Three Friends

8 X 10 Oil on gessoed masonite
Check with me for availability

Mike and I went over to a friend's house last Sunday to watch the last Cowboy Football game fiasco. At halftime, it was evident that the Cowboys didn't show up to play, so we 4 girls went for a walk in Bettye's pasture. The sun was getting low, and I just knew there would be some lovely photo ops. I was right. I trailed along behind the other 3 and snapped away. Around every corner the sun played games with the foliage as it sank lower and lower. Despite the drought situation in this part of Texas, I still love where I live and actually don't NEED to travel anywhere to find plenty of things to paint. As Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz said "There's no place like home."
Proverbs 4:14-16
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go your way. For they cannot sleep till they do evil

The Gate's Always Open

9 X 12 Oil on stretched canvas
Contact me for availability

Boy, this painting just screamed symbolism all day to me as I worked on it.
I have used this background several times (or one like it). The actual image is from a neighbor's gate down the road from me. I say "neighbor" even though they are at least 3 miles from me, but here in the country, anyone within 15 miles of my gate is considered a neighbor, and in all honesty, I'll bet I can name 25% of the people within 10 miles of me. No one in the city can do that. Heck, many can't even name their next-door-neighbors. I know mine quite well. We depend upon one another. Ron and Phyllis (neighbors to the north) left for Decatur the other day and when a few miles from home, Ron remembered he hadn't turned off the water to his cows. He called us (thank goodness for cell phones) and Mike obligingly drove over to his house and cut off the water. When bad weather hits, I check on Pat (to the South) - she's alone and not visible from the road. We both share our despise for the gas companies that are currently disrupting our peace and quiet.
I digressed, didn't I? Back to the gate. This neighbor's gate is always open, partly due to the fact that it is off its hinges and there are no longer any cattle on the property. And partly because that is the way this neighbor is. Welcoming.
We have a big iron gate at the end of our drive and it is rarely closed. In fact the only time I close it is when an animal gets loose and I'm afraid of it getting out on the road before I can catch it (usually a cow). Or I deliberately let the horses loose to graze around the house - a rare event since they are non-discriminate eaters and the vegetable garden isn't fenced off from the yard.
Our gate is always open. Welcoming symbolism.
Isaiah 26:2
Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith.

Old 33's Last Calf

11 X 14 Oil on Masonite Board $110
Includes Shipping and Handling
SOLD to a California Collector

This old cow belongs to a neighbor of mine. We walk past his pasture every morning and I always take my camera with me. Ken is a pretty savvy cattle rancher. He buys older pregnant cows for bargain prices (most are on their way to McDonalds) and gives them one more chance on his farm. Most of the time the results are good. The cows have beautiful calves and often even breed back several more times. I have no idea how old this cow is, but she had one really nice calf this Spring. Unfortunately, it may be her last - she didn't look too thrifty last time I saw her. But at least she's gotten to live on Ken's lush coastal pasture these past few months.
I used to name all our cows and their calves - most would eat out of our hand, and several were even halter broke to lead. One I could milk in the pasture as she grazed (this was YEARS ago!) Unfortunately, the goal of raising cattle is for commercial purposes, though, and the ultimate reason for their existence is our consumption, so I had to distance myself from that thinking - something hard for an animal lover to do.
When we ceased raising registered Simmental 6 years ago, we sold the best of the herd to a fellow rancher and they still have several of our original cows (they can live 20 years), and many of their offspring. Ann still sends me pictures of the babies. And you know something? Most of the cattle ranchers I know care nearly as much for their cattle as we did - happy cows breed better, have healthier babies and fewer expensive problems. I still eat steak, though.
Ecclesiastes 5:19
Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God.

Coming or Going?

8 X 10 Oil on Masonite board $135.00
Shipping and Insurance included

I still have a few more details to add before this one is finished, but I was eager to start posting again - hence this almost-finished-painting.
The open gate falling off its hinges suggests that this horse probably has been in this position before...but we don't know if he's leaving his pasture or returning to it. Some days I can relate - especially when we have been on the road for a while. Home is a comfort zone, but it also means WORK when we return to it after a long absence.
The part of Texas where I live is experiencing some rather unusual weather. It's hot and humid already. The heat we are used to, but the humidity is reminiscent of Louisiana where some of my roots still extend - I see very few good hair days in my future if this keeps up!
Jeremiah 17:8
He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

End of Day - Big Bend Parking Lot

20 X 24 Oil on Stretched Canvas $350

That is not a very imaginative or romantic title for this painting, but it is what it is. This is the end of the RV lot at Big Bend. Turn right and go home. Turn left and hike to the Rio Grande. And as unbelievable as it may seem, it rained! And then the sun came out. And we reveled in it.
That part of Texas had a wonderfully wet summer 2 years ago and we were there to enjoy some of it. It was hot and dusty several hours later, but we still got to enjoy the blessing of rain.
Another lesson in geography for the Texas uninitiated: Big Bend National Park is in the far South West reaches of Texas and consists of over 800,000 acres of extreme topography: from desert to river basin to high moutain rain forest. The vistas are endless and the remote location makes you feel as is you have stepped away from civilization and journeyed far farther that you have in actuality.
It takes a lot of effort and planning to get there - even for those of us who LIVE in Texas. I am looking forward to going back there, though, because we barely scratched the surface on our first visit.
Psalm 36:6
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.
(There are over 300 mentions of mountains in the Bible - could this be one reason why so many people are attracted to them???)

How Straight the Gate in Big Bend

6 X 8 Oil on Masonite
contact artist for availability

It matters not how straight the gate, how charged with punishments, the scroll. I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.
My father used to quote this last stanza from William Ernst Henley's poem "Invictus", and for some reason it has been rolling around in my head lately. I don't think Henley was a Christian, because within the poem he mentions "horror of the shade" which to me implies no life after death. In fact, if I remember right, Henley was a humanist and his poem was considered blasphemy. Now I am wondering why my Daddy liked the poem so much....hmmmmm.
This painting is a combination of two places - the gate was seen in Wyoming and the buttes are from Big Bend, Texas - I have created my own little place here - much as I am doing in the new studio, which now has a roof ridge!

Matthew 25:21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

INVICTUS

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstances,

I have not winced nor cried aloud,

Under the bludgeonings of chance,

My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears,

Looms but the horror of the shade.

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how straight the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul.

Construction Completed

This painting is completed, for the most part, and I'm calling it "Homeward." The old house in the background is on Hwy 281 between Stephenville and Interstate 20. I passed by it daily for the eleven years I worked in Weatherford and watched the weeds grow up around it. It had almost disappeared from view. Several weeks ago, as Mike and I drove back from a trip to Weatherford, we passed the old farm and I noticed the land around it was cleared. It had been scraped and bulldozed, but the old farmhouse had been left standing. I asked Mike to turn around and quickly got my camera out. This might be my last chance to photograph an old friend. This horse is an old friend, too. He belongs to a rodeo family with two little girls, and they both compete on him around barrels and poles.
16 X 20 oil on canvas. Contact me if you are interested.
Proverbs 27:9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel.

Always Eating

A quick little study of a view of my side pasture from a painting I did earlier. I like the color in this one better. We have had several frosts down here and the grass is no longer green, yet my horses are as fat as ever. I am not yet giving them hay or feed. Mike keeps asking me when I am going to start feeding them extra and I answer "When they are no longer so fat." Why mess with nature? Just because the grass doesn't look palatable, it doesn't mean they are getting no nutrition from it. They are fine.

5 X 7 Oil on Masonite. $100 from me.

Genesis 45:18 and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.

Run For The Hills

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Yesterday I was able to paint for several hours and I think I am settling in to a style that I really like. I'm making the colors work for me. This action-packed painting shows a herd of horses running across the plains in anticipation of the storm that's coming. Sometimes I feel I do the exact thing - running before the storm arrives, rather than preparing for it so I am ready. The storm is not here yet, but the panic has already set in.

9 X 12 Oil on Canvas Panel $125.00 Frame Included

Deuteronomy 20:3 He shall say: "Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them

Live Oak

SOLD to a Texas Collector
This live oak is about 20 miles north of me on Hwy 281 on the way to Mineral Wells, Texas. I have painted it several times, but this is the first at this season - right after the first frost and before honest-to-goodness-winter hits.
It's been a struggle for trees this big in this part of Texas. We have had below average rainfall and have been teetering on edge of desert-like conditions for the past 6 years. Large trees have been tested in their ability to survive. We have lost several in our own pasture. This spring was wetter than usual, though, and we recently were blessed with an additional 2 inches of welcomed rain. I could almost hear the trees breathing sighs of relief.
This 6 X 8 oil on Masonite can be purchased directly from me for $50.
Psalm 147:16 He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes.

Retirement

In case you haven't figured it out by now, I'll tell you now that I like old trucks. Mike and I will be off RVing somewhere and he knows if I holler "Stop!" I've spotted either a really interesting looking antique/junk shop or an old truck. This particular old truck resides in an abandoned farmyard about 5 miles from me. I've been checking on it for the past 12 years and photographing it during these years of retirement. The license plates reads 1973, so it hasn't moved for a while. Neither has the old Chevy Nomad that rests about 50 feet from the truck. The farmhouse that is nearby has nearly fallen completely into itself. Before that happened, you could still see furniture and household stuff in the house, leaving me to wonder what happened to the family that once resided here? And why did they seemingly disappear overnight?

This oil on canvas painting measures 30 X 36 and can be found in my eBay store.

Isaiah 29:20 The ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear, and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down.

Get A Horse 2

Last Spring I found this old International truck near a mercury mine near Terlingua which is near Big Bend National Park. This is the second time I have painted it, and I'm not through yet! Getting it up the mountain in the first place must have been an event in itself. The trail to the mine is quite a bit less than well graded and was pretty rough in our 4-wheel drive jeep! Temperatures in this part of Texas get over 110 in August and rainfall is less than 16 inches a year - making the area a true desert and quite formidable. Many people live here, however - some without electricity and running water. Instead they utilize solar power and catching rainwater. Gotta love it!
Psalm 68:16 Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the LORD himself will dwell forever?