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On Tuesdays

Cowboy Artist

Oklahoma City, is where the Cowboy Artists of America, 48th Annual Exhibition is on show, at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. My husband, Jim and I saw the show last weekend. There is a new artist work that I had not seen before. His name is, Jason Rich, he is a darn good artist. He lives in Utah, but grew up in Idaho. Another artist that I enjoyed is R. S. Riddick. He painted a cowboy out riding line through a bunch of blooming chamisa. His cowboy is featured surrounded by a cloudy sky with big puffy clouds. I love this painting. Bill Owen passed away this past summer and his art was featured. He was a great artist and cowboy. His painting,”Caught A Little Deep” is striking in person. Go see the show, it is worth it. You have until January 5, 2014.
The Small Wonders Show was displayed in the long hall leading to Cowboy Crossings. Wow, the up and coming artists are fantastic! My friend, and fellow Okie, Tyler Crow had work in the Small Wonders show. It is inspiring to view good art!

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Life In My Boots

Some people would say, “There is more to life than cowboy boots.” Well, it just so happens that my life has a lot to do with cowboy boots, and I figured that out early in life.
It was a hot, dry panhandle day on the ranch, and my new cowhide, suede top boots were looking good on my feet. I could hardly take my eyes from the buckskin colored boots that Grandpa Brewer had given me the day before. I wore them with my favorite dress, so I could see the pretty, brown leather, cutout designs in the boot tops.
I trotted out to the corral where my older teenage sisters were busy scooping out the dirty stock-tank. Not wanting to break my new boots in by walking in the corral, I jumped up on the rail fence and took on the magpie position of listening to my older sisters conversation, which I was always interested in. Being seven years old and in the prime of my life, trying to figure out what they were up to was a favorite pastime of mine. My life was pretty easy compared to theirs. They were up at daylight getting ready for a full day’s work. They had sunburns and blisters to prove it.
On this workday, I was hanging out on the rail fence, admiring my pretty little boots, and listening to them talk. This particular summer day was like no other for me; I had a revelation in thought, that I still recall after 40 some odd years. The conversation was most interesting to me.
Barbara, being the oldest, informed Betty that she was never going to marry or have children; and she certainly was not going to live on a farm or ranch. Betty listened with interest, and added to Barbara’s wish list of wanting to live in a big city, have a maid to do all of her work, and to top it off, she was going to marry a rich man.
For some reason I thought I was part of this conversation, so I piped in, while looking down at my new buckskin suede, fancy top boots and said, “Well! When I grow up, I am going to marry a cowboy and live on a ranch.” And I did. So you see, my life has everything to do with cowboy boots.

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Cattle Call

“The cowboy is singing with an old western drawl, singing his cattle call.” This was from a song sung by Eddy Arnold. My dad was a yodeller. I remember mom and dad singing and yodelling their duets together. Their voices complimented one another. We kids always had fun listening to their duets as they danced and sang their favorite cowboy tunes. We did not have a television in our home, but we did have a radio which was kept on top of the refrigerator. Every morning it was turned on first thing to listen to KGYN News, Weather and Markets with T. M. Rayburn. Our entertainment consisted of music and art. My formative years was spent working on the ranch where I did chores. My main chore was milking the cow twice a day. That milkcow was a little onery. At times I would have to hobble her to keep her from kicking the bucket over. I would put my head in her flank to keep her still. Boy, she sure smelled bad. So, I would close my nose, breathing through my mouth, and sing to the cow while I was milking. It seemed like she always appreciated a little music during milking time. I spent that time with the cow, singing, daydreaming and learning to be alone with my own thoughts. I believe that being alone with that cow is where I learned to loved animals, and I have been told my art captures the personality of the animals I paint. I came to know that old milkcow-her personality, her quirks, her likes and dislikes. I sure loved Bossy. She always came when I sang my cattle call.

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A Grand Place To View The Stars

Woke up early Tuesday morning to the stars shining bright outside my ranch house window. It is a grand place to view the stars that God placed in the heavens on the fourth day. As I contemplated His beautiful Creation, I began to think of how God built His composition. I find it fascinating to think of His creativity and plan during the six days of creating.
Being an artist takes creativity and planning. Thinking the art problems through takes time. The principals of art that I learned first include; contrast, sequence, harmony, unity, direction and balance. These principals are what I think about to create my composition. Outlining a good composition is directional, where your eye goes. A common composition is a series of horizontal lines that is intersected by a single line. Pattern, movement, rhythm and direction all are part of a overall plan of a good painting. My prayer as an artist is for God to bless me with a entertaining composition that will make the viewer stop and take a second look and ponder my story in my creation of art. God is the ultimate artist/creator. He is the great I Am. Thank you God for Your Creation and the beauty that inspires me to paint.

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A Season of Blessings

Fall is the most colorful season of the year here on the ranch. In Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” A season of blessings that sings loudly of colors entertaining our vision with intensity. Warm colors play off cool colors as one looks at the turning of the leaves. Each season is a blessing as it comes and goes into the next. The fall foliage marks a time when the prayers change from plentiful moisture to protection from the storms.

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Vast Space

Over the years my husband, son and I have had the opportunity to travel. It always feels good to be home. As we drive into the Oklahoma panhandle, we always breath a sigh of relief knowing we are getting close to home. My foot lightens on the accelerator as my attention goes to the horizon; my eyes relax as I view all of the vast space that is mostly void in all directions. Grassland, ranch country, makes me happy to look upon it. Down deep I am a ranch lady, and it does my heart good to know this vast space is my home. Space to me is as enveloping, as well as comforting, as my mother’s loving arms. I embrace it with my eyes, because that is the only way your mind can take it all in. I have found fulfillment here painting the things I love. I am native.
I have been told that my paintings reflect space This is due to the fact that your eye goes in and out as my art is viewed. It has depth. I give all credit to knowing how that looks and feels to my surroundings. Surroundings that God so graciously has given me.

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My Ranch House Kitchen

My goodness is it already Tuesday? My ranch house kitchen is filled with the smell of beef rump roast. I made fresh bread this morning anticipating the arrival of the men for lunch. I have been painting all morning in between cooking. My painting is of a long horned cow with a pretty little light colored calf. I am enjoying putting the finishing touches on the cactus in the foreground. I am working on shape using a wide variety from simple to weird. I am using light and half tone colors to achieve space and volume. I am working to be better than I am, not someone else. My prayer is for The Lord to help me paint with greatness.
Deep resounding voices of the men can be heard as they file into the mud room to wash before lunch. This is my first warning they are in to eat. Joking and laughing as they clean up, I can tell it has been a good morning. The table is set and the coffee is hot. We are eating our home raised natural beef for lunch. My painting will wait.

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Weaning Calves

On Tuesday, we weaned calves. The ‘nearly weeklong’ process is for seven month old calves and takes time to prepare so as to lessen the impact on these fully grown calves and their good mama cows. The weaning is necessary so the mama can maintain a strong, healthy body for the upcoming winter season. These cows are pregnant now and will have another calf come spring.’To begin, the calves are trained at a early age to come to the feed truck with their mamas. They are rewarded with cake, cubes of cottonseed, pressed together with sweet molasses. These daily lessons prepare the calves to feed themselves and not depend on their mama’s milk. The men spend time getting the fences ready to hold cattle before the weaning.
The day starts like any other day on the ranch, but ends up with the cows separated from their calves in the pastures around the ranch headquarters. The evening closes with calves and cows talking back and forth across the fence from each other.
Weaning takes about three days. By the fourth day, the weaning is complete. When the cattle settle down and get into their routines of eating and sleeping, we can all get some rest.
To capture this in a painting would be difficult to tell the story the way I have described it here. So much of ranch life is hard to depict in art. All of the celebrated moments are few and far between.
I am having fun this week painting cattle in my upstairs studio. I may go outside tomorrow and set up my soltek easel and paint the weaning calves.

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