This past weekend was a busy one for myself and the artists at Silver Sage Gallery. It all began with the annual GIFT TO THE COMMUNITY art show which is held in conjunction with a big Sled Dog race and a Soup cook off held at the Headwaters Art and Convention Center in Dubois, Wyoming. The art show was established several years ago to hilight art being produced for shows and outside galleries by the amazing western and wildlife artists that call Dubois home. Our town public were complaining that they never got to see what we were doing befor it was sent out. So. The art show. Bud Boller is an amazing western sculptor and one of the Silver Sage Gallery pardners. Here he is sharing one of his stories with a Dubois citizen. Bud has many. From his grandfather who rode with Butch Cassidy on to what he did this morning.

This has nothing to do with the pros or cons of welfare but thought you would enjoy one of my critics around the studio. We have anywhere from 2[up to 7 of these cottontails in some years] who wait patiently every morning for their welfare handout which consists of carrots. We have only 2 this winter. Our resident Owls have a lot to say about how many there are. It has gotten to the point that when we step out the door these little beggars nearly mug us for a carrot. Oh well. They are good company and make pretty good friends

Upon my good friend Gingers advice I have made the changes she suggested. I yellowed up the mid sky and blended in a purple to the top. Anybody with suggestions are extremely welcome to join in. Working my Arizona series from photos I took several years ago will not take the place of doing pleine aire painting.
Thanks Ginger.
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