There Goes the Neighborhood

8 X 8 Oil on gessoed Masonite board $110
Includes shipping and insurance in US

We don't have cable or satellite - just regular TV. There's not much to my liking on the major networks. Usually the local PBS station has enough interesting informative shows, though. And we rent DVD's from Netflix.

Recently I watched a repeat of a documentary I love - "Cloud, Wild Stallion of the Rockies". A fabulous nature photographer, Ginger Kathrens, has followed a particular stallion named "Cloud" and his family for a number of years now. The image of a mountain on fire stayed in my head and I painted this today.
It was rumored that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was going to try and remove most of the wild horses from Montana and Nevada, but I never could find any record of it. A quick search of "what happened to Cloud" reveals nothing either. Losing the wild mustang herds would be a sad loss....
If you are interested in this little painting, click here to send me an email
To view my latest paintings on Daily Painters go HERE.
Psalm 122:8
For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.”

Counting the Herd - II

12 X 16 Oil on Belgian linen
Contact Artist for Availability

My patrons are the greatest! I was contacted by a collector last week who admired one of my older paintings of a cowboy on a hill - in the same position as this Indian. And he asked if I could paint an Indian in the same fashion with a similar composition. It so happened that I had some excellent images that I had been wanting to use and I quickly came up with a composition which I painted that very day. As we communicated during the process, though, he expressed a wish for the Indian to be wearing a Chief's headdress and for there to be clouds in the sky. He liked the overall composition, though. Since I really prefer to paint the sky first instead of last, I didn't want to go back and change it, and so I offered the first painting on my blog, and it quickly sold. I began the second almost immediately (and I have begun a third, also - with a rainbow sky and a sorrell horse). This time I added a "fancier" headdress and the clouds, keeping the bison and the Indian pretty much the same.
I normally don't like to paint the same image more than once, but I am having fun with this one - and I am open to suggestions for more compositions!
Click here to send me an email

1 Corinthians 7:7
I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that

Counting the Herd

12 X 16 oil on Belgian linen
This Painting is SOLD

This brave counts the number of bison in the herd, and his heart is heavy with the obvious news that their numbers are declining. For years his people have depended upon the bison for survival, killing only what is needed, leaving the rest. Every part of the animal is used - nothing is wasted. Without them, their way of life is threatened; their very existence is in peril.
So understandably the brave is worried. He does not know what the future holds, but a future without the bison is bleak.
I, on the other hand, know exactly where my future lies - in Heaven with my Father. And declining numbers of anything will not affect that future!
Click here to send me an email
Psalm 115:15
May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Boltswagon - donkey portrait

6 X 8 Oil on board commissioned donkey portrait
Contact Artist for YOUR animal portrait!

Dandy has gone off to "Camp Trista" to start learning how to be a grandchild horse, and all reports are excellent.
Trista-the-farrier-mother-horse-trainer has agreed to get her started in exchange for art - a win win deal for all of us.
Her mother-in-law has a fat little donkey that has been on the family farm for years, and this painting will be under the Christmas tree with her name on it. I have been assured that she DOES NOT read this blog! And yes, you are reading his name correctly - "BOLTS-wagon". LOL But I doubt he moves very fast anymore - this is one chubby, OLD donkey!
Grandbaby update: After three days of restlessness Merideth's milk began flowing heavily and baby Addison is now eating, sleeping, looking around and pooping on a fairly regular schedule - giving mom and dad 3 to 4 hours of uninterrupted stretches of sleep. After 3 nights with them, I decided they had it all under control and returned to the farm. Now to decorate for Christmas...
Click here to send me an email
Exodus 23:12
“Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.

Baby News

Yep - she is here! For those of you not following me on Facebook, the news is great! Little Addison Reese Dodd entered our world Dec. 2 at 5:06 pm and was 20 inches long and weighed 8 pounds 5 ounces. And all parties involved are doing fine!
Living on a farm, I have been witness to many births, but none, of course, were as attached to my heart as this one was. The creation of life is something that, if you think about it for very long, it becomes difficult to wrap your mind around it. Like the size of the universe and its beginning. Impossible to fathom. Science still cannot explain all its aspects - and most especially its start. We can only have faith about its origin and trust that the reason we were created is truly as it is explained to us in the Bible - to love God and one another. And if we all did that, imagine how much better this world would be.
As for today - the world is one baby better because she is the reason for a whole lotta love being sent in her direction! This is gonna be the best Christmas ever!
1 John 4:11
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
amen
nodp

Got Your Back

6 X 8 Oil on canvas panel
Check with artist

Baby news: As of Wednesday afternoon, nothing to report other than 90% effaced and 2 cm dilation. If baby doesn't get here within 9 days, Merideth will be induced next Friday, the 10th.
This grandma-to-be is happy that we made it to December. I have used the excuse that December's birthstone is Turquoise to purchase several pieces of gorgeous Navajo turquoise jewelry, with intention of it being passed to first granddaughter. Of course I get to wear it for a least 16 years or so....
Click here to send me an email
Romans 2:1
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
BABY NEWS UPDATE: It's 3:00 am Thursday and we are headed to the hospital. Contractions began late last night and are getting stronger. Come on, Baby!

Still Following the Crowd

4 X 8 Oil on canvas panel $75
SOLD to a collector in Indiana

It's difficult for me to be an artist and NOT be political and imagine meaning in certain pieces. My mind wanders while working and I frequently make up stories to go with the illustrations - especially the more complicated paintings.
This is a simple painting but there's a lot of stuff going on. Cattle all traveling in one direction. It's dusty, so the way is not clear. But each follows the one in front - hoping that the destination is good and worth the trip. No map. No planning. Just follow the individual that's closest. Sound like a political statement to you?
Click here to send me an email

Micah 2:3
Therefore, the LORD says: “I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of calamity.