What Was I Thinking???!

For those interested in seeing the difference between what I moved into 5 years ago and how it is now, a few pix. A lot of hard work is starting to pay off.
Then...
a collage of Then
and Now
the back yard
poppies gone wild

summertime

Well here it is, last day of July. Summer has been very cool and windy in Tusca, and full of CRICKETS the bane of our existence right now. Mormon Crickets. What was god thinking??!!


Because of the cool weather we have had a much greener spring/summer than usual, and so far no fires so we are pretty happy about that. I have been able to get alot of painting done and am working on some furniture for the WildWomen show in Reno which we hang September 4.
Navajo Gulch
Tailings Below Blitzen
Last of the Navajo
Columbia

post-Easter Holiday greetings!

Pictures of recent works. If I can figure out how to properly put headers on the pix I will include them as well...



PREGNANT MODEL




THREE WOMEN




CHINESE NEW YEAR PROJECT



Well as usual I haven't put a thing on the blog for a while. Life gets so busy out in the boondocks!

I am thinking that spring is springing: I can see dirt (mud) in many areas of my yard now, and have actually seen real flowers. One lovely yellow crocus opened amazingly yesterday. It had only emerged from the ice the day before. And I have a few of the Mysterious Blue Guys. I have no idea what they are but will put in some pix when I get them taken later today.

There has been alot of travel in my life during these winter months: I have been hanging shows and taking shows down and visiting in Oregon. I went to Virginia City for a "tiny books" workshop in February. I am hoping that I will be able to incorporate some of my new skills in my work. Upcoming travels include Fallon (tomorrow through Friday) to give a workshop and pick up a show. Also in the future but not nailed down date-wise are a trip to Tucson and hopefully a Spanish immersion course in Mexico.

happy days to all and happy spring.

Winter In Tusca

Valentine, Watercolor 2008, "All Aquiver"
My back yard...
The truck across the road.
Muncus Agruncus running from the weather?
the Dragon Trap in hibernation.

We have snow! And the skiing has been awfully nice. For the most part. I must say that all the snow makes it difficult to pack my truck for shows as I cannot get my truck to my house. Fortunately I was able to bribe my neighbor up the hill to plow me a track about a week ago all the way to my front gate and I was able to pack 2 shows at one time. Boy am I glad I did that! Jerry only had about a foot to plow through; the next day we started getting a series of storms that added another 2 feet or more. As a result of Jerry's labors I was able to get to Elko to hang the show at DuncanLittleCreek with the rest of the WildWomen; and the following week go to Reno to hang the claynichols gallery show and attend the reception there. It was really nice, Jackie and Jeannie did a beautiful job putting my work in their space (fancy that, they didn't want me around to hang the work!). I think there is a picture on claynichols.com . My furniture looks really nice and the paintings look great on their walls.

The valentine is for the Sheppard Gallery Invitational Valentine Auction at UNR in Reno next month. Please go, the valentines that everyone makes are so much fun!

Am off to the Keddy Ranch tomorrow to finish a welding project with Susan, hopefully we will be able to display her (it) on the sidewalk at DLC during the Gathering. Pictures after it is done...

And more later! Pack the truck for the Cowboy Poetry Gathering Closing Celebration at DLC Feb 1 and 2; Hang a show in Fallon March 1; take down the claynichols show March 2 or so; give a workshop in Fallon March 27, take that show down March 28 and home again! At some point in time I will actually have time to make work, breathe, get myself collected,and start working on some other projects. Happy days all!

HAPPY HAPPY

New Year's Day and still not home yet. It has been a huge travel holiday for me: Reno to see my mom, Cave Junction to hook up with Mike and his daughter Emily, Seattle to see his son and family, back to Cave, etc. Lots of fun and family and life. It's been great. Got some painting in which always makes me feel more human, and postponed the trip home beacuse of weather. Got as far as Elko yesterday and should get home today if all goes well. The Wild Women are hanging the gallery show at Duncan LittleCreek on Thursday so will turn around and head back to town after I transfer belongings and repack with paintings.

Some photos of what Oregonians call a creek (in Nevada this would be a navigable body of water), Rough and Ready Creek in the Illinois River Valley. High water photos from last week, swimming in the same place last summer...

Some Paintings

One day I will figure out how to put the title in their proper spots.
FALL COLOR (JACK CREEK) pastel on paper

VIRGIL SIRIUS watercolor


FALL MOSAIC pastel on paper

BRAD'S SPRING pastel on paper



SAGE IMPRESSIONS pastel on paper

Holidays et al

Well here it is December the 1th and as usual haven't posted a thing. I have had some problems uploading images so gave it up for a while but am now back into the swing of it I hope.

It has been quite a hectic past month: framing for the Wild Women show in Reno, going to openings (of which I had 3 in one week in various parts of the state), going to Cave Junction to visit my guy, going to Seattle to visit his grandchildren and help hang sheet rock at their house, then back to CJ then back to Reno and finally to collapse at home. Fortunately for me although it was snowing the day I returned to Tusca it cleared up and has been open weather but somewhat cold. I spent the Thanksgiving holiday with friends in Elko and in Halleck, and am now home trying to get ready for more travels for the Christmas holiday. Above are a few recent paintings. I am so hoping to get myself back into the studio to get some decent work done. I have high hopes for some projects hopefully to be revealed in This Space at a further date...

More later, and sooner!

What , Winter So Soon?

Well it has been a very quick year. Lots of travel, lots of painting, lots of construction and now lots of snow...

I am in the last throes of getting ready for the Reno Wild Women Show. We have had our gallery show up at Wilbur May Museum since the beginning of September. We will have our very exciting and hectic Closing Reception/Show on November 2, 3 and 4. We take down both segments on the 4th after closing.

At the same time as trying to finish roofing my porch/deck thingy, I did finish bricking in my east side patio, have been tracking down a couple of missing paintings, making more paintings for shows, making labels, cleaning up generally (digging potatoes, preparing for and planting a lawn, general winterizing) etc etc. I leave Thursday for Eureka Nevada for the opening of a travelling show which includes a couple of my paintings, go to Reno Friday to frame the works that I will be showing in my next few shows. Then on the following Tuesday, October 30, Renown (what used to be Washoe Medical Center) is hosting a reception for artists whose work is included in the new cancer center. They have bought many of my works so I am going to that reception. Thursday we set up for the WildWomen show and the rest of the weekend is taken up with general hecticness...

OTHER SHOW INFO:
Opening January 12 at ClayNichols gallery in Reno
Opening February 3 in Elko at DuncanLittleCreek during the Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Opening in March, date to be determined, at Fallon Community College Gallery, including a master class


And That's All Folks! (for now anyway)

and more work from Oregon

Trees are such a challenge for me, being from an area without too many. When I go to Cave Junction I like to make time to work while I am visiting. The country is gorgeous but FULL OF TREES. I study them as unfamiliar objects and am discovering they actually have their place compositionally. But it is a challenge. Here are a few images of recent Oregon work.

New Paintings from Virginia City Residency

I recently was in Virginia City, Nevada for what was called The Dusty Roads Retreat and Residency. Seven artists were invited to stay at the old hospital, now called Saint Mary's Art Center (SMAC) for a week, to make work. We were to place some of the work made in a travelling show which will go on the road at the beginning of October. I chose to go to one place just north of Virginia City repeatedly to paint some fabulous rocks under different lighting conditions. Other artists were Karen Kreyeski, working on collage; Julie la Croix, potter; Eric Holland, plein aire oils, Carol Brown, Japanese printmaking; Claude Sapp, photographer; and Francis Clark, collage abstractions (www.francheskaapaints.com).

Here are some of the works I made during that week.

My Latest Construction Project

My porch under construction.



My porch after construction.




The other side of the entrance, now a bricked patio/dining area. Keep checking This Space to see if I get the roof on!!

Extreme Croquet "Lawn" Party

Meg and Elizabeth (hat) at the first wicket.




Laura braving the Dragon Trap.




Discussing the proper approach. Or is Meg clobbering Christina while Jim and Andrea are diverted?




Craig (roadster) and Ernie (VW Beetle) model appropriate attire while Christina, a true folklorist, takes photographic records for posterity.




Oh no!! An ACCIDENT in Tusca!!! I fear someone is hurt badly... Elizabeth seems to have no remorse for hitting an Innocent Passer-by.Or was she a part of the Meg Glaser Gang all along???

more pix from Tusca