Time to Cowboy Up in Cowtown

Texas Bison
8 x 10
oil on canvas
$150
 

     We had some nice weather today, for a change, so I worked on my art outside and went to two great annual events here in Fort Worth. But first I will talk about the art. I painted the bison painting above  earlier this week. Bison are one of my favorite animals to sculpt and paint. However when I looked at it today I saw there was a scratch where the paint was missing so I fixed that.



Star I'm painting for the Alzheimer's Association.

   Then I began working on a new project. I was asked to be one of a group of metroplex artists who will be decorating steel stars to be auctioned off for the Texas Alzheimer's Association. Other participating artists are Blair Curren, Nancy Boren, Sheri Jones, and Olivette Hubler. Earlier in the week I bought primer and sanded and primed the stars that had not been picked up yet. Today I started mine. It will be a Texas landscape with bison, trees, cacti, and maybe bluebonnets. This photo was taken after I blocked in the sky and tree line. I actually worked until I got the whole painting blocked in.
 



The Six Flags of Texas in the Stock Show parade.

    The other part of my day was spent in large part at the Fort Worth Stock Show parade and later at the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show. I used both opportunities to take lots of photos for future art projects as well as just enjoyed some of our great Western Heritage and History.
 

The US cavalry from Fort Hood.

     The parade is in downtown Fort worth and is the largest all horse and horse drawn vehicle parade in the world. There are over 2000 horses, mules, and donkeys. It seems like every one who is anyone shows up on a horse, in a wagon, buggy, or stage coach. The mayor and city council always ride in it. So to do representatives from the TV stations, radio stations, banks, local businesses, surrounding Sherrifs' posses, branches of the military, churches, and even groups like the Texas Girls Choir. There are also reenactors from various groups.

The TCU marching band.

   Like any parade their are lots of marching bands. As always TCU's marching band was the first band, and they sounded great. Some of the local high school bands participated. There was even a really good band that came all the way from Mexico.




Riders from a Mexican riding club.

    In addition to the band from Mexico several riding clubs from Mexico come up for the event. They wear traditional Mexican clothing. The women almost all ride side saddle. Some of the men perform rope trips. Others ride along talking on their cell phones.



A stage coach in the Stock Show parade

The parade is really a great annual event and a chance for everyone who doesn't usually do so to wear their cowboy hats and boots. I heard there were about 100,000 watching the parade today. Of course the important thing is that it is the start of the Stock Show and Rodeo. So later, after the parade, that is where I went.

A longhorn steer in one of the cattle barns.

This was the first day of the show. The show will run into February and different breeds of livestock are there at different times. The longhorns, one of my favorites, are some of the first there. Today I just took photos. I'll try to go back and  sculpt them while they are still there. When I was growing up Brahmas were my favorite breed of cattle. I may have to try one of those some time.
                                        


Brahmas in the Stock Show.

My Paintings for the Preservation is the Art of the City Show

 My paintings are finally ready for Historic Fort Worth's Preservation is the Art Of the City Show.  I had a bit of trouble with my photography, meaning I think they look better in person than here on the computer. I will have one painting in the Stories from the City category, that is the painting above. Heading for the Shade- Fort Worth Nature Center. I have really enjoyed the nature center this summer. I hope my painting at the show will introduce and encourage new people to visit and become interested in the nature center. I think it is a real hidden gem in fort Worth.

 I have three other  large paintings all based on my photography and sketches from trips to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. I have been there several times  and love it but I am so pleased that we have our own bison herd right here in Fort Worth at the nature center.

 I have five smaller paintings in the show most of which are plein air. Four of them are 8 x 10s and one is a 6 x 8. The first is a painting of Belted Galloways from Fredericksburg, down in the Texas Hill Country. Two others are fall paintings from Aledo and Granbury, two towns near here.The fourth is from our Botanical Gardens right  here in Fort Worth. The last painting is the 6 x 8. It is a painting of a sunset in New Mexico, just outside Santa Fe. I guess what my paintings have in common is that they are all  landscapes from some of my favorite places in Texas and the Western United States

Bison Painting

Yellowstone Bison #2
11 x 14
oil on canvas
$600

  Here is another bison painting I just finished today. It may be a bit shiny in a few wet areas but I am pretty pleased with it. Bison are one of my favorite animals and I have so many photographs of them from all over but especially in Yellowstone National Park. This painting is of a bison cow and bull in the park. I always used to picture them on flat treeless plains but in Yellowstone they are everywhere, and often in lightly forested areas.  As a kid I remember seeing the paintings and sculptures of Charles Russell and thinking how neat buffalos were. As an adult,  they are some of my favorite animals to  paint and sculpt.