Life is a Great Big Canvas

 --This piece was originally published in 2015 but has been updated for the new blog format. Early 2015, I received an invitation from Crossroads Carnegie Art Center, to come tour the Baker Heritage Museum. I, along with many other artists, went, and found inspiration for art in the artifacts, exhibits, stories, and people dressed and in character, at the museum. Upon entering the museum, one of the first people I met was a woman wrapped in a red feather boa, with a feather fan in her hand. Her real name is Elaine Logsdon, but her character's name was Diamond Lil. I imagined she had been a burlesque dancer in her youth, and now perhaps ran her own saloon and theater. I am sure she could tell some very interesting stories! I knew I had to paint her, and knew her personality would shine through on the canvas. I decided with the other paintings I made for the museum, to be more creative in the composition. Instead of painting the entire object, I chose to crop it in a way that would b...

There have been many theories as to the identity of Mona Lisa, the portrait painted by Leonardo Davinci. Some think it is a feminized self portrait. Some say it's DaVinci's lover. I found an article in The Artist's Magazine that makes a very good case for the identity of LaGioconda. The article is called Who's That Girl? written by Katherine Mesch, in the June 2005 issue of the magazine. I read this many years ago and thought it was very interesting. I recently rediscovered the article and thought I would share it. In this article, the author explains that "after 17 years of research, historian Maike Vogt-Luerssen ...claims that the Mona Lisa is really Isabella of Aragon, the former duchess of Milan." The paintings themselves give clues, as well as documents from that period in history, She goes on to explain: "The woman is wearing heavy mournful garments (Isabella's mother died a year prior to the painting of the portrait--she would have still ...

Although not necessarily created as a piece of art, Stonehenge could be considered early architecture, which is a branch of art. I have not been to the real Stonehenge, but there is a replica of a complete Stonehenge that I have been to in Maryhill,Washington, near the Columbia River. It's very interesting. What exactly is Stonehenge, you ask? There are a few theories, including being a perpetual calendar, a site for rituals, or perhaps worship of the sun or astrology. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that it was created by Merlin the Magician, or was created by giants. Stonehenge is believed to have been built about 4,500 years ago, in the Neolithic age, which means new stone age. It can be found in Wiltshire, England, and is open to the public to visit. It is a masterpiece of engineering, and using simple tools, and must have taken much time and effort, unless they had some giants or large animals handy to help with the work. Stonehenge is a group of stones placed ...

Vashti, Queen of Persia, wife of the mighty Xerxes. Some believed that she was the most beautiful woman in the world. King Xerxes certainly did. Once, during a great feast, he ordered his queen to reveal her beauty to all the men in attendance. This did not mean just unveiling her face, but unveiling everything. He wanted her to dance before them, so they could receive pleasure at her sight. It was unheard of for anyone to say no to a king's order and live. Perhaps Vashti hated being treated like a piece of meat. Perhaps, being the queen and mother of Xerxes' heir, she felt that she should receive more honor and respect. For whatever reason, she stood up to her husband, the king, and said NO. Vashti, charcoal, 2014, SOLD Xerxes consulted with the wise men on what to do with her. He must have loved her somewhat, because she would not be put to death for this crime. But he had to do something. If he just let it pass, then the other women of the kingdom might rise up ...

As I am constantly creating more art, I am running out of room to put everything! I am letting these pieces go at clearance prices. Do your Christmas shopping early and get some awesome art at great prices! My loss is your gain! Shipping is based on package weight, free delivery or pickup in Baker City, Oregon. Please click here if you are interested in purchasing. Historic home 1  pen and ink, $30 unframed Geisha, oil, 12x16", $75 unframed Starlight House, pen and ink, $30 unframed South African Man, pen and ink, $20 framed Rainforest, oil, 12x16", $75 unframed The Brothel, pen and ink, $30 unframed Baker Towers Flowers, oil, $75 unframed African Child charcoal, $75 framed The Guardian, charcoal, $75 framed

The Caves at Lascaux in southwestern France, are famous the world over for the paintings on their walls. These are some of the earliest paintings found, and are dated around 15,000-17,000 BC, and were discovered by a group of teenagers in 1940. Like the Chauvet Cave Paintings, the Caves at Lascaux were protected for thousands of years by a landslide which sealed off all access. The caves were open to the public in 1948.By 1955, some of the cave's art began to deteriorate due to all the visitors and the change in the cave's climate. Lichens and crystals and fungus appeared, which were not present before. As a result, the caves were closed in 1963, with access granted only to a few scientists. Still today, only a few scientists are permitted, and the scientific community is working to preserve and restore the paintings. In 1983, an exact replica of the Great Hall of the Bulls and the Painted Gallery, created under Monique Peytral, was opened a short distance from t...