Travels

APRIL, 2015…..
PBS’s Back Roads of Montana will air May 18th @ 7:00. Click Here.

JANUARY…2016…
It has been awhile since I posted on my web page. I’ve been very busy with commission work and loving all the challenges this presents. The book of the Montana Cowboys has surpassed my wildest dreams. We have lost several of them and I mourn our loss. They are definitely a rare breed……….I have been working on the Christmas card. I haven’t sent one for the past 2 years. It was my goal, when I started them, to do 20 in the series. I’m pleased to say they are at the printers. I had to up date the mailing list. Go through all the cards of the past 2 years and check all the addresses to see if anyone had moved etc. That in itself was a huge accomplishment.

On the bright side, both cards will go in the same envelope and that will save the cost of postage. (It was .32 when I started this.) Now all I have to do is sign and number 800 of them. It may be a while before they go out. I’ll mail them all at once. I did post on facebook that if anyone had moved to contact me with their new address. Several have done this. The post office will not forward mail like they used to, and every year I have had to put them in another envelope and remail some of them.

We are still mobile and loving it. We do have a larger camper and still don’t know what we want to do when we grow up. We celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary Dec 29th. We never forgot it this year. Usually we don’t remember it until after the first of the year. OH WELL….All is well that ends well. In the mean time, may you all have a great 2016. Thank you for your cards, calls and
interest in what is happening………I love you all!

FEBRUARY…2016…
Just mailed the Christmas cards out yesterday! Yay!! 800 to sign, number, address envelopes, with return address’s and stamps. It does take time. Thank God this is the last of the series. I’m grateful God allowed me the time to do 20 in the series.
Proverbs 27:1 says “Only a fool boasts of tomorrow.” YES I am grateful. Now if I can get all the commissions done. Will post more next month. Not that far away is it. There I go again, boasting of tomorrow!

We are mobile! We live in a camper outside of Sheridan, Montana. New adventure for us and we are loving it. One should be able to do the things they love when you reach a ripe old age! My husband will say, speak for yourself!

Seriously, when you paint it is great to pick up and go wherever you want. Our phone #’s will stay the same. I have several commissions to do and paintings are in progress.(406-579-5859) (208-790-4891) We plan to be in the area for the summer.

The cowboy show will hang in Ennis the Month of Aug and there will be a show in Virginia City July 11, 2014 of all the local cowboys that are featured in the book. Also a few of the local people of Virginia City and area.

I did a collection of Montana Cowboys. The collection was of 52 Notable Montana cowboys. The oldest was 94 years old.

SEPTEMBER…..2012.
August was a fun month! So many exciting visitors. Got lots accomplished. Some of the “Red Hat Girls”blessed me with their presence.
We had a wonderful time with them. I must post a poem Bev Lenz sent back to me after their visit.

I have never been a Cowboy fan.
Seems those I’ve met were more boy than man.

But your Old Cowboys show different guys,
All able to speak through their eyes.

You brought them to life with your brush,
Softened them some, not so gruff.

Your faces share their lives without saying a word,
Things kept inside, words never heard.

Things they never spoke out loud,
You showed in their faces…You should be proud!

Thank you Bev…I only hope the poems I write for the cowboys will be as appreciated as yours was to me.

I’m working on the big 4′ by 6′ painting, along with other portraits of the cowboys.

SEPTEMBER….2013
It was an amazing opening! Excellent music by the Open Range Band. My thanks to so many people that played a part in the opening. My Husband, for his support, friendship, companionship, encouragement, his love and for framing the collection and transporting it to Billings. Jan & Alan Gould, Grant & Joanna Morgan, Dan & Darcy Morgan, Ted & Elaine Inabnit, Kevin & Kari Beebe, Dale and Lorna Dunlap, Michelle Russell and Brandie for helping at the opening. Last but not least, Tim Irwin for helping to get the book out. Without him, there
wouldn’t have been a book. Amazing work he does. Fast too. Over 250 people from all over the nation. Most had their card in their hand or were with family of one of the cowboys. The Heritage Center & Museum did an awesome job of hanging the show. There were people from MN,OR,ID,TX,GA,CA,AZ New Mexico, FLorida,WA, UT, NV, CO and of course all over MT. PBS of Backroads of Montana was there filming the show.

NOW FOR THE GRAND OPENING ON
OCT 4 in conjunction with the Art Walk. I plan to be there. The show will hang through the Christmas Stroll on Dec 21. I have many
commissions to do, orders to fill and still have company for a couple more days…the fun kind. Actually they all have been the fun kind. More later…God Bless.

October….2013
The Grand Opening on Oct 4 was great. Had more time to visit with people. Met some interesting couples and also Miss Montana. There
wasn’t near as many people as there was for the Invitational Opening, but it was fun. I was pleased to see many of the people that couldn’t be there for the opening had visited during the month and signed the guest book. The show will continue to hang through Nov and into Dec. for the Christmas stroll. You can order books, Giclees, & cards of the collection from me. I planned to have them at the heritage center, but I haven’t been able to keep enough on hands. There will be another shipment come in this next week and a lot
of them are sold. Hopefully I can get them to the Heritage Center soon. Thanks to all of you. Need to get the Christmas card painted.

JANUARY…2014
The years are flying by! Every year I say this. I am finally rested up. I never realized how much the project was consuming my
time, but I must say it was worth every minute of it. I feel a real kin-ship to each of the cowboys. Amazing bunch of men. The Christmas card got out in time. Only 3 came back this year. If you didn’t get one and have over the years, please contact me. 406-843-5215. Cell 406-579-5859. I usually hold your # for 2 months, before giving it away to the waiting list. Hopefully there will
be a couple more years of them, making the total, 20 years of Christmas card limited editions.

THERE WILL BE A BOOK SIGNING AT the Ennis Library on February 1st, 11:00. I will read some of the poems and answer any of your
questions. I will be having a show in Virginia City at the Elling House. We haven’t settled on a date yet. It will be in June or July. I’ll Post this later. The books have been going very well and so have the prints and cards. If you go to the “Books and Cards”
caption, you will see some of the covers that are available. I plan to add more cowboys on the covers. Also the cards and prints are available.

I need to do much more work on the web page, facebook and other resources, but I have 12 commissions to get done and time is limiting. Thank you! Don’t hesitate to drop by if you are in the area. More next month.

FEBRUARY…2014
The book signing on February 1, 2014, was great. It did snow and people that planned to come from Bozeman couldn’t come. Even so, it was standing room only. Met lots of new people and some I knew. There were relatives of some of the cowboys. It really was a great showing. As for the upcomming show at the Elling house in Virginia City. It has been decided it will be on July 11. The opening reception will be from 5:00 until 7:00. I will get to visit with you on a one on one basis. Then we will move to the main hall and I
will be able to read some of the poetry for you and discuss how the show came about. I will be sharing the next part of the show with a very notworthycowboy poet. I will post more as time allows and more info comes in. In the mean time I am getting info together for the (now 13)commissions I have. Hopefully I will get to start in the studio soon. I do have to get the orders out from the book signing. Thanks. More soon..

APRIL..2014
Many life changing events have taken place…I am excited about our new adventure. First let me say the cowboy poet that will be sharing the stage with me is Chad Coffman. He is a very talented young man and I look forward to working with him. The Opening will still be 5:00 to 7:00 on July 11. Then we will move into the stage area and discuss the cowboys that will be hanging there and also those that aren’t. I plan to showcase 2 or 3 of the local people about the town of V. C and then Chad will do his poetry. Will be a fun time. In the mean time, my husband and I have decided to gear down, so to speak. We purchased a pull camper and plan to enjoy more of the state and perhaps go. So this winter. I am still doing the commissions I have lined up. But I can paint anywhere. We are looking forward to doing some serious traveling, enjoying each other and maybe fish a bit here and there. The show will still
hang in Ennis the month of August at Ennis’s new Hospital facility. Lovely place to exhibit the show. More next month. We will be in the area and I can be reached by my cell phone 406-579-5859. Also Ron’s cell phone is 208-790-4891.

JULY..2014
Everything is going according to schedule! I have completed and sent off 5 of the commissions, have just completed 4 more of the local people here in Virginia City to hang in the show with the 17 area cowboys. They don’t know who they are yet. Will be fun! The show will be Friday July 11 at the Elling House in Virginia City. It starts at 5:00 with refreshments and beverage until 7:00 and then we move into the stage area and I will read some of the poetry. Then Chad Coffman will take the stage and read his poetry. It all sounds fun to me and I hope some of you who read this, will be there. The show will hang for a couple of weeks and then move on to the complete collection and will hang at the new Hospital in Ennis. Excellent facility for showing all of it off, and honoring our cowboys…

AUGUST..2014
The show was hung in Ennis at the hospital the 29th of July. Fantastic facility. They did a beautiful job of hanging. We do have to
accomodate the hospital hours. 8:00 until 5:00 Mon thru Fri. However, they are accommodating with those who ask for special times. So far the response is great. The books are for sale there also cards of the cowboys and other paintings. Not all the cowboys cards are there yet, but they have been ordered. Virginia City and Nevada City are in full swing yet. We are tucked into our little camper in Sheridan at the ranch of one of the cowboys that has a cancer issue. He runs 96 pair and is in the process of haying. He just underwent major surgery in Salt Lake. He was to be in the hospital a full week, then released to a motel room near the hospital and then on home. Well, we serve a mighty God. He had surgery on Tues AM and was released Friday PM to Motel. He was home by car Sat 6:00PM and on the 4 wheeler checking out if we had done a good enough job irrigating while he was gone. He has been in the field every day since. This was major surgery. Tumor off his one good Kidney and also cancer tissue from lymph glands. They got it all!!And the kidney never even bled. An awesome God indeed. In the mean time, I am working on commissions. Ron is ranching and all is well! More next month. Oh yes, Backroads of MT has been in contact and we will finish the segment soon. I’ll post the link on web page and also Facebook. Love you guys.
Thanks for tuning in.

I posted my oldest cowboy’s portrait, Bob Shelhamer. He was 94 years young and rode his last ride on March 23, 2010. He will be missed by many and was definitely in a class by himself, as far as cowboys are concerned. He is the second one we have lost.

I’m grateful I had the privilege to interview them and capture their likeness on canvas. I will post the first one we lost when I get back to the studio. We are Almost ready to wrap up the interviews.Thanks again for all your interest.

Merle Skattum was my second oldest cowboy. He was 92 and from Paradise Valley. He too will be missed. Merle was loved by many. I’m pleased with his portrait and feel I captured his gentle spirit. What a remarkable man! I sincerely hope I don’t have to post another before the show.