Just a Little Cowboy and His Dog

The years have just flown by and I find it hard to believe that it has been 8 amazing years since my entrance into the grandmother club.  I started just over a year ago creating a special birthday sketch for each of my grandchildren for their birthday.  Usually they consist of  a matted 5x7 ink and colored pencil sketch of themselves or something special to celebrate their special day. Sometimes I have even included a special poem.    As I draw, I make a habit of praying for each of them and asking God to bless their year, protect their family and bring them to a saving knowledge of His love and sacrifice.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of spending the whole day out in Boulder City at the art gallery there fulfilling my co-op responsibilities.  It is a lovely gallery and I find that it is a perfect place to bring my sketchbook and draw between customers.  I had only penciled a rough outline of what I had in mind for my grandson's birthday sketch.  Mom had sent me a picture of him trying on a cowboy hat that was just adorable so after I settled in at the gallery I pulled out my sketchbook and got started finishing my the sketch shown below.

 I really like how this little sketch turned out of Gavin and his dog Bella and I think he will like it too. Let me know what you think and if you're interested in seeing more of my work, please check out my website at JulieTownsendStudio.com.  

8 years old- Happy Birthday Gavin!

Western Themed Art

My Newest Western Themed Pieces

Light'em Up- 12x12 Acrylic

This is a fun action filled piece inspired by a photo I saw shared by my artist friend who is the real life Marshall of Dodge City, Kansas.  There is just something about this red headed cowgirl, sitting high in the saddle,  reigns clutched in her teeth, six-shooters blazing that draws you into action of the scene.

It reminds me of the thrilling feeling I would get as a child when the beautiful and athletic cowgirls would fly past me with the American Flag flying proudly behind them and their strong horses kicking up the rodeo arena dirt with their powerful hoofs  as they circle the arena.  An exciting display in preparation for the singing of the National Anthem to soon follow.  Every summer this would be my memory as we would always travel to see the rodeo in Coffeyville, Kansas where my Uncle Dick Diveley would always sing the National Anthem.  To me that made him something of a celebrity in my young eyes!

"Edge of the Herd"- 10x20 Acrylic

The American Bison has always held a fascination for me.  I recall as a small child that as we traveled the 50 miles to my grandmother's house in Swedeborg, Missouri, we would pass a large property where  several of large beasts could often be seen from roadway.  

I was also raised on stories of my father's past professional rodeo days when he hung around with Buddy Heaton and his famous buffalo Grunter.  Several old newspaper clippings of my dad riding a buffalo during a rodeo event cover pages in the family album.  So for pretty much as long as I can remember, buffalo have been of real interest to me.  

This past summer I got to enjoy a close up encouter with a very large herd of buffalo we got to see while traveling near Jackson Hole Wyoming.  I have for some time wanted to paint a scene that reflects this American Treasure.  "Edge of the Herd" is the result of that experience

"Stories Around the Fire"- 16x20 Acrylic

There is just something about sitting around a nice fire with friends and a hot cup of coffee and with this piece I wanted to bring you along and stir up memories of your own campfire experiences.

I wanted this piece to portray the rendezvous of an old mountain man and his two cowboy companions.  You can see that the old man is sharing a story as his two companions listen intently. One sipping a cup of steaming hot coffee while the other cowboy holds a stick to poke the fire.   One look at this scene and you know that this old timer must have accumulated enough stories that he could easily keep you up all night listening to his adventures.

Tugging at Heart Strings

I've only been painting seriously for the past 3-4 years, and during that time there have been several pieces I have painted that have evoked a strong personal emotion.  Usually they have been pieces that I have created that focused on my father who passed away 4 years ago today.   

I recall that shortly after his death I tried to do a piece that focused on this favorite cowboy boots.  It was still very painful but somehow putting my feelings on a canvas helped with my healing process.  Since then, I have created 3 more pieces that show him as a young cowboy on the professional rodeo circuit.   It is difficult to explain the emotional experience you feel as an artist when painting something so very personal.  

Riding the Buckskin

This is the last piece I painted of my dad in 2014.  I call it "Riding the Buckskin" and it is painted from an old black and white newspaper photo taken probably in 1959 or 1960.  He is young, strong and full of life.  I wouldn't arrive in his life until 1961 and he wouldn't leave mine until 2011.  

This week I had that same emotional experience as a painting I started for a Hearts and Carnivale themed art show for a local gallery that I am associated with.  The piece just morphed into something so much more.  I had the image of a silver heart painted on a web of ribbons in my mind and that was what I was thinking of when I started to paint on this 12 x 16 inch canvas.  

At some point, I realized that rather than painting just a simply silver heart, I really needed paint my treasured puff heart pendant that once belonged to my dearest Aunt Marilou and was at that moment hanging around my own neck.  

My relationship with my aunt was close throughout my whole life.  She was my only aunt; my dad was her baby brother and she was my dad's only sister and they always enjoyed a close special relationship.  Some of my fondest adult memories are of those two together and the stories they would tell.  Both had a great sense of humor and could keep you in stitches for hours.  

I often admired her silver puffed heart necklace and she wore it often.  Now it is around my neck just as frequently and I love hearing my little grandson hold it gingerly and say in his sweet two year old voice, "Pretty heart."  Maybe someday one of my granddaughters or granddaughter-in-laws will proudly wear this simply necklace and remember me in the same way.

Heart Strings- An Original Acrylic on 12 x 16 stretched canvas

For more of my work, please check out my website at julietownsendstudio.com

Painting a Very Special Cowboy

There have been several times so far in my journey to become an artist that I have worked on a piece that evokes a strong emotional response and usually this has been connected to a piece that makes me think of my dad.  I've painted two pieces right after his passing that brought me to a place of deep reflection and once again I find myself going there again.

Since another year has past and we now have completed year two, I felt it was time to revisit that old newspaper clipping that I have of my dad riding a buffalo at about 20 years of age.  This is just before he met my mother and of course two years before I was considered. My dad left his home in Hugoton, Kansas and began riding the professional rodeo circuit and I'm sure, gave my granny lots to worry about.  There is something about 20 year old boys that can make any mother's hair turn gray.  I know...I've raised 4 of them and have LOTS of gray hair!

So this morning I'm drinking my usual cup of McDonald's fine coffee and considering the canvas that is just blocked out in acrylic at home on my easel.  To the causal glance, anyone would be able to recognize a typical rodeo scene unfolding but this canvas represents so much more than that to me.  As I lift my brush each time to add to the layers of paint, hoping to achieve the desired effect, I am meditating on what this man meant to me and how great my heart aches that I am no longer able to hear one of his facinating stories, discuss a current event or just hear that familiar voice on the phone.  

Yes, painting is personal and can be a very reflective and healing.  It is a way that I can give honor to a very SPECIAL cowboy, my dad-Gerry Warner Diveley.

My dad riding in the rodeo

The starting of my newest painting-buffalo definitely needs to be thicker

 

"A Cowboy Tribute" 18 x 24 Acrylic-If you are interested in purchasing any giclee prints of this particular piece visit my Fine Art America site at:Julie Townsend-A Cowboy Tribute

Where are all the Miners?

I had the occasion recently to read the Editor's Note section of the Nov/Dec 2010 edition of "Gold Prospectors".  Now this magazine is my husbands choice of reading material and not necessarily mine, but I was drawn to this article written by Tom Massie, Editor-in-Chief of "Gold Prospectors", because he was discussing his observations as he wondered through the shops of historic, Prescott, Arizona.  Mr. Massie stated, "Now I've nothing against cowboys or western art, but as I travel through some to the shops I noticed that the swank trendy places offered western scenes of cattle roping and cowboys in painting, pictures and sculptures.  There were plenty of cowboy hats, cowboy boots, western blankets and indian apparel and art.  There just seemed to me to be a lack of anything relating to the prospectors and the miners in today's modern shops."

I couldn't agree more with his conclusion.  Being a long time resident of the wonderful state of Nevada, I am very mindful at just how important mining was to our past and present economic growth.  Nevada became a state in the west, long before any other of it's neighbors joined the union and that was directly the result of President Abraham Lincoln desiring the mining wealth of Nevada to aid in the Civil War efforts. 

I agree with Mr. Massie and while I  love a good cowboy painting, much of the inspiration for my work is received from those strong and sturdy miners that have left their presence know all across the state in the form of ghost towns, abandoned mining shafts and stories of a place that was often wild and lawless.  I decided that I would share just a couple of my pieces, including my newest painting called "Dreams in Shades of Gold",  that have Nevada mining as a theme.  I sent Mr. Massie an email inviting him to check out my website and this blog.  I wonder if he will send me a reply.