Calendars Done!, Grandpa Jack, Amy Melious

Calendars

The paintings for the calendars are done and the images are off to the printer to be made into wall calendars, desk calendars and note cards for Portland Open Studios and Washington County Open Studios.  This is a "unique educational opportunity for the public to witness art in the making, and learn about media, materials and the business of creative endeavor." from PDXOS
This weekend and next, Oct 10-11, 17-18, 2015, 10am -5pm.
My address is: 12545 NW Coleman Dr., Portland, OR. 97229. 
Come on by! :)

This is such a special story...

This is a story about my lovely cousin, Amy Melious, and how she took my original photo of our Grandpa Jack and what she did with it. She is a very talented photographic artist.
    "My siblings and I never knew Jack, so working on this piece was a fascinating and rewarding look into who he may have been. All I know of him is a few great stories. I love to explore things in visual language. When Annie first showed me the base photo of Jack on the horse, I felt it was a perfect illustration for a story my dad told me once about how much his dad loved being on horseback and in the open landscape, with the big sky above, 'Son, this is my church'....

So, I made a first version, with an old map of the constellations as the background. (Grandpa Jack in his Heaven)
About the first version: It's a photoshop composite I made using about ten separate image files. The finished piece is printed on canvas and I embellished it by hand with acrylic paint.

Base image: This is the vintage black and white print that you let me photograph at your house one time when I visited- the 8x10 image of Jack on the horse by an unknown photographer.

Constellation graphic in sky: Vintage graphic.

Ponies in landscape, my photo taken in California- placed to represent the world we live in-the ponies representing family (I like the echo in the collection above -stars--collection below-family)

Shortly after the first version was made, my brother John called. He was looking for a piece of art for a particular space in one of the Cattlemens restaurants.
I created a second version  to tell another story. 
John has worked with Cattlemens for over twenty five years. The founders have played a large role in his life. The new picture ties together Grandpa Jack's cowboy history, my dad, John, and Cattlemens founders.
Again, my family is present in a subtle way by the use of the word "Pacific" running vertically along Grandpa Jack's spine. It was symbolism used to link John, Grandpa Jack, the ranch in Montana, and the legacy of Cattlemens. 
In both versions, I included a field to connect all the generations, and ponies that I photographed in my hometown of Willits to symbolize his descendents. There is also some grass (picked near my house) in the most near foreground to serve as the absolute most current aspect. 
I love the imagine that my dad and our grandfather might be proud to know they are celebrated in the form of artwork. 
2nd Version:  Also, a photoshop composite I made using several image files, both my own photographs and found vintage images.The finished piece is printed on canvas and I embellished it by hand with acrylic paint.

The finished piece is hanging in the Santa Rosa Cattlemens, and a second copy of it was recently installed in the Selma Cattlemens Restaurant."

What a beautiful story!

Here is my daughter, Katherine(middle), Heather and John my cousin, at Santa Rosa Cattlemans.

Listening to while I paint:

Audiobook:  

"The Natty Professor" by Tim Gunn, narrated by Tim Gunn. A master class on mentoring, motivating, and making it work! 

Podcasts: 
American's Test Kitchen, hosted by Christopher Kimball
Online Marketing Made Easy, hosted by Amy Porterfield

Artists Helping Artists, hosted by Leslie Saeta

Social Media Examiner, hosted by Michael Stelzner
"Wait, Wait.... Don't Tell Me!", hosted by Peter Sagal
Splendid Table, hosted by Lynne Rossetto Kasper

Truth For Life, hosted by Alistair Begg

Music: 
My iPod

What I am reading:
Youtility, by Jay Baer

Really helpful:

I am continually checking a dictionary, thesaurus, spell check, but one thing that has been particularly helpful is the grammar check. Please excuse any errors that I make and tell me! :)