EAST FORK MORNING
11"x14" Oil Painting

It was an interesting afternoon with a heavy Thunderstorm with a little hail mid afternoon and a 4.8 earthquake a little after 6:00 pm that I sure felt. A fantastic sunset in the evening topped it all off. From the hill above my house in Dubois, Wyoming

I worked pretty exclusively on my Columbines today and have pretty well finished them. I see a number of touchups but am really close to calling it finished.
COLUMBINES 14"x18" Oil Painting on Ray Mar canvas

I spent all day yesterday working out detail on my Colorado Columbines. Another day such as this and I should have it pretty well finished. 16"x20" Oil Painting

I started this Oil Painting of Wild Columbines 16"x20" yesterday. Pretty well have it blocked in. first with Acrylic and now beginning work in Oil. These flowers are currently blooming in the mountains and are real beauties.

I have begun detailing this painting of the Moose-Grizzly painting. I have wiped out the grizzly and moved them a little higher in the painting and changed a few things around. It is looking better now.

I think I am pretty well finished with this painting. It will go into the Pioneer Western Invitational in two weeks. FROSTED RANCH is 15"x30" Oil Painting

SOLD

Continuing to work on my Grizzly-Moose idea I have blocked more in.

The DAY OF THE COWBOY in Dubois, Wyoming is over and I'm afraid I have relenqished my crown. I knew I would not have a chance with this busted up foot not allowing me to wear Cowboy boots. I even lent my spurs out to my pardners wife who clanked up and down the town Boardwalks showing off her boots and cowgirl hat. I did the quick-draw in the town square but it was forgotten as an announcement of the days events and I was the loneliest man in Dubois as I had a construction worker from the new road construction over Togwotee Pass as my audience. A few folks strode by but didn't stay long as this fellow was puffing away on a cigarette and talking non-stop. It is just as well as I would like to take it back into the studio and do touch-up and make it a completed painting.

In the meantime across the street in the Gallery the girls did a bang up job on Gallery sales. It has been a great busy week.

Yesterday I began my idea of a Grizzly with two cubs walking up the river while a Cow Moose and calf are walking the same direction up a river channel. This painting is 12"x30" Oil on Canvas. I will finish blocking it in today and a little detail work as I go. Who knows how interesting this encounter might become.

Today is the National Day of the Cowboy in Dubois and the town is going all out so I will be putting on my boots and spurs. A parade is schedualed along with a shoot out on the square across from our gallery. At the same time I will be doing a quick-draw of my own there. I sure hope they don't shoot the paintbrush out of my hand. I won the "BEST DRESSED COWBOY" last year and will be defending my title again today. {see my posts from one year ago-if you can find it} I just hope it warms up as it is 38 degrees this morning with a wind blowing. Brr.

The last few days of this week I worked up this painting from some photos I had taken near the south entrance to Yellostone Natl Park-along the Snake River. It is 10"x18" Oil on Masonite. As I worked on it I had another vision of something that just might work and so yesterday began another using the same landscape but including wildlife. See next post.

I began my morning this morning having a cup of coffee with this big fellow. Actually I drove up a road south of town and found him sitting along a mountain pond about 6:30 am. He is a big one and made for a most enjoyable subject while I finished off that cup I took with me. Later in the day it clouded up and this and many roads in our area become a quagmire of mud with a steady rain all day. We sure needed it as it has not rained in nearly a month.

I had started this Gouache Watercolor painting 14"x18" during Museum Days as a painting demonstration but it needed a lot of work by the end of the day last saturday so today I spent a great deal of time working on it. I think it is nearing completion.

I have added horses to the ranch scene. They need to be detailed a bit yet then it is decision time as to what else needs to be included.

Last night Vicki and I spent the evening on the East Fork river looking for wildlife and searching out wild places. I have posted our adventure on my OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Blog and hope you will take the time to check it out.

I didn't get anyting done on my ranch painting today but friday I hit it pretty good. I still plan to put a few horses or some such into it and will be more work on the foreground but am liking what is going on it the back ground as well as in the middle areas.

Today was Museum Day in Dubois. An annual event that features many residents displaying, teaching, and showing off their skills in arts, crafts, Horsemanship. You name it it can be seen along with a Stew that is to die for as well as squaw Bread. I spend most of the morning doing a painting demonstration followed by a Quick-draw with my pardner, Tom Lucas from 1:00 to 2:00 pm. It is auctioned off as a silent auction. It is grand fun and looked forward to locals as well as tourists passing by. Here I have finished my painting and taking a breather.

I had posted this painting several months ago and I then entered it into the WRVAG Show held here in Dubois. This is one of the largest Art Guild run shows in the nation and this year had well over 400 entries nationwide. A number of our gallery artists enter and it is pretty cool to announce a number of them won awards in the show. I won top Landscape Award with RAMSHORN PEAK. 15"x30" Oil Painting on Canvas. [pictured above]The show reception that kicks off the 10 day show was this evening and it was nearly standing room only. Will be a lot easier to return later to really view the show. There is some outstanding art displayed there and sales this evening were pretty brisk.

four weeks ago I applied for membership in the OIL PAINTERS OF AMERICA and today received notification of acceptance. I am now an associate member and can apply for their shows. Notification was just in time as tomorrow is the deadline for entry submissions to the Westrn Regional show they put on. I just finished my entries so now the waiting begins. Again.

I started this painting yesterday and continued to work onit today. It is a ranch scene with a frosted look to it. FROSTED RANCH 15"x30" Oil Painting on linen canvas. I have a show coming up next month that kicks off the Wyoming state Fair and it will be one of the entries.

I had a great time this evening doing a quick-draw at Ring Lake Ranch for their sharing time. followed by a great dinner and an auction of the painting to end the evening with 50% of the proceeds going to benefit the ranch.

Sunday, July 11th Vicki and I left Dubois for a day out meeting fellow gallery artist, Devon Meyers and her two kids, Sheldon and Terra for a day along the Falls River that flows out from the SW corner of Yellowstone Natl Park. We had a wonderful day on the river visiting Cave Falls and Horsehoe Lake nearby.
Beginning with a rootbeer break in Ashton, Idaho and finishing off the day with a great Mexican food supper in Driggs. Catching the sun setting over the Tetons on the way back home was a perfect way to end a perfect day.

I have pretty well finished the water on this painting touching up a little of the grasses as well. On to other paintings.
FIREHOLE RIVER 18"x24" Oil Painting on gessoed masonite.
This is one of the most beautiful of rivers coursing its way from S W corner of Yellowstone on past Old Faithful and joining with the Gibbon River to form the Madison River. One of the major streams in Yellowstone National Park.

I spent the day in the gallery painting on this Oil started several weeks ago. A lot of grass work in between visiting with customers. Working on the detail and trying to get the darks and lights to work. The last hour I went into the water detailing it out. Will hit it again tomorrow I hope. FIREHOLE RIVER 18"x24" Oil Painting on Masonite.

As long as I had the research and the drawing down for this Buck Mule Deer that I submitted for the Wilderness Art Challenge-I added a Doe and revamped the background. 11"x14" Oil Painting

THE PEAKS ABOVE DOUBLE CABINS

Befor today I would have said summer has arrived in the high country but we have not gotten out of the 50's all day and snow has been falling in places in Yellowstone and the high mountains. With that in mind I have posted a new OUTDOOR ADVENTURE with summer in mind. I hope you will take time to check it out and see what I have been doing in the high country.

HORSE CREEK SPRING 16"x24" Oil Painting is now finished.
I have been spending some time in the mountains and it is about time to get back to painting so I have finished this started piece and have done several of my Painting-a-Days. Dustin Stephenson, our gallery Potter is in the gallery throwing pots and he and I spent the morning wildlife watching and will do more tomorrow at 5 A M Then it is back to the gallery for more painting and pot throwing.http://www.blogger.com/www.silversagegallery.com
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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.