I LOVE Old Mining Towns

There is just something about walking around in a history lesson that gets me excited.  I have always loved old things from books, photographs, movies, fossil rocks and even the old portions of cemeteries.  It is no wonder that Nevada holds such a fascination to me.  Only in Las Vegas do they implode the old buildings, while in the rest of the state they are just left to stand as old monuments in the desert.  Some of the towns remain, but are just a slight image of their glory days.  Nevada towns like Pioche, Tonopah, Goldfield and Austin are just a few of my favorites that are living testimonies of their rich history.

If you know anything about me, you know that I love to go exploring in the desert and ghost towns are so interesting to me.  Now all the neighboring states have rich examples of mining boom towns and so my most recent painting was inspired by a visit to Jerome Arizona some 25 years ago.  Jerome boasted a population of over 10,000 in the 1920's to 155 in the mid 1950's.  The 2010 census lists the current population to be around 450.  Cooper was mined here in the boom and now the town depends completely on tourism to survive.

I wish we had taken many more pictures but this old 3 story structure was an amazing shot.  I love the addition of the laundry hanging in the wind to testify that as of that time there were still people making a home within its walls.

I hope you enjoy this 16x20 acrylic that I call- "Jerome".  The finished piece will be available in my gallery page on my website shortly at JulieTownsendStudio.com , but I wanted to give a sneak preview for those that check out my blog.

Original photo we took some 25 years ago

Almost completed painting that I am going to call "Jerome".

Wild Horses of Nevada

I realize that Nevada is not the only state to have wild horses.  According to Wild Horse Facts at http://www.tide-mark.com/horses_facts.html  "Wild horses in North America live on islands off the Atlantic coast, as well as on the mainland. Small populations of horses live on Sable Island (Canada), Assateague Island (coast of Maryland and Virginia), Shackleford Island (off the coast of North Carolina) and Cumberland Islands (off the coast of Georgia). As well as the following western states including Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, Oregon, California, Colorado, Idaho, Arizona, Montana, North Dakota and New Mexico."

Nevada is however the state with the largest population of wild horses and burros and so it isn't uncommon to be treated to a sighting of these magnificent creatures when driving anywhere in the state.  Several months ago, Brad and I took the opportunity to take a drive to Goldfield and while out exploring the area just North we came upon a small herd of wild horses.  We took some great pictures of them and I knew that I would be painting wild horses very soon.  

Today was the day and so I pulled out a 24 x 36 inch canvas and started working on my composition.  As you can see by my painting in progress shot, the work has only just begun.  This particular mare in the photograph that I am working from appeared to be an Appaloosa I believe at the time of our visit she had a young colt following her.  I love the angle of the photo and the two lone Joshua Trees in the background.

I have only roughed in the background and sketched my mare in with pencil.  I am struggling with the vast openness of this canvas and just how to make the composition interesting.  I believe that I am going to make the mare larger and add that colt so that the idea of how that generations of wild horses have been roaming the desert of Nevada for over 100 year.

Here are a few more pictures that we took of this herd.