One Good Horse

While attending a high school rodeo with my daughter, I got some good pictures of the horses and kids in action. This was truly one good horse, and he was taking a well earned break. It was a cold, snowy day outside, and I liked the soft warm light in the arena that afternoon. This painting is an oil, 16" x 20"

Time of Yellow Leaves

In 2007 our Montana Painters Alliance paint out was in the Highwood Mountains, east of Great Falls. It was cold and rainy, but I still remember the smell of the downed leaves those crisp autumn days. The MPA is a group of Plein Air painters that get together twice a year for paint outs under the Big Sky. We then have gallery or museum shows every so often to show our work as a group. This painting hung in our show, "From Study to Studio" at the C.M. Russell Museum this last summer, 2008. www.mtpaintersalliance.com. I was also recently informed that with the submission of this painting, I am one of the 100 finalists in the 2008 "Paint America Competition" - open to artists from all over the world. This painting will travel around the country with the show for the next year, and will be for sale through www.paintamerica.org. I'm thrilled! "Time of Yellow Leaves" is an oil, 20" x 24".

Under a Painted Sky

I arrived at Crow Fair one summer just as the opening parade was starting. There was so much color and costume - beautiful! This painting is a compilation of images from that day. I loved this woman's expression and I hoped to convey what I felt to be her strength and pride. I am enjoying doing these tonal paintings as they seem more "emotional" to me. "Under a Painted Sky" is an oil, 30 x 30, and is for sale through Montana Trails Gallery in Bozeman, MT. tara@montanatrails.com

Lily Pads

The subject of this painting is Brown's Lake where some other Moms and I used to take "our pile of kids" camping. The lake itself reminds me of a Montana moss agate - foggy in the morning, beautifully calm, reflective water, pine trees. This cove of lily pads was across the lake, accessible by kayak - sort of a secret spot. I am now redoing my website and plan to use this painting as a background for the main pages, so I thought I would show it to you here. "Lilypads" is an oil, 20" x 24" and is sold.

Afternoon Off

Our horse Cricket was the subject of this painting. The time was late afternoon and I loved the blue shadow running down his back, and the contrast between the shadow and the late summer yellows of the season. This painting is an oil, 16" x 20" and is available through Betsy Swartz Fine Art Consulting in Bozeman, MT. betsy@betsyswartzfineart.com

First Bloom

Our "real Montana winter" continues, and therefore this little painting is wishful thinking at this point in time! The flowers depicted are Crocus, or Prairie Smoke, and are the first native flowers to peek through the mountain snow in the spring along the Divide. Their appearance always causes excitement, as they testify to the fact that winter will not last much longer. This painting is an oil, 12" x 16" and is sold.

Portrait of Hector

"Hector" was the first student portrait I finished for "The Many of Faces of Andover" project I am doing for Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. It is an oil, 24" x 30". Hector is from the Dominican Republic, and he intended to become an Engineer. He was introduced to fencing at Andover and loved it! He chose to model for me in that outfit. It was also important to Hector to have both the American and the Dominican flags represented in his portrait. www.andover.edu

Portrait of Yendi

This is the second portrait I've done for Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. My daughter attended PA for three years of high school. It's an amazing, academically rigorous college prep boarding school. I can't say enough good things about it. www.andover.edu

For this project, I took pictures of twelve different students, and plan to do paintings of the same. I intend to focus on the diversity of the students, and their special interests as well. Every student there has a unique and interesting life story. They are kids from all over the world. One of the PA focuses is to enroll "youth from every quarter", and they truly do. This portrait is of a girl named Yendi. It is an oil, 24" x 30". Yendi is from NYC, and is now in college, hoping to become a Doctor. She found dance at Andover, and loved it.

Christmas week in Montana...

Christmas is past us. We had a great day. I hope you did as well. I do have to say that I am really tired of the WEATHER here! I have spent much of the last few weeks dealing with it. Today I tried to get to town (our own ranch road / trail is 2 miles long and not maintained.) I made it half way out before really burying the truck in a deep snow drift. I spent 2 1/2 hours shoveling to get out. The wind at times was blowing so hard that it blew snow back in the tracks as fast as I could shovel. I thought I was dressed well. I wasn't. I cannot tell you how important survival gear can be at times during a Montana winter! I was cold and wet and had to keep getting back in the truck to warm up. There was no way I could have walked home without becoming hypothermic. But - I did it - I shoveled out about 25' on either side of the truck and finally backed out of there. We'll be snowed in for a few days, that's for sure. At least I'm not trying to go anywhere! These pictures were taken yesterday, the day after Christmas at our place. It was truly beautiful - until the wind started blowing, as it always does here on the east side of the Divide!

"Little Bird"

To continue the parasol story, I did this painting by request after the Russell Show last year. The gallery wanted a painting like "Little Star". I would not do another of the same, but did do this one of the same little girl. This painting is much larger, 48" x 48" and is for sale through Montana Trails Gallery in Bozeman, MT. This is not a terribly accurate image of the painting. The painting is better! www.montanatrails.com