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
SOLD

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.

I am calling this piece finished.
UNSEEN BUT SENSED DANGER
24"X36" Oil Painting
I may do a little touch up here and there but it is essentially finished.
SOLD

Saturday morning my gallery pardner, tom Lucas and artist friend, Les Lefevre spent the early morning searching for wildlife amidst new fallen snow from friday night into saturday morning. I have posted our morning adventure on my OUTDOOR ADVENTURE BLOG. As I write this it has finished snowing again after a night long fall of the heavy wet stuff. Winter will not leave the high country.

I think I am pretty well finished with this painting but will probably study it a while befor I make any final determinations. I have really fought the trees that are in the center and maybe I have them too centralized and tht is bothering me. We'll let it sit awhile. Maybe some gremlins will come by and take care of it?

I have returned after a great trip of about 1500 miles trading out gallery paintings and even picked up a new gallery in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Deselms Gallery.
Our trip included taking Vicki's folks to Cheyenne where her stepdad was to fly out to Washington D C with the Honor Guard program. This is the 3d flight with another scedualed in September. It is to honor World War II vets for their service. There were 90 Wyoming fellows and 3 women honored and who departed on Tuesday morning. These folks are all in the 85-95 year age range and it was an experience to witness. They flew to D C where they are honored for service and spent the better part of two days touring the War memorials and seeing sights in our Capitol. I have never seen Bob[Vicki's dad] so excited nor her mother more nervous about his trip. A guardian is assigned to every three people who takes them in tow. The other two fellows with Bob were in wheel chairs and after the trip his guardian was telling me it was hard to keep track of Bob as she was hindered with them and Bob is so mobile and spry he was everywhere. He explained to me that he wanted to see all he could see. They were all sent off from Cheyenne after speeches and ceremony by the Governor, Military Brass and various state dignitaries. I was impressed with the whole program. Every state is doing this and if you know of any Vet from your state I would encourage you to check into the program.
During the two days Vicki, her mother and myself did our tour through northern Colorado and southern Wyoming. Dodging heavy rains and mixed snows the whole way. What a spring.
I worked on my deer yesterday quite extensively detailing out the rest of the forground and on the deer themselves. An easy task as it was a cold day[again]and snowing most of the day. No I have not forgotten the Bucks antlers but will get back onto it right away. I am really close to finishing this one off.

I will be packing for a trip into Colorado and southern Wyoming tomorrow. Changing out art in several galleries during most of this next week so today I spent a great deal of time painting on the three paintings I have going. Most of my time was on this East Fork Painting. I have continued on the detailing work and am feeling pretty good about it so far. Has been a struggle geting that bronzie-purple look to the willows that makes them appear as though they are on fire. When the sun hits them at this point befor or after leaves-they are captivating with their color.

I spent several hours working on my Deer Painting today. Continuing with detail work on the Buck and the three lower Does. I also worked more detail into the Sage brush on seft hand side. I am getting close to finishing it now.

the third painting that I worked on today. I had posted this painting's beginnings on an earlier post and have continued with detail work. I did take out the dead tree on the left side of the painting and am replacing it with this young Spruce. I am liking it a lot better now.

It has been another day of working the fire in the Gallery Wood Stove. Was supposed to be warmer and guess it did get into the lower 40's but snow squalls all day. Along with staying warm I worked on my East Fork Painting. Adding detail working top to bottom and left to right.

I don't really ever do this. Putting other than what pertains to my art and life on this blog but I have had so many friends and bloggers e-mailing and commenting on my reference to the train wreck yesterday so here is a pix of it. It is near the mouth of the canyon for those who are familiar with Wind River Canyon-near the wedding of the waters. The train hit a boulder that had fallen because of the recent snows and rains we have had and befor they could stop the train it hit the semi-truck sized boulder and this is the result. The engineers ended up a little wet and were taken to the hospital[no easy task as the tracks are on the opposite side of the canyon than access from the hiway on the east side]for observation and mild hypothermia. Are in good shape. All the oil and deisel from the engine leaked out and the fire Dept from Thermopolis were trying to contain it last night and today with booms similar to what is being used in the gulf. No easy task and as this is a blue ribbon trout fishery with tons of water fowl it is a mess. Every time I drive this canyon I think about a boulder coming off the canyon walls. Has happened and is a deal where one could be in the wrong place at the wrong time I suppose.
Interesting side note. At the mouth of the canyon the Wind River changes its name to the Bighorn River that flows northward into the Yellowstone River in Montana. I believe in the very early days folks thought it to be two seperate rivers and when they realized their mistake they simply decided on a point that it changes name and said we'll call it Wedding of the Waters and have a big party every year to celebrate. Which until recent times was done. I don't hear too much advertized about the party any more. Excuse me, Celebration.
My thanks to Michelle Coveluzi who sent me the picture. I don't know where she got it.

I got back to my Deer today. working out detail on most of them and even beginning detail on the Sagebrush. The sun even came out. Snow melting. Just east of here there was 40" along the Wind River Mountin range and 30" in the Owl Creeks on the north side of the Wind River Basin. Lander down country had 20" and Riverton close by had 10". A large boulder fell off the cliff faces in the Wind River Canyon and landed on the Railroad tracks which was then hit by a train derailing the engine and a number of cars behind. This evening there is Deisel and Oil flowing into the Wind River. Our own little Oil Spill. That is a little over 100 miles east of here.

Gor a lot of painting time in at the Gallery today what with a raging snow storm going it was pretty quiet and so with the wood stove blazing away I began this 15"x30" Oil Painting on Masonite depicting the East Fork Valley NE of Dubois, Wyoming. Getting a number of things going for an upcoming show and have had this in mind for a while.

Spring continues in Wyoming. My studio this morning. This is the 7th day of snow in last 8 days. After a whopping high yesterday of 39 degrees. We are being promised 70 degrees by sunday??

I have been given a few days reprieve from gallery duty and have been trying to get caught up on my picture framing and will for the next day too. I have been trying to get a photograph of this guy[gal]who has taken up residence on the big pond at the bridge to my house. I finally got a picture last evening. Will have to try more a little later this evening but it is snowing huge flakes right now and very wet out there.

I'm afraid this fellow may not last too long as most folks in the neigborhood don't like beavers and as soon as they notice one around they call in a trapper. I chicken wire all my trees up and figure if they cut the willows it simply lets them grow back in thicker than ever. We really enjoy going down to the bridge on moonlit nights and watch them going about their business. They are so industrious and real artists at what they do. I even a few years back wired up my immediate neighbors trees on my own but to no avail. People? Sure glad I ain't one?

My Son-in-Law's Aunt passed away this past week so he and my oldest daughter, Kim came yestrday for the funeral. Arrived late at night and had to leave right after the funeral but Kim did stop by the Gallery to visit a while. It was good to see them. They live near Devils Tower in NE Wyoming and both work in Gillette, Wyoming

The past several weeks I have worked on this 16"x20" Oil Painting on Linen Canvas and finished it today while working the gallery. It is a scene along the Platte River on the Wyoming-Colorado border and depicts back water off the river looking northward towards Kennady Peak. A part of the Snowy Range of Wyoming.

In a couple of weeks I will be heading to Colorado and Saratoga, Wyoming to trade out art work for the season.

gkeimig@dteworld.com