THE REMAINS OF CUSTER AND OTHER PHOTOS
Well…not too surprising that a town named after Custer is in such disrepair…the pioneers called this progress…
In Jesus’ name they believed they could “improve” upon the land…
Personally I was ecstatic when I rolled into town on fumes. I was driving along happy as…..ME! enjoying the scenery when I happened to glance over at my gas gauge and it was almost empty! I debated turning around where I knew there was a town but measured my map distance and thought I could make it to Custer. I haven’t run out of gas since I was in college a few decades ago. Luckily I drive a Toyota Echo!
I pulled over a few times on the way home to take photos of the sun going down. People say this part of Montana is ugly but I love it. Its wild and spooky even in daylight. Full of mystery and secrets just waiting for me. Its big with the illusion of small; something that seems manageable at first glance but in reality will never be.
I hope to be able to get some photos that capture the mystery of the land. It is haunting with folds and crevices so numerous…and little mini rimrocks….and you can see forever! The land will flatten and then it crinkles up again as if it were a long sheet of paper that was crumpled in the middle…again and again.
as soon as I get my credit card paid off I”m getting a new camera….the scratches on the lens drive me crazy! (That’s what those dots in the middle of the sky are.)
This part of the country is called HELL CREEK FORMATION and here is the geo-history…unless your Sarah Palin in which case this was all made up by a bunch of liberals spending your tax $$$$ …. trying to destroy Jesus!
Lots more to come!
BODIE
Bodie is an old mining ghost town in the California Sierras…I loved it and it has been the inspiration for a few paintings
SCHOOL ART AT THE MALL
I had to be in the local mall last night, and they had an exhibition of artists 1st through 12th grade…in my opinion no gallery or museum can rival the vision and talent of youth! I cropped the photos so the names and schools of the kids were not shown in some cases it took out a chunk from the art….
Spidy!!!
This is distorted because it was up high…lovely portrait!! I wonder if it was of Self?
I have drawn Buddha in this fashion before…not this good though!!!
Now this is very interesting and I am quite sorry the focus was off….hell breaking loose because this is a senior in high school about to down a margarita??? The pink comfortable chair…with a demon lurking in the shadows…interesting story being told here…why is the chair empty?
Someone was having a good day!!
If only that were true for the rest of us!!
Another great portrait…these kids are quite talented!!
Quite a pirate ship sailing into the sunset
Surely this must be along the Oregon Trail!!
And how great is this sun!!!!
in the garden….interesting colors
I have seen many versions of this driving home at sunset the black trees against layers of mountains…awesome!
Serengeti in Southern Oregon…
Hmmm its a good thing that is a mouse and not a Sparrow…
This bear won a blue ribbon…
HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN HELENA MONTANA
Most of the drawings and paintings are Charles Russel but not the cartoons…some of these may have already been up I always think I will remember every single photo I have put up!!
branding irons
There is a book of Russel’s letters out now…puts email to shame..and reminds me I had better get my rear in gear with my Christmas cards!
MURALS IN KLAMATH FALLS
I probably didn’t quite get them all…
I don’t think that there are Ewauna Indians I think it is just the name of the lake. The only thing I can find is the legend about Chief Siskiyou’s daughter. Legend of Bandon’s Face Rock (click and scroll down the page)
This was sort of odd WINEMA (there were some cute pieces on Winema but I’m tired of history fluff the link seems to be a more accurate description of Winema… on one side of the street and directly facing it this mural commemorating the first train bringing white people into the area
CHRYSTAL CHAN (artist I find interesting)
Seems that Chrystal is on a spiritual journey…
ALMOST DONE WITH THE DOORS!!!
After the FBI cheerleader I need to put up something positive in a hurry…work is calling me. Luckily I have multitudes of photos!!!
GRANTS PASS ARTIST DOORS
I forgot to put the rest of these up.
Grants Pass is only about 35 minutes away…the artist that did this door is advertising well..
“I’T'S THE CLIMATE” is the towns slogan….Southern Oregon is not like the rain and dreary where I grew up…
There are many many vineyards in the Rogue Valley and surrounding areas
This is down town…one day I will take more photos when there aren’t so many people. I love building with clocks. Grants Pass has lots of cool old buildings.
I think this type of artwork was done further up the coast by the Salish. I am quite fond of this style of art.
Ashland is famous for their Shakespearean Festival…and other plays
This is a mural on the side of a building
Lots of wild life around here too!
Actually I have a lot more photos of down town!
GARDENS IN THE DUNES a new painting
This was inspired by the book by Leslie Marmon Silko…I took a lot of liberties..
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MORNING IN GRANTS PASS
I have been so busy with work and traveling this week I had to get to the Farmer’s market in Grants Pass. I hate driving 30 miles to buy organic vegetables but its the first time this year. Took off fairly early (for me) so I would miss the heat. I bought lots of stuff, salad mix, fingerling potatoes, 4 varieties of garlic(I love garlic and put it in everything!) lots of tomatoes, baby onions, green beans, patty pan and zucchini squash. Oh I can’t forget the slicing cucumbers and the lemon cucumbers and the chicken eggs. I was hoping that the man I buy duck eggs from would be there but he wasn’t. Oh the eggplant was ready too! I haven’t been doing so well on the diet thing so I stayed away from all of the wonderful baked goods.
After I put the sensitive veggies in the cooler I took a walk around Grants Pass. The best way to describe Grants Pass is a community that is successful in the co-existence of spirtitul, artistic and blue collar people. Not that blue collar can’t be spiritual or artistic but there are many towns in Oregon where the mill workers would not be open to a variety and a place that is commercially spiritual like Ashland tends to disregard blue collar as beneath them.
The artists also painted doors and they are scattered around town.
STATUE OF A GOLD MINER
THERE WAS A VINTAGE CAR SHOW ALSO. SOME WERE PARKED AROUND TOWN
OLD TOWN GRANTS PASS
NOT SURE WHAT SORT OF TREE OR SHRUB THIS WAS....BUT IT WAS COOL
I cropped some of the doors because there was to much clutter in the background in addition there was also sidewalk sales going on…so the there were lots of tables in some areas. Both sides are painted but some were obscured so I could only take one side.
TWO CRESCENT CITY MURALS
FROM THE FISHERMAN'S RESTAURANT
MARY ADAMS PEACOCK
Not a lot of information on Mary she carried the mail from Grants Pass to Crescent City….the Historical societies fell asleep on this one.
CLOUD PAINTING
I put this stupid house in the painting and was going to take it out but my Mother saw it and wanted it the way it was so I told her I would bring it to her my next visit….
NEW PAINTING
I finally took some photos of new paintings…This one took me a long time to do because of the layers of paint the tree alone took about 15 oz
THE ROAD TO ENLIGHTENMENT
I actually started this last year and it probably took me five months to complete. I read something about watching your problems come and go…that they all serve a purose and to just let them fall to the ground like leaves. I’ve got a lot of fucking leaves!! I swing in life between periods of vast spiritual growth and then a return to this worlds reality…and all of the struggles it has to offer.
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WHAT WOULD BE MORE ACCURATE IS IF THE FIGURE WAS RUNNING BACK TOWARDS THE LEAVES THAT HAVE FALLEN TO THE GROUND AND ROLLING AROUND IN THEM!!! THEN WHEN THOROUGHLY EXHAUSTED WONDER WHY THEY DIDN'T TAKE THAT ONE LITTLE ITTY BITTY TEENSY WEENSY LAST STEP
SEE THAT TREE IS ALREADY GROWING A NEW LEAF.....
THE ENDURANCE AND WHALES
I watched the documentary on the ENDURANCE last night it was inspiring! That all of those men survived working together because they had a strong positive leader. I hate being cold so it was particularly fascinating to me. It is such an amazing story.
The video of the icebergs is so beautiful hard to imagine it can be so destructive. You can watch the whole movie on Youtube.
It reminded me of reading AHAB’S WIFE by Sena Jeter Nauslund a few years ago and that is such an excellent book it inspired me to read MOBY DICK by Herman Melville which was also a good book! However I didn’t like the story being interrupted by the encyclopedia of whales…..I did learn a lot about whales from it though. After that I picked up THE HEART OF THE SEA by Nathaniel Philbrick, about the whaling ship the ESSEX. At that time I was fascinated with Whales and started painting them. A lot of them but I only have one photograph of the paintings. I either sold them or gave them away. Even more primitive than my paintings now. Damn I just got to thinking it was over six years ago…..time is flying!!!
WHALE FROM ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN YEARS AGO
I also did an art quilt with a whale.
MOBY DICK
I painted chenille and what a bitch to quilt!!! with metallic silver embroidery thread no less. Went through several needles and had to use one of those rubber grippers to pull the needle through. I thought I had finished it but the whale is put on with a sort of applique and trapunto mix….and it wasn’t bulging in the wrong place. So I had to undo half of it and repostion it which meant many of the beads had to come off and I haven’t gotten around to finishing the beading. Maybe that will be my next project when I finish the quilt I am currently working on. I need to take better pictures too!
GALLERIES NOW ON THE SIDE BAR
Finally put up some galleries I’ll work on putting up the good photographs this weekend. One day I’ll work on a separate site for the art! I wish I had the money to have a professional take the art photos….of course they look better in person!!
ARTWORK AFTER I MOVED TO OREGON
TREES WITH PINK MOON FROM SOME PICTURE BOOK ON THE HIMALAYAS 16X20 ACRYLIC
RANCH GATE ON THE CALIFORNIA OREGON BORDER 16X20 ACRYLIC
GRAVEYARD IN NEW MEXICO 16X20 ACRYLIC
COAL MINER PROBABLY FROM ONE OF MY MANY PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS OR FOCUS MAGAZINE 16X20 ACRYLIC
LITTLE RED HOUSE ON THE CALIFORNIA OREGON BORDER 16X20 ACRYLIC
GRAPE AND LEAF PROBABLY FROM FOCUS MAGAZINE 16X20 ACRYLIC
CRUCIFIX 18X24 ACRYLIC
EDWARD. S. CURTIS 8X10 ACRYLIC
I ALWAYS LAUGH WHEN I SEE THIS BECAUSE IN THE PHOTO THE TEE PEE IS NOT ON A SLOPE....I HAVE A LOT TO LEARN!!! MY MOTHER SUGGESTED I FIX IT BUT ONCE I AM DONE WITH A PAINTING I'M PRETTY MUCH DONE. 8X10 ACRYLIC
OUTHOUSE BLOWN OVER ON THE CALIFORNIA OREGON BORDER. 16X20 ACRYLIC
THIS IS A PHOTO FROM SOME WAR SOMEWHERE. I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF REMOVING A LOT OF BACKGROUND STUFF FROM IT ...AND THE LEGS ON THE STRETCHER ....EVERYONE HATES THIS PAINTING AND IT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES!! 16X20 ACRYLIC
OLD ART
After I took that trip though Utah when the land started to whisper to me. I started doing art work. Spending more time outdoors. Noticing things. Even when I am driving I am always aware of my surroundings. There were these cedar trees along my driveway inVirginia and they were so beautiful against the blue sky. I had an idea that enlightenment had something to do with the colors of the Earth. I find it interesting that people in India and Tibet used such brilliant colors in their religious art and clothes. So the very first artwork I did was very colorful and religious.
ARTWORK THAT NEVER SOLD AND IN A WAY I WAS GLAD
CAN YOU TELL I WAS RAISED CATHOLIC??
WHEN MY VERY GOOD FRIEND EDITH SAW THIS SHE TURNED TO ME AND EXCLAIMED LIZ YOU NEED TO START DOING ARTWORK THAT PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO HANG ON THEIR WALLS. ONE OF THE FUNNIEST DAMN THINGS ANYONE HAS EVER SAID!! IT'S FUNNY BUT WHEN I TELL THAT STORY PEOPLE ARE APALLED AND THINK I SHOULD BE DEVASTATED...I'M LAUGHING AS I WRITE THIS!!! EDITH HAS MANY FINE PAINTINGS IN HER HOUSE.
I LOVE HOW THE TIBETANS USE BRILLIANT PRIMARY COLORS. I LOVE COLOR IN MY HOUSE
THIS WAS INSPIRED BY A PHOTOGRAPH IN NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ONE OF MY FAVORITE MAGAZINES
SOME MAGAZINE DID A SPREAD OF OLD PHOTOGRAPHS OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST INDIAN CEREMONIAL MASKS AND WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS. THE RED PAINT IS VERY THICK AND GIVES IT A BIT OF DIMENSION. I WISH I HAD THOUGHT TO KEEP THE PICTURES OF MY INSPIRATION MAYBE I'LL START TAPING THEM TO THE BACK SO I DON'T FORGET.
All of these were done in Virginia probably 2003 or 2004. I also did a series of collages based on WHERE WHITE MEN FEAR TO TREAD and a few other books I read at the time….I had a very strong image but no one like them and I almost threw them in a dumpster when I moved. But I COULD NOT part with them if only for the amount of money I spent on paint for each one. I can’t figure out what to do with them. They are not on canvas and need to be framed as they tend to want to bend. I’ll try to take pictures of them soon.
ARTIST KELLY MOORE
Every morning I look at Googles Artist A Day. One of my favorite artists is Kelly Moore. He has developed his style (unlike myself) yet changes constantly. His work is interesting as is his website which is like descending into the abyss. He tries to post new artwork every Monday but has been traveling a lot while the Tesque Pueblo Flea Market is closed for the season. Yes he sells his work at a flea market!
ONE OF KELLY MOORES ART POSTCARDS
On his website(click here) you can request free post cards such as the one above. Mine came a bit before Christmas and being the starving artist that I am…
My Christmas "tree"
I used his post card as an angel on top of my tree. Not a very good picture. The pictures I took with my real camera could not be developed as they somehow got moisture on the film.
First Post or Morning Thoughts on BLOOD MERIDIAN
HOWDY!
Wow I have a lot to learn about this blogging and website stuff! Until then forgive the chaos and disjointed thoughts and posts. I have to figure out how to change the title and upload photos…I hate to be so publicly disorganized (not that I will have any visitors but today I woke up and said time is wasting I need to do SOMETHING about getting my artwork on the web. I’m just winging it and as easy as WordPress is I am a fucking idiot when it comes to computers!
I could call this evening rednessin the west...but when I was painting it I was thinking of the morning
I woke up this morning thinking about BLOOD MERIDIAN (my current read). It is great to romanticize about the old west and then Cormac McCarthy comes around and writes a version of the west with characters so unsavory that I wanted to pull the covers over my head as they might jump off the pages. I know that the characters he writes of are real because I grew up with some of them….and last month I saw two of them walking in the Rogue Valley Mall. I recognized them out of the Christmas shopping crowd. I was hoping that it was just my imagination but there was a girl sitting at the next table who was just as alarmed as I was. The sort of person that you see from 20 yards that causes your body to produce adrenaline and the hair follicles to stand up. I don’t see people like that very often but they are still there. Like I said it had been awhile and they are still on my mind
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