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Last week's trip, on mule back, down to the Phantom Ranch (at the bottom of the Grand Canyon),had a magical affect on me. The trip was (for me) all about seeing a nearly inaccessible lodge designed by Mary Jane Colter, a 19th/20th century architect and personal hero. Being down there in so remote and beautiful a place had me reflect on what nourishes my painting.

At times I feel not of this present time. It is as if I "remember" a life between 1900 and 1920. My inspiration and spirit resides in that other time, while my corporeal body is more of a restraining coffin anchoring me to this almost alien present time.

My soul is not part of the eBay/Twitter world. My creativity lives in a world of post impressionistic Western romanticism...A visual life that is surrounded only by the vast horizons, tumultuous skies and soul replenishing solitude of the remote west. This vision, and the beautiful reality of my corner of the west allows me to paint and fuels my enthusiasm for painting.

Yesterday I woke up to a blanket of fog that covered the gorge beneath my house...I could not even see the ranch across the river. A great day to stay in the studio and put the finishing touches on this very colorful tribute to the warm lights of autumn. When the paint dries and the frame is made, I will bring this into Tumalo Art Co., in time to warm us through the winter.

People often say, "Oh, I want to see your cloud paintings." Like most artists I don't want to be pigeonholed...but I confess, sometimes a dramatic sky just seduces me. And this one really did. I don't want to be known as the cloud painter, but then again, you paint what you love and living on a cliff with a hundred mile view I get to see a lot of sky...and never tire of my view....so?

I have busy painting for two shows...first the Tumalo Winter Show featuring small works and second the Cowgirl Up Show to be held next year (March) in Arizona. It is time to start a separate category on my art works section on my website, Cowgirl Up. Instead of putting one of the works as the cover for this site I decided to honor my great aunt Leona. Leona Bullard was a true pioneer. She ranched and farmed in Northern California (Red Bluff/Chico area). Her father was a wheat broker, and part of the westward migration...1852 in a Conestoga wagon to Truckee ad then to Red Bluff and Chico. I remember Leona from my childhood...she was a colorful woman (divorced and remarried...a huge scandal in her day)who lived on her ranch without indoor plumbing, or electricity. But according to her (and backed by many award ribbons), she baked the best pies in Tehama County! She also ran the ranch...neither husband being particularly qualified. So here is to Leona and to Cowgirl Up!

I am fortunate to belong to an art critique group whose members are all working artists. Last week when we met I brought in my recent painting of Mt. St. Helens. It was from a photo taken by one of the members, Tracy Leagjeld...a wonderful artist. http://tracyleagjeld.blogspot.com/ I was quite proud of it...well, not so fast. I got a lot of feedback...and as an old friend once said, "This feedback, while not particularly positive, is right on target."Well, that is the purpose of constructive feedback...it helps you...even if it is not always positive. With the critique in mind, I sanded down the painting (love my belt sander) and asked myself, "What was it you really wanted to paint?"--what is it you wanted to say? (This is a favorite coaching tip from my friend Jean Legassick. The result was the painting I wanted in the first place...a painting that shows the drama of catching the last light on a mountain, when you are already in the descending twilight. Compare this to my blog post of a few days ago...the original attempt.

This is from a recent view of the desert at twilight. When I am standing in the still of the high desert I feel what many people feel at the ocean shore...the infinity of space, the silence, all of this is my kind of nirvana.
When this painting dries I will be bringing it into Tumalo Art Co. in Bend.

I was looking through my photo reference material and came across this photo. I realized my friend and fellow artist Tracy Leagjeld (do look up her work) had taken it. When I called to ask if I could use it she was gracious enough to say I could. She took the picture when she and her son hiked in the Cascades near Indian Heaven. It was a great photo...and fun to refer to for my painting.
I will be bringing this into Tumalo Art Co. in December, where you can see my work and Tracy's...and all of the works of our wonderful artists/friends.

I had the wonderful news that one of my larger paintings sold at Tumalo's First Friday event last night. As a good administrator of my work, I went into my FASO files to update the painting to "sold." Well, I had never actually listed the painting at all. It has been a mad rush of painting and shows this Summer and Fall so I am a bit behind...will try to update things today. Anyway, this is the painting. It is from photos taken last spring out near some friends' house in Powell Butte. From their location you can see so many mountains,and get such great views.