Plein air pastel still life painting of an elk skull, flowers and stone wall.
Plein air watercolor painting 6. 5 inches x 10 inches
The lodge at Bonanza Creek is comfortable and inviting. It’s surrounded on one side by a stone wall with western paraphernalia arranged among the rocks. One day, after riding, I decided to do what I rarely do: a watercolor still life. Granted, the elements are a little different from the usual apples, lemons and wine bottles. But it seemed appropriate for this Michigan artist visiting Montana!
Plein air watercolor landscape painting of ranchland in Montana
Plein air watercolor painting 6. 5 inches x 10 inches
Montana in June was marvelous! They have had a lot more rain this year than usual (maybe TOO much!) and the land was lush, green and covered with wildflowers. We spent most of our time at Bonanza Creek riding the 35,000 acre ranch, soaking up the unbelievably beautiful scenery. A couple of days were spent on culling out “pairs” (a mother and baby cow) from the herd, team penning (separating specific cows into specific pens) and moving one of the herds to new grazing grounds. Of course, all of these tasks could have been done with one experienced rancher and a dog, but our group of 7 plucky cowgirls did an admirable job.
I didn’t have much time for plein air watercolor painting but I did manage to do a few quick sketches in the afternoons. Whenever I travel to a new location, it takes me a while to “get the lay of the land.” And believe me, the land out there is amazing! How do you suggest endless fields and valleys that lead, miles away, to huge jagged mountain ranges? Especially when it is not the landscape that you are familiar with? This is my first attempt at a watercolor landscape of the daunting but very beautiful western countryside…
Plein air watercolor landscape painting of a footpath in Montana
Plein air watercolor painting 5 inches x 7 inches
I’m going out to Bonanza Creek in Montana this June! Beth and I are going to ride the hills with a great gaggle of cowgirls who are as excited as we are. I’ve been looking at new cowboy boots and dreaming of days on horseback. I’ll be bringing my watercolors and painting in the afternoons after our rides. This little plein air watercolor painting was done the last time I visited my sister in Dillon. Can’t wait to paint watercolor landscapes of the beautiful western countryside again!
Watercolor portrait of two cowgirls on their horses.
Watercolor portrait painting 12 inches x 9 inches
My Bonanza Creek dreaming wouldn’t be complete without a watercolor portrait of the two intrepid cowgirls! Here we are moving cattle in September, living the good life!
Plein air watercolor landscape painting of a road leading to a Montana ranch
Plein air Watercolor painting 15 inches x 5.5 inches
Sometimes an extreme horizontal format is the best way to capture the feeling of a location, especially if you want to create a panorama effect. This Montana watercolor landscape was painted in July when the fields had already turned to gold, but before everything has greyed down and lost its vibrancy.
Plein air watercolor landscape painting of an old building in Montana
Plein air Watercolor painting 9 inches x 6.5 inches
Beth worked on a ranch out in western Montana and I visited her a couple of times out there. While she slaved all day trying to sell high-end quarter horses to well-off matrons, I would wander the ranch and paint. This little building was actually some type of water house but it reminded me of an old mission. The bright sunlight and shadows made a nice comp0sition for a watercolor landscape. I especially liked the grasses highlighted against the dark door.
When asked, I always say that a painting like this takes me about an hour to complete….plus 30 years of learning and practice…
Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.
This little pastel landscape is a flash from the past for me. For 4 or 5 summers in a row, I traveled to Montana to ride horses like a crazy woman with my sister Beth. The views are absolutely astounding, and looks very much like it must have centuries ago. I fell in love with the countryside and did a lot of pastel and watercolor paintings of the area.
My sister loved Montana so much that she moved there as marketing director of a international quarter horse outfit. She subsequently created the best western saddle website in the world. check it out!
