The Cowgirl Has The Blues

I've been on a roll painting portraits lately it seems. They are a lot of fun to do not to mention quite the challenge. Most of the recent portraits have been of bikers I came across in Sturgis, South Dakota this summer. I've been searching out faces or poses that have some interest. I was going through some images I have from a trip to the Californio Ranch Roping in Red Bluff, CA I attended a couple of years ago. Cowgirls and cowboys make for some great subject matter too.

This one that I just finished last week is of a gal that seemed to have a bit of a sad or pensive look to her. The hat and the look on her face made her a temptimg subject. I'm pretty happy with this one. Painting women, such as this painting and the previous one of the "Biker Chic" is quite different than doing paintings of men. If a guy's nose is a little out of shape or his forhead is a bit large, it just adds to his character. Not so with the ladies. They have to look more feminine with softer lines and more delicate features...at least the ones I want to paint. It is a nice contrast to the men.

I'm getting a little bolder with the runny washes I use as a background and the red stripe was just too irresitible to pass up. This is a 12x12 oil painting available at the gallery. Enjoy.

Biker Chic

Since I went to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota this summer, I've been doing some paintings of the "characters" I photographed on Main St. So far I've been painting the guys. This is a 16x12 oil I recently completed featuring one of the the biker babes that was in Sturgis. This particular gal seemed to stand out a bit. I really enjoyed doing this one. It ranks as a favorite. This painting has SOLD! Thanks William!

Celebrating 25 Years!!

In 2 weeks, Simpson Gallery will be starting our 25th year in business. That's alot of painting of pictures, selling pictures, and framing pictures, selling gifts, pottery and jewelry too. If I had thought I'd be doing it for this long I might have done it differently, but I can't say for sure.

For several years we even sold dog food and dog gear. We were running sled dogs at the time in addition to working the shop and I was having the dog food delivered to the shop by the pallet load. We had 39 dogs at one time. Customers coming in to get their pictures framed would see the dog food and ask about it. I told them it was good for our dogs and they started buy it for themselves. Soon I devoted have of the shop space to several different brands of dog food and a wide selection of "working dog" gear. Back backs, harnesses, carts, sleds, all kinds of unique gear that you couldn't find in the regular pet stores. That was alot of fun. I used to bill the shop as the only gallery and frame shop in 7 western states that sold dog food. Diversification I guess you could call it. Those were some good times.

I've been doing this so long now that I'm starting to frame pictures for the kids of my first customers. That makes me feel old. A few changes over the years are a computerized mat cutter, a pneumatic joiner for joining frames and just this week I got in a "visualization" system consisting of a digital camera that will be positioned over the design counter and along with the included software, customers will now be able to see what their picture will look like framed in the selected mats and frame choices.

The current state of the economy has taken it's toll. I started out as a small shop with an employee. Gradually over the years we expanded into two adjoining store fronts and at one time I had 6 employees. Right now it's me, myself and I doing it all. Fortunately I have the bookkeeping farmed out and my lovely wife Kathy cuts the checks and keeps tab on how much money we have or need. The good news is that we are still here. I'm thankful for that.

In celebration of starting our 25th year, I had the above commemorative stamp made. It features a watercolor of mine. They are the old fashioned, perforated kind of lick 'em and stick'em stamps. For you  collectors and enthusiasts out there, I am offering them for sale. A sheet of 24 is $9.95 and a block of 4 is $2.95, both plus postage. Let me know if you'd like some.

I imagine I will continue painting pictures and framing pictures for folks for some time to come. Stop by sometime when you are in the nieghborhood and say hi! I'll be here. Thanks.

Buck Taylor

If you are of age, you probably remember Buck from the TV series Gunsmoke. He was Matt Dillon’s deputy, Newly O’Brien. The only reason I bring this up is that through local resident Judd Redfield, I learned that Buck is quite an accomplished watercolor artist. How Judd knows Buck is fodder for another story and a very interesting one but I’ll leave that for another time.

I looked Buck up on the source of all knowledge (the internet) and found his website. I have to admit that he is pretty good. He’s been at it awhile too establishing himself quite nicely in the Western Art circles doing all of the big name western event shows, selling his prints and posters. Whether he’s actually in the booth doing the legwork or not I don’t know but he’s got a presence. You can check him out at www.bucktaylor.com

There are a number of celebrity types that have had their hand in making art, taking a stab at painting as an alternate career or just a past-time. Most of them rely on their celebrity status for any success they can claim in their attempts at the visual arts. For many, the fact that they are a good actor or performer doesn’t necessarily qualify them as a good painter but then that leads us into the age old discussion of what qualifies as good art and as you well know…I’m not going there. Just because a celebrity smears a little paint on a canvas however, doesn’t make it good art anymore than my serenades in the shower don’t qualify as good singing. Yes I know that isn’t a pretty picture but I had to make a point. Sorry.

Tony Bennett, Jane Seymour, Tony Curtis. John, Ringo and Paul have had their hand in it. Even Grace Slick, Jerry Garcia and Jimi Hendrix. The list is long. Apparently for some, if you excel in one arena, it seems natural to think you will be good in others too. Don’t get me wrong. Some of these celebrities are pretty good at making a painting. Really. Go to www.poplifeart.com. You can see for yourself. All I ask is that while you are there admiring the good art these folks are producing, at least admit that some of them would be better off keeping to what they are better known for.

OK. I can see that this is going to get me into trouble if I keep it up so I think I’ll just move on. To each his own I suppose. So how about those Broncos, eh? No…that’s probably not a good topic either. Well, thanks for stopping by. See you next time.

This is a column I write that originally appeared in the Montrose Daily press on Friday, December 10, 2010

Covered Bridge

When I was in North Carolina a couple of years ago my sister Mary took our Mother, myself and my wife Kathy out on a little excursion into the countryside. Down a lonely little traveled dirt road we came across this covered bridge. The brush and trees were thick and here was this little bit of country charm. I knew one day I would do a painting of it. This 8x10 oil painting has sold. Thank you!

Whiskers

This is the 3rd painting in the Stars of Sturgis 2010 series. It is a 12x12 oil I 've done from a photo I took in Sturgis this summer. This guy was parking his bike on Main St. and had obviously just arrived from somewhere. He sure looked road weary. The wind in his face had whipped him to the point that his beard was "styled" just as you see here. I saw the guy later in the day and he hadn't bothered to comb it out at all. He was just wandering around like he was in a daze. He was definitely one of my "characters". I've really been having fun doing these and am looking forward to going back next year to get some more material. This painting is framed and available here at the gallery.

I'm Back

No, I haven't been in North Carolina all of this time nor "on the road" nor lost in the Harley dealership. Just been busy...busy framing pictures and busy painting. That's a good thing I guess. I've got some really cool portraits done from the Stars of Sturgis collection I've been working on which I'll post in the next few days, as well as a few more paintings of the the fall colors here in Colorado. Of course they are just a memory now as we have moved on into winter.

This is an 8x10 studio painting I recently finished. It was done from a series of photos I took this fall. The colors this year were just wonderful. I got a wealth of material to paint from. The fall color in aspen trees is best viewed with back lighting...looking at the leaves with the sun behind them. This illuminates the color in the leaves. This scene however was chosen for the long shadows and low light which was just as effective. I used a palette knife to create the warm highlights on the aspen trunks. I love painting the aspen trunks. So much character to them.

This painting is available from my studio. Please contact me if you are interested.