Life on the Ranch and in the Studio, and on the Road

'Thunderhead at Sunset' , Pastel                       Phippen Museum Gallery                 'Two of a Kind', Pastel

What a very busy spring this has been. Traveling to Prescott to see the Phippen in early March was very eventful having traveled by plane to Phoenix and driving to Prescott. Staying in the historic Hassayampa Inn which cellebrates is 100th birthday in 2027 was a special treat. What a beautiful and grand old hotel where many celebrities stayed and walked the halls. Many WAOW's attend the Opening weekend, of our 54th Annual National Juried  Show,  coming from all over the country.   

First day, several artists and husbands took a tour bus to Grand Canyon where we were greeted with a snow storm and could barely see anything of the canyon at all. But all was not lost. We ate a fine meal at the El Tavar Inn Lodge and sat by the fireplace watching it snow and people coming and going. This hotel had many guest scurrying around in the snow. A train unloaded not far from the Lodge. 

Back in Prescott, we got to see the best of the best artwork of Women Artists of the West for our 54th National Show, 'Dreamweavers'. It is stunning and the Museum is very interesting. It is named after the first President and a founding member  of the Cowboy Artists  of America, George Phippen. Many of his paintings and sculptures are in the museum, along with a replica of his studio. The landscape around Prescott was very interesting with large boulders near the Museum. 

The WAOW show is beautifully displayed and art has sold very well with works being purchased after the opening night.

I had a pastel, 'Thunderhead at Sunset' accepted in the show and was so excited to be in this group of fine artists. It has been a challenging time for me as an artist, as I have been transitioning from sculptor to pastel painter. 

Then, I was really surprised, and honored, when I got a pastel painting in the Arizona Pastel Artists Association 8th Member Show in the downstairs gallery. Both of these shows are going on at the same time in the Phippen. I am also a member of the APAA and learning the ropes as a pastel artist. This show was quite an honor to get in, as it has many International Pastel Master artists were also in it. I saw just how much I have to learn. I feel fortunate to have been accepted in both of these shows at the same time.  This show can be seen by the flippen book on the APAA website. 

My painting 'Two of a Kind' is of the team of draft horses, Dan and Doc, that were at our National show in Newton, Kansas last summer, was the subject of my painting. This painting was started as a pleinAir painting, meaning I started in from life as they were tied to a bench in a park behind the 'Carriage Factory Art Gallery', last summer. It was fun working with the live animals, but very challenging. Lucily I found a picture I had taken of them in almost the same pose. I was then able to finish the picture I had started in Newton a few months before.   

Back home in Oklahoma, I entered our 2nd Annual OPS/APS Show shared by two pastel organizations; Ozark Pastel Society, and Arkansas Pastel Society. I belong to both of these organizations. Demonstrations and a table set up with pastels and paper allowed students and attendees to play with pastels. It was a big hit. Small pieces of sanded paper was supplied with some pastels. The Art students from the college and visitors with small school children all got to experience the love of pastel.  The group show was held on the campus of John Brown University, in Siloam Springs. 

So, now I am gearing up and getting packed to attend the Woolaroc Invitational outside Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where I have four sculptures on exhibit. I feel so honored to be in this show, as it is the best of the Women Artists of the West group who choose to paint and sculpt western genra.

This will be my last big sculpting show, so it will be a bitter sweet show for me, as I put down the sculpting tools and concentrate on pastel painting. The four sculptures in this show are some of my very best and are still reasonably priced, as the next editions will be more expensive. This show is beautiful and can be pre-viewed on the www.waow.org. The Phippen catalog can also be viewed on the same site. Both offer beautiful work by women artists telling their story on canvas, paper and in metal, through their eyes. 

Spend an evening in your armchair glancing through this beautiful artwork. If you can attend the Woolaroc event on May 4th, 2024, we would love to see you there. Come support women artists doing what they love. Demonstrations can be seen Saturday morning at the Woolaroc. 

Time is a fickle thing.

My Grandma used to tell me, when I was a teenager that time goes faster and faster as she grew older. I was a teen and wanted time to speed up! She was in her 50's and she said the days just fly by.

I couldn't wait to be sixteen and she was dreading turning 60. 

Now I am in my 70's, indeed time is flying by. 

Eight years ago, a collegue and myself embarked on a project to bring the Women Artists of the West to the Woolaroc.

Back then, we never fathomed it would take this long. Like that teen anticipating becoming a young adult, time stood still. It was frustrating. But we had a goal and hoped it would come to fruition. 

Time stretched into months and then years and we persisted. One or the other of us giving up along the time travelled, many times. Yet encouraging each other not to give up. We lifted each other up during the difficult times and finally in 2022 we got the nod that, indeed, we would have an Invitational at the Woolaroc. This was May of 2022. 

Now the real work would begin. A Woolaroc Team was formed. Over 185 women artists submitted and were screened by their websites. The theme of the work was suggested by Woolaroc to be westen themed. No problem there, as our WAOW organization had been formed over 50 years earlier by women artists in the western performance and show arena in Norco.

Screening began for over a year and 37 of the best western artists in our group were 'invited' after two seperate culling of works. We had selected our very best for the limited space we had at the Woolaroc. We were going to be exhibiting at the grand exhibit space in room 5. Much is weighing on this show as the 'Woolaroc Invitational' has a possibility of becomeing even more with a possible invitation on the even number years for a permanent 'Invitation'. 

The planning was set in motion and time seemed to drag on. We wondered if we would ever see the day we open at the Woolaroc Museum. The date was set for May 4, 2024-August 4, 2024. 

Time is now flying by and we are only 12 days from this historic opening. Events have been planned and 32 of the 37 artists will be in attendance at the Opening Night, Saturday, May 4 , 2024. The day will be filled with painters demonstrating in oil and pastel. Talks will be given about the historic Woolaroc, by the daughter of the architect, Dr. Cathy Jameson. A panel discussion will be held to discuss the journey of women in the arts. A talk about the history and forming of WAOW will also be presented by one of our forming members, Mary Ann Cherry. 

This will indeed be a momentous occasion with women coming from 14 states, and two countries to help us celebrate women artists. 

EeeGads! How can it be so close now? My grandmother was right! Time does fly. I hope we can all take in the moments at the opening to enjoy the time we have to spend together.

WE have had three special gatherings to bring artists closer together and introduce a few to Woolaroc. The WolfCreek Ranch was a mainstay for all of these gatherings in '22, 23' and '24. WAOW wants to thank Mark and Kelly Spencer for their support and treating us to special days at their ranch. They are very special to us. 

Come spend some time with us, Women Artists of the West at the Woolaroc and make time stand still for just a moment at least. 

Yes, time is a fickle thing!