Dare to Dream BIG!

How do you describe an experience that is beyond your wildest imagination? If you can be brave enough to ask for what you want, you may be surprised how easily it can become a reality.

For those that enjoy the wide open spaces, gentle rolling hills, horses and salt-of-the-earth people, you would find a little piece of heaven on earth, in easton, KS. The place recently given birth to is known as American Frontier, the proud parents being Robert 'Cowboy' Culbertson and his wonderful wife, Donna!


They, along with the blood, sweat and tears of many, such as the 'boys from Illinois, Jim Hatzell, Carol  and Vane Huggins, have built what Richard and Mignon DeShon determined was a dream that needed to be a reality.


The week I was privileged to be there, included hard work from sun up to sundown, but to watch the buildings transform into a well-loved town was incredible.

Once in a lifetime experience!

Hollywood has a new film set! Showing up early to check things out turned out to be the start of a true adventure. Seems they were in need of a sign painter...... and there I was. So Monday morning we started planning the layout and lettering for sign #1. All was well until the sky turned dark and winds picked up. We got the sign moved to the livery just in time, before the hours-long deluge drenched everything!

Tromping through the mud and mini rivers that formed , we still managed to keep the hammers and paint brushes in full motion.

Sun up to sun down, we all worked to bring the dream of  Robert  'Cowboy' Culbertson to reality. What a privledge to work alonside the likes of Jim Hatzell,  from films such as 'Dancing with Wolves'...and most of the 'Boys from Illinois'...

They rarely stopped to take a break and I followed suit, knowing time would fly and we needed to finish by Thursday night, before the unveiling on Friday.

Cowboy and his wife, Donna, had decided to honor Richard DeShon by naming the hotel after him; but we had a tough time keeping a sign that big hidden from him when he showed up on location!





Stay tuned.....

What a treat when he saw the sign;
he was delighted and planned to surprise his wife, Mignon,
 by not telling her before she came to see the town herself.

 

Trial and error....try again!

Experimenting in the miniature painting field. I decided to try painting it even smaller, to qualify for a 'true miniature'.  I went for less painting and tried to keep it from being over-worked. I also wanted the foreground boards to have the warm underglow that I remember from when I took this shot....

This new attempt is 2 x 3"........

 

Now to find a frame.........(guess I should have picked a size I had a frame for.)

 

Going to go back and experiment with the bluebirds that I captured recently....

 

Thanks for looking.......

Experimentation....marble and oils, acrylic, too!

Today I finished up one that I have been working on for a couple of days and having trouble getting just the color I wanted. It was too intense, then when I toned it down it was too dull, then I added another color and it seemed just right...........until it was completely dry...then it was too dark.

I knew that I would recognize the right color/value when it was acheived....

                                            'Patience...'                 12 x 12" acrylic on mounted panel

Normally, I don't paint a subject repeatedly but I keep wanting to explore this one. I am really happy with the texture of the barn siding. Even though the cat is the main character the barn plays a huge role in making the star shine.

I then decided it was time to play and there was this piece of marble that I have been meaning to paint on. I researched a little and found moisture would really be a bad thing on this so I considered colored pencil, but I really wasn't sure; then I saw these oil pencils that I have had for many, many years.

Not sure how to use them and decided to explore on my own rather than search for the answers. I wanted to see what I could learn. Here is my first attempt. (I did learn a few things.)

                                                  3 x 8"              no title...any suggestions?

New Creations

Creating this week but using needle and thread and a genuine hide  that I purchased in South Dakota to make my new purse. Totally happy with the results but the real test will be ...everyday use. It feels and looks like the moose hide satchel that I purchased a couple of years ago; love it, too!

George, from Absoroka in Dubois, WY, gave me a pair of coyote teeth and I used them for embellishments along with a few beads I purchased at OLD TOWN in SD, where they filmed "Dances with Wolves".

Should make the perfect bag for my upcoming adventure at American Frontier Productions in Easton, KS.
Going to be capturing cowboys and Indians, along with mountain men and horses, in the camera for future paintings.

If I am really lucky, I will get to ride a horse or two while I am there!

Stay tuned for more.....thanks, Ruth Ann