Cowboy's Life on a Really Cold Sunday

-14 degrees outside, and what does a friend who lives on main street, close to my house, sees? A cattle drive. Can you say ... Cowboys life is not fun. Can you say, cold feet.
Photographs by Terry Freeman, owner of The Rusty Cowboy Store.

A Hot Box and A Rifle Today

I made a box in which to soften my clay today.

Then I made a rifle sheathed in a leather scabbard. I then decided upon it's position in the piece.

Final photographs today. I'll be back in my studio on Tuesday. Monday I'll be going to the foundry in Bozeman to color my bronze Sacajawea. I'll be recording that. So look for the video and pictures that night.

Finaly I have a Title For This Clay.. At Least For Now

"The New Beginning"
Today, not only did I come up with a new title for the clay, but the man finally got hair. Or at least most of his head got hair. Also I added Fringe to the leather Shirt.



I named it, "The New Beginning", because (and this story is coming to me now as I write) This mountain man hadn't always been a trapper. He'd spent many years on Whaling, and Merchant Ships. From when he was just a cabin boy, of 12 years, to when he saw his friend of many years killed while harpooning a Sperm Whale.
He'd lost the fire in his belly for the hunt for these great beasts. The years of being at sea had worn away on him.
He heard that riches were found in an animal's fur, Beaver. So when he put in port at San Francisco, he left the ocean forever.
He spent the first few years as a part of the Hudson Bay Company and learned the art of trapping. He eventually set out on his own. A more dangerous path, but danger never coward him, and death was a constant companion at sea. So it had no purchase in him.
He befriended a warrior whom he saved from a rampaging bull elk. The warrior, was trapped and had nowhere to go and the elks huge antlers were tearing at the tree trunks he'd taken refuge between.
This mountain man, Joshua, heard the commotion and the heated snorting of the Elk, and the sound of sticks and dirt being thrown. He investigated and found this warrior, who's future was looking in doubt.
The warrior's bravery in the face of this angry, bull elk, tearing up the ground and slaming his huge rack of heavy horns into the quivering pines, just inches from his sweating body, impressed him.
He took aim with his rifle, and later, after some caution on both their parts, the young Blackfeet and mountain man shared steaks and smiles, that night around a warm fire.
Joshua was eventually taken in as part of the warrior's family for the winter. He was treated by most of the tribe as one of them.
He learned so much from the Blackfeet, and during that winter, he fell in love with the warrior's sister.
Jeremiah had to purchase her, like any brave would have to. She also had to give her consent, which she gladly did.
Now several months later, she's at the beginning stages of her pregnancy, and they pause, sharing smiles, he realizes, this is "The New Beginning" he had been searching for.

Minus 3 Degrees Fahrenheit This Morning

Full moon by Sharon Edwards Ennis Mt.

The video below shows where I live beautifully
Ennis Montana Slideshow by Michael P. Flaherty

The thermometer has been stuck at minus 3 degrees Fahrenheit since midnight last night. No global warming here.

Answering a question.

Over the last couple of entries, I've gotten complements and a question from a couple of my blog followers.. Part of the sunkissed crowed.. (a joke.. you see lemons have Sunkist stamped on them... get it... sunkissed... Never mind... lol)

Gary Dombrowski , Just wanted to say thanks for your comments... Great to have you along

Darkstrider said...
Hey David... another faithful follower (newish one). I don't want to overload you with questions, but I figure it cant hurt to ask - I'm curious about the process of sculpting the skeleton in clay. I learned to use the bony landmarks in drawing anatomy, but what I:m wondering is - what are you paying attention to when you're sculpting the bones? If you know of any videos or books that cover it, I'd love to know what they are, or if you've talked about it in a previous video. My guess... since you've already laid out the armature proportionally from the scale drawing, the main concern in sculpting the bones would be the relative thickness of the joints?

ANSWER: There are a couple of great books by Bruno Lucchesi.. That show how to do what you asked. Here's a link to where you can buy his books. http://www.brunolucchesi.com/BRUNO_LUCCHESI/BOOKS.html
Bruno works in pottery clay. I don't, but you can use my kind of clay and still follow his examples, in his books. I took a workshop with him at the Artist's School in Scottsdale Arizona for a week. Amazing artist.

Clothing the Mountain Man

Today, I got started by putting on the loin cloth on his front, then quickly fleshed in the wool shirt with a leather belt around his waist.
Then I decided to not just have him in his shirt and leggings. I thought it might add something to the piece if I added a knee length leather coat. Got that sketched in and then added his shot pouch, and powder horn, hanging on his right side.
I won't be in my studio tomorrow, but will be back on Wednesday.



Final Photographs. (Remember you can click on the photographs to expand them)

Answering Questions Today For Diane in Auburn California

I had to answer Diane's questions in two Videos. In yesterday's blog entry, I showed some questions Diane asked me. Here are some of those answers in two videos





This is Diane in Auburn. A real Cowgirl.


These are some of her Pastels. She, like myself, is self taught.

And this is one of her hand made horse headstall and Bosal. Very talented lady.

Photographs from today's video.. remember to click on them to expand them.