Journal

Heading to Ellensburg, Wa. again.  Seems like I just packed up and left there!!  I am always excited to head that direction. The national Western Art Show & Auction is always a wonderful, fun time.  It is a beautiful drive over there and nice time of the year. I have a couple of pieces in the auction and will be doing the quick draw.  I am not the fastest painter, so I am always a little nervous about getting the piece done on time while hoping that it is recognizable. I keep telling myself that it is good to challenge yourself!!

I was very thrilled and honored to have “Two of a Kind” on the cover of the April issue of the Western HorsemanMagazine!!  

I am excited, as always, to return to the National Fine At Show & Auction in Ellensburg, Wa. for another show.  I look forward to seeing and visiting with all my fellow artists and customers (who are also some of my dearest friends) once again.  The show is a delight for artists and visitors alike.  I will be participating in the main auction, the quick draw, and, hopefully, have time to finish a demonstration piece as well.  I will also be showcasing a few new paintings.  I hope to see you there!  

Summer has passed by quickly as usual.  The colder temperatures means the NILE is near.  In fact, I will be heading for Billings on Tuesday to set up for the show.  I hope the weather is nice and we all have a great show at the Metra!  I look forward to seeing and visiting with everyone.

As usual, it has been a very busy summer.  I did manage to get a couple of paintings done, along with the usual lawn work and summer activities.  During the month of august I went to south Dakota for a photo shoot to freshen up my photo files and, as usual, returned  with  lots of inspiration to pick up my paint brushes and get busy once again. Labor Day Weekend  meant another trip to Ellensburg, Wa. for the parade and rodeo since my image of a bull rider was used for the 2011 Rodeo Poster.  The weekend was fast and furious, but my husband and I managed to participate in the parade in the morning, enjoy the rodeo in the afternoon, and were invited to a wonderful supper by some very good friends of ours from Ellensburg who also took us to the Xtreme bulls in the evening.  Thanks Rob and Louise. And speaking of very good friends, I  just returned from a trip to Yellowstone Park with Vickie Flyg and Kaye York.  What a wonderful way to spend time with two fellow artists.  It was so much fun and we managed to get some wonderful photographs, even though it meant almost freezing to death in the early morning hours!!  It’s amazing what we are willing to do for that masterpiece we are always striving to create!! My next show will be the Northern International Livestock Exposition in Billings.  So I will be trying to get a few more paintings started,  get busy framing more pieces and getting things ready for the show.

Participating in a new show is always a little stressful.  It did help, I’m sure,  that the show was held in the same location and during the same time as the previous show.  But you never know for sure if this new venture will be accepted in the same way or with the same enthusiasm.  Now that the show is over I can breathe a little easier because, for me at least, it was a success!!  Attendance at the western Masters Art Show was great and the people at the show seemed to respond quite well to the change.  I felt the atmosphere throughout the whole weekend was very upbeat and exciting.  I feel this new show is on the right track and the future looks pretty bright. The weekend after the Western Masters Art Show, I participated for the first time in a show held at the Circle L Arena in Belgrade, Montana.  Since it was close to home, it was a little more relaxing for me and turned out to be a very nice show.  It was great to visit with old friends and meet quite a few new ones. At the end of the month I will be sending some pieces to a new venture called the Western Art Rodeo in Sundance, Utah.  It is an interesting concept patterned after the sport of rodeo.  There will be short go rounds in which you can enter your work,  and if you win at this level, you will receive monies, and this puts you in the running for the finals. It gives anyone and everyone a chance to get their art work out there and a chance to compete without having to go through the jury process.  It will be interesting to see what happens!! May 20th to the 22nd, I will be at the Ellensburg National Art Show and Auction in Ellensburg, Washington.  I am busy at the moment trying to get some new paintings done for this show.  I have two paintings in the auction and I will probably participate in the quick draw this year.  I always look  forward to doing this show!!

I know it has been awhile since I updated my journal,  but it has been a very busy time.  Actually, things are getting even busier since we started calving the 1st of February.  It is hard trying to keep up with painting, printing, framing, and deadlines while trying to watch cows and keeping calves alive. Anyway, I am looking forward to my next show in Great Falls, Mt.  As a lot of you know, the C.M. Russell Show no longer exists, but  the Western Masters Art Show and Sale will be held the same time (March 16 – 19) and will be held at the same place (The Heritage Inn).  I am excited to be a part of this show – I think it is going to be great! I have several new pieces finished and am presently working on some new ones.  I just hope I can get everything done that I would like before the show gets here.  It is always a huge challenge!!

What a busy time this is! I have just returned from another wonderful trip to South Dakota to gather material and inspiration for future paintings. I can”t wait to get started! I will be taking off again over Labor Day weekend with my husband to participate in the Ellensburg Rodeo parade as the poster artist for 2010. I have been honored to lead the parade this year as their Grand Marshall. We will also be able to enjoy the rodeo and other festivities throughout the weekend. It is always a fun and exciting time! The next week will find me back in Bozeman but will be busy at the National Angus Conference at the Gran Tree Inn. September is going to be a pretty busy month.