The plan for this week was to show y'all a bunch photos I took while on my vacation in Montana.
But last night, when I started trying to cull down the photographs to manageable number, 3 AM
rolled around, and I found I still had at least 61 pictures remaining after the culling process.
That's just waaay too many for me to deal with in my homemade website's HTML writing
process. And since I really wanted to paint today, I have decided to present some new
Hercules da Vinci abstracts, for now, and I'll throw in several "teaser" photos
from the Montana trip, to make you want to come back for those photos!
 |
 |
Hercules da Vinci is the nom de brush (so to speak) that I use for my by-product
art that occurs as a side result from the process of painting my commissions.
I just love these little works for their spontaneity and unpredictability.
 |
Some times I will exercise a little more control than others. In this
instance, I decided to experiment with working in a circle.
 |
All of these works come from the same delightful palette that I am currently using to paint
Cass Hook and Scout Stormcloud's new skyscape commission -- hence, the similar
colors. This work has some slight resemblance to the first image, in that I've
been experimenting with layering and the results that brings.
As I'd mentioned, I took a bunch of photographs while I
was in Montana, so this will be just a small sampling
of things I did and saw while I was out there.
 |
In order to ease the transition from abstraction to reality, I will start out
with this photo I took while flying to the Denver airport. I'm not certain
of this, but I'm thinking this is probably somewhere in western Kansas.
 |
This panoramic view of the city was taken from a trail leading up the side of Mount Helena.
Downtown Helena is to the center-right; Carroll College is the cluster of buildings to the center-left.
 |
Russ and Beth live in this truly marvelous house, which was built in 1893.
 |
This view is looking toward downtown, and that's Mount Helena in the background.
The Cargo's household is in a neighborhood that is just below Mount Helena.
 |
This is just one of many handsome old buildings to be found in downtown Helena.
 |
In case you couldn't remember:
Yes, Helena is the capital of Montana!
 |
Russ now teaches a class at this small Catholic college in Helena, and they have a very
good football team -- having won the NAIA National Championship five times
this decade! Once again, there's Mount Helena rising in the background.
 |
On my birthday, Russ, Beth and I floated down the Missouri River.
Russ and I rode on the raft, and Beth paddled the inflatable kayak.
 |
After we finished our rafting trip down the Missouri, Russ took a side excursion on the drive
home, which took us past the Holter Dam and more of that beautiful Montana scenery.