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This painting was inspired by a trip to Theodore Roosevelt National Park this past summer, one of many visits I have taken over the years to observe, enjoy and be inspired by not only the beauty of the North Dakota badlands, but mainly the wild horses that call TRNP their home. Like many visitors to the Park, I love watching the horses interact within their tight family bands as well as watching the awe-inspiring and often confrontational actions between opposing stallions or bachelor stallions vying for mares. I feel very fortunate to have witnessed these beautiful creatures in their natural domain, something I read about and dreamed about as a young girl.

 

On this particular day, two bands were grazing in the same area. One band kept moving slowly closer to the other - whether this was the band stallion's idea to possibly steal a mare or two from the other band, I can only surmise, but the other band stallion was not having it! He charged towards the other band and they immediately turned and ran in the opposite direction! These two in the painting were on the run with the other members of their family as fast as they could run. After he got his point across, the angry stallion backed off, snorted, shook his thick mane, then turned back to his family to continue protecting them. What an amazing thing to witness!

 

 

 

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I was hunting for the wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park one day in early May, a couple years ago. I saw turkeys, buffalo, but no horses. Although I was enjoying the scenery of the beautiful badlands of North Dakota, I was disappointed with my luck of the day. I meandered slowly not wanting to leave, but the day was growing short and I needed to get back home. The sun was low in the sky and the shadows were getting longer. As I approached the gate leading out of the park, I was thrilled to finally see a band of about a dozen horses with a couple brand new colts in tow! I hopped out of my vehicle, camera ready and here they came crossing the road to get to a creek on the other side for a drink. My luck was getting better as the sun began to cast long violet shadows, beautiful shades of lavender, mauves and blues. The band stallion was pushing the mares with authority and I found a tree to stand behind as he came closer. He looked me right in the eye, making sure I was no threat and letting me know that he could be! As the horses settled down to drink from the creek, he finally relaxed and began grazing, with the warm light on his back, shining like the sun, with those beautiful shadows in the background. One can never recreate nature in its glory, but we artists are certainly inspired to give it a try!

 

 

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Normally I like to include strong contrasts of light and shadow in my paintings. On this particular day however, I was intrigued by the soft light of the overcast day. There were shadows to be found but they were not much different in value from the light areas. An interesting change of pace! The area depicted is a road leading from the Yellowstone River. Read More

This view of the Yellowstone River was painted when the ice was still thick and covered in snow. The day had a beautiful soft light that emphasized the plum and burgundy tones of the trees, some of my favorite colors in the landscape.

Now here with the last couple of warm days the river is starting to break up and the ice chunks are piling up and causing some flooding.
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I always imagine the amazing Lewis and Clark Expedition when I visit the Yellowstone River, not from our home. I like to think if they came back today that they would find it much the same as it was when they were here over 200 years ago. Of course there are dirt roads leading to the river now and a few camping spots but overall I think it remains much the same, at least here in eastern Montana. Especially in the winter, it is so silent and beautiful. It is easy to fall back in time and picture the hardy explorers waking to a cold new day along the river or tramping through the green ash, cottonwoods and willows, so thick that they would never know a bear was watching their every move. 

Unframed price includes free shippping in U.S.

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Autumn is the really the most colorful and glorious time of year. It's easy to be inspired to paint landscapes with subject matter such as this so conveniently nearby. This year seemed exceptionally beautiful as the leaves turned and remained on the trees for weeks, allowing for some spectacular fall scenery at the Yellowstone River.

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What a wonderful fall for color we have had. This pathway was bathed in the golden glow of the sun shining through the multitudes of cottonwood leaves. The wild grapes turn a rich red and the fallen leaves shine like bright, gold coins in the sunlight. There is that pleasantly spicy scent of wet leaves on the moist morning air and all is quiet and peaceful. No wonder I like autumn!  

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Hay bales abound this time of year in all shapes and sizes and as I roamed around this particular cool, fall morning, my eye was caught by the light hitting the big, round bales. There was a heavy dew, the sky was misty and seemed full of moisture causing the trees in the distance to look soft and faded. It all seemed to make an otherwise unremarkable scene into something worth painting!

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Even without much snow this year, we still have some wonderful scenes around eastern Montana. The landscape here is not grandiose like it is in western Montana or Colorado where I grew up with the Rockies. But it is a rather quiet beauty that really gets under your skin after awhile. Wide prairie vistas and windswept skies are colored by the afternoon light. Bare trees become beautiful in their own right. This piece is currently available unframed and unmatted. If you would like framing options, please contact Trish.

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I wish everyone the very best of the holiday season - all the joys & blessings of this time, and I hope that we all have a "dashing" New Year!

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Classic cars run in our family. As long as I can remember, my dad has been restoring old cars. A '38 Buick, 50's Cadillacs, even a Bentley. In his early 80's now, and still restoring, he has of late been enchanted with Packards. This one is awaiting it's turn in the weeds for now. The fun for me in painting old cars and trucks is in the rusting colors and the light bouncing off the still-shiny chrome, not to mention the beautiful lines in those classic designs.

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Although we are all tired of snow and winter, it did make for some beautiful days and I could not resist just one more winter scene. The snow is falling as I write this today, April 14, although it is just a shower, thank goodness.

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Charolais cattle are generally a creamy white color, but I discovered a few other colors to play with in the shadows of this sunny winter scene. This is an original pastel. 

Unframed price. Price includes shipping with in the U.S. 

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Another frigid Montana day...it was 22 degrees below zero when we got up this morning. I'm sure glad I am not a cow, although they are well equipped for the weather if they get enough feed. The winter brings snow and ice, but it also offers color combinations and inspiration for new paintings. I love the blue-black of the cattle set against the warm white, cool whites and the long blue shadows. Eastern Montana can be somewhat bleak in the winter, but we have had enough snow to cover everything in a nice thick, white blanket this year - cold but beautiful.

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I am trying out some new Terry Ludwig pastels - they are very soft and a blast to use on Wallis paper. They are darker than what I am used to and really help the lights pop out. I also got a set of ultramarine blues which are handy for skies and shadows. It's like Christmas all over again!

We have been treated to several days of foggy, freezing wheather, very cold and very beautiful. This painting is of a grove of Russian Olive trees dressed up in their winter finery. These trees have actually been classified as a noxious weed in Montana and North Dakota, but they sure are pretty right now.
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From 10 degrees below this morning to 10 degrees above today, we're making progress! 
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Maybe because we live near the river, we seem to get a lot of morning fog, and on really cold mornings - crystalized frost on everything - the trees, the grass, the fences. It's like another world, and amazingly beautiful.
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One of the advantages of living in the "sticks"; beautiful sunsets, even in the depths of winter. Here the challenge was finding the right values and color especially in the snowy field. SOLD
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Although it is April 1, we can definitely still get more snow. This pastel portrays the same area as the previous painting, "Snow White Blues". This area runs along Bennie Pier Creek Road, crossing the border between Montana and North Dakota. Enjoy your April Fool's Day!
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I am missing the snow-covered hills this dry winter. Everything outside looks dry, windblown and downright ugly. I felt quite motivated to paint this snowy scene yesterday and when it was finished, my thirsty soul was quenched. Amazing what art can do for a person!

I'm sure that part of this parched feeling is that the business side of art had to take over my life most of March, preparing for a show. Now that it is over, I can rebalance and start creating again. 

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It  never ceases to amaze me how certain light (like the morning sun on these hills) can affect the most mundane of scenes and transform them into a spectacle of color, shapes and patterns.

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Here in Montana, many winter mornings are at 20 degrees below zero or more. The good thing about it, is it makes for some beautiful landscapes. The air is almost frozen it seems, and reflects pastel colors in the sky. I love the beautiful bright blues in the shadows of the snow although I aimed for a very subtle feel overall.
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I think most artists would agree with me that they learn something from every single painting they paint. Water is always a challenge, and here I was presented with the opportunity to study  the reflection AND the shadow of the cottonwood. I was the most surprised by the very warm color of the reflection. These are discoveries you don't forget.

This is a very common scene on the Yellowstone in the fall when the water is low. Lots of old, dead cottonwoods sticking out. This is Lewis and Clark country and I like to think that everything I see and paint here is very much the same as it was when they were here. The Yellowstone is the longest untamed, (not dammed) river in North America.  Read More

As I mentioned in the previous post, we have had a mild October. Here my goal was to capture the feeling of the sunny, breezy autumn day. I used sanded paper on this one, which practically eats the pastel, but it is such a nice thick stroke of color each time. It covers quickly which is great when you know what you want to say. 
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Fall is particularly inspiring to me for painting landscapes. The colors are rich and the light is interesting all day, not just at dawn and dusk. This scene is next to the Yellowstone River, in an area known as Seven Sisters. Lots of trees and foliage give it an almost mysterious air, reminding me of a forest in a fairy tale. The air was slightly hazy this day and the cottonwoods and bushes are at the height of their fall colors. We normally have had one snowfall by now, but so far the days have been brightly sunny, wonderful for painting.
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