Waiting

Thought I'd drop a few lines while I'm waiting for a delivery. While the Christmas rush for picture framing was slow getting started, I'm in the peak of the crunch as I write this. Why do I have time to write my blog if I'm in a crunch? Well....I'm glad you asked. I was supposed to get a delivery yesterday for the final fifteen or so jobs I have yet to finish for Christmas. The driver, from Denver, called yesterday afternoon to say he was broke down near Vail and wouldn't be able to make it here until late today (Friday) or probably tomorrow (Saturday). Not his fault...stuff happens. In the meantime, I'm answering calls on the phone from people wanting to know if their work is done. I try to explain what happened and so far everyone has expressed frustrarion but understanding also. I'll get it all done just as soon as I can, knowing I'll have to work through the weekend and probably wrap it up Monday Chrismas Eve.

Every Christmas, for 26 years, I've managed to get it all done, one way or another, and I will this year also. I will however, take some time off the week between Christmas and New Years...but...then again maybe not.

Burnished

I'm still working on the three frames I showed you in the last post. After the gold is "set up" or "cured" on the frames, it is time to begin the burnishing. In this photo, just about where the glare spot is, you can see on the narrow left surface where the sheen of the burnish,  on the lower half, meets the flat matte look of the unburnished gold on the top half. The flat panel to the right will be left unburnished. By alternating a burnish and matte suface one can achieve a look of interest and dimension.

These are a few of the tools used to burnish gold with. These happen to be polished agate stones attached to wooden handles. In days of yore, bone and or antler points were used.

Here are the three frames that have been burnished and rubbed lightly with pumice to allow the under color of the bole to appear and further influence the look of the gold. Next step is to add a protective coat of shellac.

These frames are going to be reproductions of old frames. I want them to look like they have been around for a hundred years or so. After the shellac coating I will add a lightly colored patina and do some antiquing to the frames. I'll post the finished results when I get them done.

As a side note, I was interviewed yesterday by WATCH Publications of Telluride, CO. for an upcoming article in one of their magazines. The focus of the article will be on me as a gilder, both of gold on frames and gold on glass. That'll be some great exposure.

Laying a Little Gold

Here are some frames that I'm in the middle of gilding for a client. The two with gold on them have just been gilded and are in their raw state. The other one is ready to gild. It has a red bole with a dark chocolate panel and highlights on the raised portions of the profile. "Bole" is a clay base that was mixed and applied by hand. After the gold has been burnished to achieve a sheen it will then be rubbed a bit with some pumice. The gold is VERY thin and just a little rub will bring out the color of the bole thereby giving a color influence to the gold.

This photo shows the frame in the process of being gilded. You can see how the gilding goes in sections. The liquid is a wetting agent that is applied, activating the adhesive properties of the clay bole. This allows the gold to "stick" to the clay.

These are three of the frames for this order. They are in their raw gilded state. I'm waiting for them to dry and cure. Next step is to burnish the gold with an agate stone stone that has been polished so it is very smooth. The process of burnishing will set the gold in the clay and yield a high sheen to it. I'll follow up with that in the next post. Although the gold used here is 23kt. the lighting I photographed these frames under makes the gold look more like 18kt.

Busy in the Studio

Well, it a long ways from Winslow Arizona. It's been awhile too. While my typical framing business has been suprisingly slow these days I've been busy laying some gold for samples of different techniques in gilding and lettering styles. I've really been enjoying this time to get caught up on a number of things. Here is an example of my latest...

This is a vintage "S"  23 kt gold gilded in reverse on a piece of glass. It is two toned, in that I gilded part of the letter with a "bright" watergilded technique and then leafed the duller, matted look with a reverse oil gilded process, thereby giving the two toned look. All done by hand. Classic. I love it. I'm thinking that these might make for a special Christmas gift...a personalized monogram in the letter of your choice.

Also gilded my shop address numerals on the transom glass above the doors the other day.

Hard to see the burnished reflection of the gold in this shot. It looks like a matte gilding but trust me, it is watergilded bright. Again 23kt gold gilded in reverse on the glass with a black outline.

Although the numbers don't show up as well in this photo, the bright reflective properties of the gold are more apparent.

I've been getting these sample photos together because after Christmass I'm taking this lettering, painted and gilded, on the road to businesses in the area. I've become absolutely infatuated with this and lovin' it.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Standing on a Corner

Yup. So there I was, last Saturday, standing on that famous corner in Winslow, AZ. You know the one. Come on. Think. “Well, I'm a standing on a corner, in Winslow, Arizona, and such a fine sight to see. It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford slowin' down to take a look at me”. It’s from the song “Take it Easy” made famous by the Eagles. Now you remember? It WAS “such a fine sight to see” as they were holding a great classic car show right there also. Our luck couldn’t have been any better. What a treat.


Taking a break from working on the Bronc Fighter we left Montrose on a chilly Friday morning on our Harley bound for the Cameron Trading Post in Cameron, AZ. We passed through Monument Valley and managed to get some great photos and video. We’ve been there before but the last time it was so windy, the landscape and sky was just a sea of red sand and dust. It was much better this time. The dining room at the Cameron Trading Post is sight to behold. Many stunning Navajo rugs adorn the walls and there is the old original tin ceiling to boot. Neat place.

Saturday morning we rode on down to Winslow and aside from the famous corner, the other big attraction for us in Winslow was the La Posada Hotel, which is just down the street from “the corner”. The La Posada is a “Harvey House” of the famed Harvey Houses built by Fred Harvey along the Santa Fe Railroad lines back in the day. Mary Colter, the architect, considered it her master piece. Mary, however, is probably more famous for her work at the Grand Canyon. She worked as an architect for Fred Harvey for many years, designing and building the famous Harvey Houses.

From Winslow we rode on to Gallup, NM. Gallup of course is famous for the Indian jewelry produced and sold there. I guess you could say it is the capital of Indian jewelry. Despite that renowned legacy, we were more interested in the El Rancho Hotel on Historic Route 66. The El Rancho Hotel is known as the hotel of the stars. R.E. Griffith, brother of Hollywood director D.W. Griffith built the hotel in 1937. The hotel became a get-a-way for the stars. The list of stars who stayed there is impressive. Each room is named after a star. We were fortunate to be assigned to the John Wayne room. My wife Kathy was impressed that she could be sitting in the chair that John Wayne had sat in. Then she commented, “I hope he didn’t sleep in that bed too. That would mean it is really old.” It was a great weekend.
Video and pictures to follow as soon as I can get them sorted out. I'll keep you posted if you'll check back. Later.

Progress on the Bronc Fighter

I got some good progress done on the painting today. Most of the color is blocked in. I really like the character that is coming out in the cowboy's face. You should take a look. The video isn't very long. The color on the horse is a little dark but I can lighten it up as needed. This will be it until next week for this painting.

I'm off to Cameron Trading Post tomorrow. Cameron is on the western side of the Navajo reservation. We'll spend Friday night there and then Saturday we'll move on to Gallup, NM. On the way to Gallup, we'll stop at Winslow, AZ to checkout the La Posada Hotel, one of the few Harvey Houses left from the railroad days. While we are there, we are going to stand on that famous corner, in Winslow Arizona. What corner you ask? Come on. You remeber the Eagles song? OK, if you don't then you'll have to look it up.

In Gallup we are spending Satruday night at the El Ranch Hotel, famous for where the movies stars all stayed while filming the movies such as produced by John Ford in Monument Valley, AZ...John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, et al.

I hope to post some video from this trip on my HiThisIsMike Channel on Youtube. Stay turned

I'll be  in the shop on Monday and get back to this painting then.

The Bronc Fighter

Here are a couple of clips of video that I took relating to the development stages of a new painting I'm working on. As a result of yesterday's "thinking time" while I was waiting for the glue to dry, I came up with an idea for a new painting. See...it wasn't wasted time at all. I know that it appeared that I was daydreaming, when in actuality I was working.

This is the first video with an explaination of what I'm doing. Those that follow, continue the explaination. This video and the next two were actually made yesterday, 10/2/2012, for those of you who are going to keep track. Enjoy.

Here I start the sketch using the photo as reference for a start. As explained, there is a lot of analyzing and thought that begins at this point. It's easy to rubout and redraw, adjust and manipulate. That's the beauty of working in oil paint vs watercolor.

This video shows a little more progress in defining the image. I've started to darken portions of the sketch to help create some modeling effect and establish values. That's probably good for the time being. I'll take another good look at it in the morning.

I'll continue to post videos as they relate to the progress of this painting. Hope you enjoy it.Thanks for stopping by.

Waiting for the Glue to Dry

This morning I was putting a frame together for one of you good folks. This particular style of frame required that I glue and nail the corners together as opposed to using the underpinner which is quicker. In either case, I use glue, which actually provides a more secure bond than just nailing or using the underpinner without glue, but that’s more information than most of you really need.


In any case, when I do it the old fashioned way, with glue and nails, I join one corner at a time and I like to let the glue dry a bit and set up before I switch to the next corner. This amounts to about 15 minutes per corner. Do the math. Four corners at 15 minutes each leaves me with an hour, or so, before I can move on. Usually during this time I have other things to do so it isn’t actually “wasted” time as such.

This morning however, I needed the workbench that the vise and frame were occupying, for another project, so I decided to go to the computer and start this column while I waited. That idea was short lived, however as Vinnie, you folks know Vinnie, was curled up in my chair sound asleep. I didn’t have the heart to disturb him so I decided that I would perch myself on the director’s chair behind my framing design counter and engage in some quality “thinking” time. That chair is at the right height for me to prop my feet up on the counter and assume the “thinking” position.

I’ve got a number of things on my mind these days and I decided I would spend some time mulling it all over. One can never get enough time to just sit and think. I know folks who are just ramming and jamming all the time, constantly on the move and busy with something. I used to be that way. That’s all and good, but these days I’ve found that giving something a little thought results in a better outcome. It doesn’t make any difference whether it’s a painting, or business or personal relationship matters.

Sure enough, while I was busy thinking about stuff, wouldn’t you know it, someone came in and caught me “thinking”. Of course, I have to admit that it looked like I was merely daydreaming and watching the traffic on the street and folks walking by the front windows. My best efforts at explaining that I was actually “working” fell on deaf ears I’m afraid.

So, if by chance you find me just sitting there, doing what appears to be nothing, I am actually working. I’m probably waiting for the glue to dry. Then again…maybe not.

Catch of the Day

Here's proof that my fishing trips do yield material to paint. This is a watercolor I just finished. These two native Colorado Cut Throat trout were caught on the Big Cimarron River in the Cimarron Mountains in Colorado. They are easily identified by the bright redish orange slash near their gills. They made for a wonderful meal by the open camp fire. My wife Kathy has a phenomenal recipe for trout and it was perfect end to the day.

Pocket Watch Framing

What a great idea! A customer brought in a pocket watch that has been in the family since 1854. Below the watch is an engraving that lists 5 of the owners and dates, all members of the family that the watch has been passed down to. I mounted the watch on a piece of grey linen mat board and lined the sides with the same color of board. The glazing is Museum glass by Tru-Vue which minimizes the reflection. A family treasure preserved for generations to come.

Hummingbird Feeding Frenzy

This is a video of some hummingbirds that swarmed the feeder my sister-in-law Donna hung up outside their camper trailer while we were camping up in the Big Cimarron area of the Colorado mountains last weekend. These little guys seemed to be REALLY hungry. We sat and watched them that evening for an hour or more. Enjoy.

Shadow Box Framing

I just love these types of jobs. These are some antique "chain mail" purses a customer brought in to get framed. The colors and designs are little pieces of what appear to be baked enamel that are attached somehow to very small chain links. I think they date to the turn of the century (1900's) or so, maybe the 1920's. I stiched them in place with monofilament fishing line, letting them hang naturally, onto a piece of suede mat board. The insides of the frame are lined with black suede mat board. Great stuff.

Makin' the Catch

A couple of posts back I posted this photo from the Will James Ranch Rodeo I was at a couple of weeks ago. I felt that this shot would make a great watercolor. I wanted to capture the feeling of the motion, the running of the horse and the heifer, and of course the lariat sailing through the air, rather that paint a static, frozen in time version as captured in the photo. The question I submitted was whether to paint it as is, "A Miss", as in the photo or to help the fella out a bit. Here's the result.

I figured the best way to get the feeling of motion was to blur things a bit and to make it a bit more sketchy. I think it'll do for starters.

With all of the shots I took I have a lot of material to work with so I'm just going to keep on trying. Below is another attempt. I think this one turned out better.

I'll keep posting them as I go and we'll see if they continue to improve.

Sorry About That

My apologies. I left you hanging there after my last post. We did manage to escape a torrential down pour, sprinkles only. However we were treated to a spectacular light and sound show with all of the lightening and rolling thunder. We sat there in the comfort of our camp, with cold ones in hand and had a great time. No cover charge.

A bit later in the evening, we strolled across the street to the Cafe Diablo for a fantastic supper.

I can't describe what an oxymoron this is. Such a great place to eat in such a little out of the way place as Torry, UT. If you get a chance, you really should go there.

We've probably been to the Cafe Diablo 6 or 8 times and never once have we sat inside so I can't really tell you what that is like. That's two of the three of us on the far right (somebody had to take the picture). The gardens are beautiful and they make maybe the best Margarita to be had. Good thing all we had to do was walk back across the deserted highway to our camp.

The chef is award winning and the menu is a real surprise. Go to www.cafediablo.net to find out more. We'll be going back.

The next morning, Sunday, we headed home. On the way we stopped at "Blondies", well known for their milk shakes and burgers. Another little gem out in the middle of nowhere, this time at Hanksville, UT.

This a great stopping point for many boaters on the way to and from Lake Powell. You'll also find bikers there who take a break from roaming the back roads of Utah. That's my wife Kathy and I. It was only a two day get away but a great little ride.

Torrey, UT

Here we are I'm In Torrey, Ut. It was a beautiful ride here and we managed to stay dry. In fact it was rather warm to hot in places. Things change on short notice however. As you can see, we stand to get our 40% chance of rain. We've been watching this storm from our campsite. A fantastic lightening show going on. We may have to retreat to the bar across the street to wait this one out. Stay tuned.

Just A Miss

I finally got done processing all of my photos from the Will James Roundup I was at a couple of weeks ago in Hardin, MT. I took about 400 photos and have been busy converting them all to something useable, selecting the best, cropping, enlarging, etc. After making one initial pass through the results, I have 77 photos right off of the top I can use for reference for some great paintings, in both oil and watercolors. I also plan on doing a series of pen and ink sketches of many of these images.

The trick here is going to be to to capture the fluid motion and not just make an accurate illustration of the image. Drawing an accurate rendition of the image is easy. I want to create something that depicts the motion. That'll be the hard part. There are some great action shots and I really need to experiment with some technique to pull it off. I'm thinking kind of loose and sketchy with just a hint of detail.

I'll start with this one, titled, "Just a Miss". Because I'm only using the information presented to do the art, it would be very tempting to move the loop a bit so it is a "catch". We'll have to see what I decide to do.

Rainy Day Sunday

I've never been so wet riding in the rain with the sum shining at the same time as I got yesterday. It was crazy.

Left son Glenn's in Ranchester, WY a little after 8:00 yesterday morning and 630 miles later arrived home wet and tired, a little after 8:00 in the evening. A great riding day none-the-less.

I thought this shot was befitting. I took it just coming into Delta, CO.

I want to thank every one who followed me this weekend. I'll get a couple of photos posted from the rodeo as soon as I get them processed.

What a Great Day

You know, for as tough a night that I had, today turned out pretty darn good. I got some outstanding photographs of the rodeo, spent some time with old friends and I think the best part of the day was the ride down to Ranchester to see Glenn and spend the night.

Leaving Hardin in the early evening I headed south on the Interstate at a pretty good clip. The sun was setting and cast the rolling hills in gold against dark and stormy skies. The was the sweet smell of cool rain in the air. It was absolutely wonderful.

Rough Night

Fellas in the spot next door were up 'til after 1AM. I couldn't decide whether to join them or put my ear plugs in. Sounded like they were having a good time.

The cot I brought doesn't fit in my small tent so I had to sleep on the ground. Sort of like trying to sleep in a straight backed kitchen chair.

Hot all night. Would've slept out of the tent, under the stars, but the wind and off and on sprinkles, didn't allow it. Like sleeping in a sauna.

77 degrees at 6 AM. Decided to get up and make some coffee. Broke a sweat packing up. Gonna be hot again.

Lots of little black bunnies running around camp last evening. Couldn't decide whether they looked cute or looked like supper.

Well, I'm off to the rodeo. I'll let you know how it goes.

Hardin, Montana

Great little spot at the KOA in Hardin. I got here about 4:00 this afternoon. It was 104 degrees at the time. Jeeezzz! I don't think there is any danger of the tomatoes freezing for the next couple of nights.

Since then, I went over to the rodeo and took in the evening event of a big loop roping, found some old friends. I tried a couple of photos with my iPhone but they are iffy. Got some great shots with the Nikon however which I'll post when I get back.

Right now it has clouded up. A stiff breeze and the wind has picked up. Watching some great lightning in the near distance. Hope it rains and cools things off a bit. More tomorrow.

On My Way

Headed to the Will James Round Up Ranch Rodeo in Hardin, MT. I used to live up there years ago and still have good friends there.

Left the shop in Montrose, CO. about 2pm and got into Rawlins, WY. a little after 8 this evening. Quite warm all the way. 95 in Craig, CO. 85 here in Rawlins. Trying to decide whether to even bother with setting the tent up. I think not.

Even though it was quite warm, it was a great ride. Lots of open country with rolling sage covered hills. Saw several antelope right along the road. They looked good.

A Weeklong Loop on the Harley

Took a little ride on the Harley last week up into Canada. We've made the trip before and it never disappoints. Lots of wonderfully beautiful country between here and there. Lightly traveled back roads, campgrounds with some great people and a couple of interesting places to eat along the way. Lots of paintings to do and stories to write.

Our route took us out through northwestern Colorado, into eastern Utah, eastern Idaho, a short run through part of northwestern Wyoming, up through the middle of Montana and into Canada. From there we crossed part of southwestern Alberta, over Crows Nest Pass and into southeastern BC. We then dropped back into Montana, Idaho, Utah and finally back into Colorado. We intentionally didn't want to go through Jackson Hole, Teton and Yellowstone National Parks largely because of traffic congestion. As beautiful and magical as those places are, it is very slow going and a bit hazardous on motorcycles especially since we were going to be just passing through.

This was our camp the first night, just outside of Montpelier, ID. A very nice KOA and a great spot to rest and have a cold one. From Montpelier on north the country was just spectacular. We rode along Swan Lake in Idaho for a good many pleasant miles. What a beautiful lake. The lake was on our left and the road turned and dipped making for a great ride. On the right side were high power poles with nests on the tops for the Osprey Falcons. We saw several of those special birds.

At Swan Lake Junction, where the road forks, is a really great gas station, convenience store, ice cream shop combo. We stopped here before and again enjoyed some Huckleberry ice cream on the bench out front. It's a popular stopping point and a other bikers joined us to discuss the roads and motorcycles.

We took the right fork in the road which leads to Victor, Driggs, and Ashton, idaho along the western side of the Teton Range. This route offers some spectacularly uncommon views of the Tetons from their "backside". This part of the ride was a definite favorite.

A slight miscalculation (a missed turn) gave us the opportunity to run into a little of the local traffic outside of Ashton, ID.  Once we got onto the correct route we rolled into West Yellowstone and through the northwest corner of Yellowstone, NP. Despite the traffic and congestion, Yellowstone is still a very magical place. Out through Gardiner, MT we spent the second night at a KOA 10 miles from Livingston, MT. Generally we eat breakfast and lunch out of the coolers we take in our little cargo trailers and eat an evening meal in town, but since it was 10 miles into Livingston we opted to cook some brauts over an open fire and wash them down with a couple of cold beers. Wow, were those good. A great end to a great day.

Our third day would take us deeper into Montana, through Great Falls on the way to Glacier NP before we entered into Canada. Time did not allow us to take in the Charlie Russel Museum in Great Falls. Fortunately, we stopped there on a previous trip however. It wasn't until we got back and I was looking through the latest issue of Watercolor Magazine that I saw an ad for a show at the museum featuring 100 of Charlie Russel original watercolors. It runs through September, 15 so I may just have to go back. I'd really like to see it.

This is taken from the bridge over the Saint Mary River form the back of the motorcycle as we arrived that evening. This serene and beautiful evening was just a calm before the storm unfortunately.

The next morning we awoke to a soggy day in Saint Mary, MT at the eastern entrance to Glacier NP. Nothing worse than rolling up a wet tent, but the road was calling and on we went. High winds and more rain were forecast so our ride over "The Going To The Sun Road" in Glacier NP, was abandoned. This was the second time we missed doing that ride. The first time, a couple of years ago, was put off because of snow. The road hadn't been opened yet and it was the middle of June.

This was the weather that morning looking into Glacier from the KOA we camped at the previous night (See photo before this one). What is hard to tell from the photo is the the winds were very brisk with gusts forecast to 60 mph in the passes. We spent an hour in the office with a coffee and a map to see what our options were. Without much choice we decided to press on into Canada, to Waterton NP in Alberta, which is an extension of our Glacier NP. The border was a mere 30 miles or so away.

This was our welcoming committee near the Canadian Border. It's actually a couple of sculptures of Blackfeet Indians, whose home ground we were on. Their native lands know no boundaries and are a part of Canada as well as the US. The skies were clearing here but the wind was stiff as you can see by the flags.

This is Chief Mountain, sacred to the Blackfeet. The US, Canadian Border is not far away. As you can see, threatening clouds began to build and by the time we reached the small border crossing, another 5 miles down the road, it was drizzling.

There were four of us on three motorcycles. Kathy and I were on our Ultra Classic and her brother Tim, on his Ultra Classic, and his wife Donna on her Heritage Soft Tail Classic. All Harleys, for those who don't know.

Kathy and I were in the lead coming up to the Canadian Border check station. There was a line so we waited in the rain. Apparently one of the border guards thought we looked suspicious. Stay tuned to find out what happened next. To be continued...

Tomorrow, Thursday, July 11, I'm headed to Hardin, MT for the Will James Roundup, a ranch rodeo some friends put on each year. Should make for some great photography for future paintings. I'm going to try something a little different and "blog" my way along, giving daily updates as I go. I'll be riding the Harley, traveling by myself, light and fast, so we'll see how it goes. If as planned, I should be back in the shop/studio on Monday sometime.

Until tomorrow...

The Will James Roundup

This is a promotional piece I just finished for some friends of mine in Montana. They are the promoters of the Will James Roundup, an old time rodeo, different from what is typically seen today in the professional rodeo ciruits.

The piece was all hand painted in the theme of the old wild west posters and banners. It took a lot of work but I am really happy about the way it turned out. At this point I am not sure what they will do with the image but if you would like a print of it you can contact me directly.
The painting is done in acrylic and measures 30x40. It will be framed  and is priced at $2500. Contact me if you have any interest or questions, or if you have an event you would like something like this done for.

Louis'

 The restaurant is located beneath an upstairs hotel. As you enter, the bar is on your left. The wall to the right is posted with old black and white photos of Basque sheep herders and such. A very old and well worn wooden floor is beneath your feet. To the rear of the room is the dining area which consisted of long dining tables, long enough to seat up to eight people. It was apparent that if you were just a couple, you would no doubt have company at your table. Service and dining are “family” style.

It was evident from the outset that this was a locals place. Not many, if any, tourists in there. Immediately we liked the place. We took up most of one table and were warmly greeted by an elderly lady in an apron who announced what was for supper that evening, take your pick, it’s all the same price. No handout menus to peruse here.

Shortly we were given a stack of plates and bowls to pass around followed by a couple of baskets of bread, large serving bowl of salad, another of beans, a plate of chicken and a couple decanters of red wine. After an appropriate amount of time, a serving plate of what was maybe the best leg of lamb I’ve ever had, arrived which we passed around serving ourselves.

It was obvious that this wasn’t the kind of place that expected you to eat and move on. It looked like most of the folks were there for the duration. Food, drink and conversation were all in order and happily shared. You can go to http://www.louisbasquecorner.com/ to read more about it. Turns out there is a video or two and it was on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, a show that we follow regularly. I didn’t know that before hand. Check it out.

The Lonliest Road in America

That would be Highway 50 which runs right outside the door at my shop. It runs coast to coast but the “loneliest” part is considered to be from Delta, UT to Carson City, NV. Last week I mentioned that I was headed to Reno, NV on the Harley with a few other folks for a photo shoot at the Californios Ranch Roping and Stock Horse Contest. We took Hwy 50 both ways.


I suppose you’d have to define what “lonely” is but considering that we only encountered 6 vehicles in the 150 or so miles between Delta, UT and Ely, NV, I’d say the traffic wasn’t very thick. That’s only one vehicle every 25 miles and two of those were traveling together. There was equally sparse traffic between the other little towns of Eureka and Austin and it didn’t really increase by much until we were near Fallon, NV some 380 miles from Delta, UT.

We spent the first night in Ely, NV and ate at the Cell Block Steakhouse which is so named because the dining area is in what used to be the old jail. The booths are built right into the cells which is kind of neat and colorful. I highly recommend the steak.

The next morning we rode on to Eureka, NV, some 70 miles or so down the road for breakfast at the Owl Saloon and Café. This is a really cool original. On one side is the café and through the opening in the wall is the saloon. Shortly after we sat down and ordered, a rather colorful older couple came in. The waitress called out “coffee”? The wife nodded and the gent hollered back “Budweiser”. He looked over at me and shrugged his shoulders. Darn good omelet and hash browns there.

I think the best part of the trip was Louis’ Basque Corner in Reno. This place is in the old downtown area just off of Virginia Street. It was within hiking distance of our motel although we did have to walk through what might be called a questionable neighborhood and old warehouse district to get there. On the way we walked around some doubtful items in a plastic bag on the sidewalk. One of the members of our party commented that it looked like a potential bag of evidence. That kind of neighborhood. We were in numbers and sporting our leather jackets so we were good. No trouble.

Time and space is limited here so I’ll tell you more about Louis’s next week. It’s worth tuning back in for. Since I was going out there to photograph the Californio event I need to report that I did. See you downtown.

This article is reposted from a column I write every week for the Montrose Daily Press.

Antiqued mirrors have become the latest trend in home decor, from small decorator mirrors to larger more functional mirrors. This is a 23kt gold hand leafed mirror I just finished, with added "imperfections" for that "old" look. It is gilded on the back of the glass creating a warm reflective front reflection. I found the perfect moulding for the frame with just the right amount of distressing. Because of the unique reflective properties of the mirror and the challenges of photographing it, this photo has the frame in focus.

This photo has the mirror in focus. There are many sizes and finishes available. "Custom made" is the key wording. This particular mirror is 9x12 and framed like this is $195.

Range Docs

Here's another in the cowboy series I seem to have gotten into lately. This is what I used to do before turning to a fulltime art career due to a back injury which ended my cowboy days.

This freshly painted 24x28 oil depicts what everyday cowboys do, in this case at the foot of the ruby Mountains in Northern Nevada.. With a roped yearling stretched out, one of the cowboys, the "ground man", takes care of whatever deed needed to be done to the critter. The mounted cowboy has the responsibility of keeping the rope to the rear legs tight. Looking closely, you can see the horse has his head tucked a bit as he is reined back a step to help keep the tension on the rope.

The cowboy on the ground has a lot to keep track of. He's got a lot of rope strung about him as you can see in this detail. Originally he would have roped the steer (or heifer) by the head while his team mate roped the heels (hence the sport of "team roping" in toady's rodeo). Once the critter is down, the ground man will step off of his horse and with his own weight and a strategically placed knee, hold the calf in position while he "doctors" on him or her. Prior to releasing the calf, the rope is removed from the head and placed around the front legs so that once the cowboy is mounted, the two riders can give the steer some slack. When the calf struggles and springs to his feet, the loops on the two ropes will open allowing the calf to step out of the rope and trot off.

The cowboy on the ground has his rope dallied around the horn on his saddle and with the remaining coils of rope in hand, he has the ability to keep tension on the rope as he dismounts. Additionally he has a "get down rope" tucked under his belt with the other end around the neck of his horse. If things should go amiss, as they sometimes do, he still has a "life line" to his horse since the reins are draped around the horses neck and generally out of reach.

As you can see and imagine, both cowboys and their horses need to be highly trained and skilled in their ability get their work done as gently and safely as possible.

Absolutely Ridiculous

I know there is a lot we could chat about that would fall under this topic but time and space won’t allow it…fortunately. Almost each and every day we encounter something to which a natural response might be, “What? That’s ridiculous!” The other title I considered for this week’s column was “Stupid, stupid, stupid”, which would’ve been just as appropriate.


Being an artist and an entrepreneur is somewhat of a difficulty in itself. In a pure sense, an artist will create art for the sake of art. When an artist chooses to make money from whatever talents he or she possesses then the picture (pun intended) changes, sometimes drastically. With a new season (summer) approaching us here on Main Street and the anticipated arrival of visitors (tourists) to our fair community I’ve been looking around the studio/gallery and trying to anticipate what it is that they, or you good folks for that matter, might be interested in buying.

If you’ve been in the gallery you know that I like to paint a lot of different subjects. Many are subjects that appeal to me and some are strictly “market driven” so to speak. It’s that “market driven” subject matter that brought me to a new series of paintings I’m doing. I make a number of note cards and prints of the paintings I do, and I was thinking of doing something new that might have a broad appeal. It’s been in the back of my mind for some time now and like many ideas I have, it got pushed to the back of my mind as I tackle life’s every day occurrences. Yesterday I decided that now is the time.

I’m starting a series of Colorado wildflower paintings. So far so good but the idea has proven to be more of a challenge that I thought it would be. My chosen medium for these delicate delights is watercolor. I’ve got all of the reference material I need so that’s not an issue.

The problem that I’m having is that I can’t seem to get the results I want and here is the point of this column. I tried five paintings and none of them worked. Frustrated, I lined the paintings up and stood back to have a look. They all looked the same. All five had the same problems. Then it dawned on me. I had repeatedly been making the same errors. I had continued to do the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. How stupid is that? It is absolutely ridiculous to continue doing the same thing over and over and expect the effect to turn out different. That little insight can apply to many things. Lesson learned…finally.

What Now Boss?

This is a 24 x 48 oil painting I just finished. It depicts a cowboy and his dog making their rounds under the big Montana sky. The dog was trotting ahead of the cowboy on the trail they were following and came across the cow and her calf coming up the hill. The cow has her eye on the dog trying to determine if he is a threat or not, while the calf eyes the cowboy. The dog looks back at the cowboy hoping to get some instruction as to what he should do about this unexpected encounter.

This is a detail of the cow, calf and dog.
The painting is for sale at my studio for $2495 unframed.

Yard Art

We took a little trip down to Santa Fe last weekend. I’ve been wanting to get down there again for a couple of reasons. It’s important to me to stay abreast of what the art market, and the related framing market, are doing in terms of not only what is being offered but what it is that people are buying.

I pick Santa Fe to be my source for inspiration and fact finding because Santa Fe is considered to be a significant art market. 2007 Census Bureau data places Santa Fe fourth in the market for sales, behind first ranked New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), followed by the second ranked Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, MSA, and the third ranked San Francisco-Oakland, Fremont, MSA. It is interesting to note that Santa Fe is the only individual city ranked, where the others are all metropolitan areas. Another reason Santa Fe is attractive to me is because it is close and I like it there.

So, with justification established, off we went. We had another couple with us who wanted to look for some “yard art” while we were down there. I figured “art is art” so let’s see what we can find for them. Driving around we saw all kinds of stuff that I suppose could qualify as yard art. Everything from junk cars to old refrigerators including the requisite worn out couch on the front porch. Lots of that. We had something a little more tasteful in mind however so we kept going.

There’s a great little place on Cerrillos Boulevard on the left, headed south, just past Tortilla Flats, which by the way is a great place for breakfast, that had some really interesting metal fabricated… sculptures…I guess you could call them. I saw a really cool eight foot tall scarecrow looking thing behind the building. It had what looked like a deer head welded out of metal with a small set of real antlers on it. Metal fabric of some kind hung from outstretched horizontal arms. Kind of evil looking, like something a shaman would have. I figured my wife wouldn’t allow it in the yard as her cats would never come home again. We settled for a couple of rusty old Spanish cross designs instead and the other folks found what they wanted too.

Last fall when we were in Santa Fe, we came across some really cool, and really expensive, metal whirly-gig kind of things that rotated in the breeze creating quite the visual experience. There is a lot of talent down there and something for every budget.

Of course it is hard to beat nature for yard art. this is a great shot my wife Kathy took.
As always, a great time, great art and good food too was had by all. Stop by if you get a chance.

Three Essentials for Life

We could probably count wind, water and fire as essential. Surviorman would have us believe that water, food and shelter should be at the top of the list. Some of you might even include love, happiness and generosity and while it’d be nice to include a fine bourbon, a steak and a good cigar too, I’d have to say you are all missing the important stuff though.


What are my three essentials for life? I’ll tell you. Duct tape, bailing wire and deck screws. That’s what I’m saying. Sure, all of the afore mentioned fundamentals are necessary to sustain life but when it comes right down to the nitty gritty, I find that my three are absolutely indispensable. I know some of you are nodding in agreement.

It is highly probable that almost anything, in the right hands, can be fixed with either duct tape, bailing wire or deck screws. If you need a little back up, throw some super glue into the sack too. It might not look real pretty when I get done with it but it will get me by until I can do it properly or, more likely, call someone who can.

There has been more than one time when I was out in the field working studiously on a painting and I had some sort of malfunction with my portable easel, or I find a branch next to my tent rubbed a tear in it during the gale force winds that came up while I was out painting. Then there was the time the radiator in my pickup truck sprung a leak, the result of hitting a deer over in Utah, or the time the bottle opener accidently broke off of the bathroom counter in the motel room. The list is long but the solutions are all the same.

Yes it helps to be a bit of a do-it-yourselfer but even the most inept can take advantage of the benefits of what’s in my sack of essentials. In fact I would go so far as to say that the more incompetent one is, the handier it is to have these items. I speak from experience. Let’s face it. Those of you who have a higher degree of finesse when it comes to repairing the unavoidable malfunctions that plague us in life will be shaking your heads in pity. I know. I know. I’ve been on the receiving end of those looks, but hey! It works. Most of the time.

Say! Have you been in the new shoe store a couple of doors down from me? D’Medici Footwear? Debbie has brought us some very fine quality shoes, which happen to be on my wife’s list of essentials. Stop by if you get a chance.

Afternoon Shadows

Here is another 36x24 oil painting fresh off of the easel. A wonderful late afternoon on the Middle Fork of the Little Snake River in Northern Colorado. A nice effect of light with long shadows on the water. The transparency of the water in the shallows turned out well. You can see rocks etc. on the stream bed. This 36x24 painting sells unframed for $1200

Food for Thought

As you know, if you’ve been following along, my mother had a close encounter with death when she had her heart attack in February. As it has turned out, she is on the road to recovery and is doing fairly well.


One of the issues that came up during this “event” is the matter of how far do we go to save her life. While she was living with my sister in North Carolina, the two of them went to an attorney and had a couple of documents drawn up, a Living Will and a DNR. A Living Will is simply a document that states what your wishes are should it be necessary to take life saving measures, typically by medical personnel, in order to keep your smiling face amongst the rest of us. A DNR is a “Do Not Resuscitate” order for anybody who may need to know. Hence the initials DNR.

This would be a good place for me to say that I am in no way going to tell you what you should put into a Living Will or whether you even need one. The same goes for the DNR. That is your business. I think it is pretty important though or I wouldn’t waste your time here.

The whole idea is this. Somebody needs to know what your wishes are. How far do you want medical people to go to save your life, considering what the consequences of such measures might be. In other words, you could wind up fine or you could be hooked up to a machine for the rest of your life. Where do you draw the line?

I’m just going to provide a little food for thought in case you have one or both documents or are thinking about it. It is not as simple as it may seem or sound. It is nearly impossible to spell out all of the procedures that may be performed on your behalf much less for you to decide which ones you want or don’t.

Never-the-less, let’s say you have made an attempt at it. Now you need to be sure that everybody knows it AND has a copy of all 138 pages of your single spaced, typed wishes. It’d help too if they were indexed. By everybody, I mean family members, hospital docs and staff, EMT’s who have been called, and anyone else who needs to know. You need to have numerous copies and they need to be READILY available. A daunting task when emotions are running high and you are uncommunicative.

So, what to do? Maybe get it tattooed on your chest. I can’t really say. I’ve got a painting to finish. Let me know if I’m involved though…please. I’ll need a copy.

Good Morning Utah

This is one of my favorite paintings. It has a wonderful classic look to it. It now belongs to a nice couple from Washington DC who just bought a place in Telluride. Thanks folks. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

New Work

Yes, I know. It's been awhile hasn't it? I've been working on some new oil paintings in a little larger format of 24 x 36 and 30 x 40. These are typically known as "Sofa Paintings" in that they are an ideal size to go behind the sofa. These paintings are on stretched canvas and are offered unframed and at a very reasonable price.

This is a scene from a favorite area of mine to paint, the East Dallas Road, which leads you right up close to the base of the Northern San Juan Mountains just below Mt. Sneffles, one of the Colorado "fourteeners". The fall colors in this area, and the surrounding mountainscapes typify what Colorado is all about. There is just an absolutely huge amount of material here. I have done a number of paintings on location here and taken a vast number of photographs to paint from. The fence on the right of the painting is known as a "worm" fence in that it is staggared in format, "worming" it's way along with out the need to dig post holes, thereby being self supporting. This  is an oil painting on a 24 x 36 inch stretched canvas and offered unframed for $1200.

This painting depicts a scene a little farther down the East Dallas Road closer to the base of Mt. Sneffles. Don't you just want to hike on down that road to see what is there? The view is from a wonderful picnic spot that my wife Kathy and I had all to ourselves. This is an oil painting done on a 40x30 vertical stretched canvas and is offered unframed for $1500.

Here is another scene from the same area. This painting depicts Mt. Sneffles with a fresh coat of snow in September. The long afternoon shadows lend a dramatic effect of light. This a 30x40 oil painting on stretched canvas and is offered unframed for $1500.

Any of the above paintings can be removed from the stretcher bars and rolled for easier shipping.