Frank Tenney Johnson

This week (while at the Charles Dayton Art Clinic) I've had the delightful opportunity of reading a book about Frank Tenney Johnson.

Early in the morning and late at night I'd sneak in a page or two.  He is one of my favorite artists. 

This is the first painting of his that I ever say.  It's called Morning Shower. 

He spent time cowboying in the mountains of Colorado, and fell in love with the West.  He wrote letters home to his wife in New York describing the beauty of the mountains and the mesas of the southwest.  I notice that he's always putting boulders and rocks in his work.  He was just starting his art career when Remington was old - so they sort of overlapped.

I wish I could steal high quality images better :)  I like this photo.  He looks like Will Rogers.  The real cowboys always liked him and would pose for him and help him out.

Johnson perfected "The Nocturne" or night painting.  Many of his most famous paintings have a cowboy riding night herd, or of cattle bedded down for the night.  He was amazing.  I loved one of his quotes from the book so much that I copied it down.  He was writing a note to his niece and this is what he said:

"Now I must answer your question as best I can.

"I am doing fairly well in drawing and painting, but there is lots of room for improvement.  Every time I draw a picture I try to make it better than the last one, and that's what you must try to do.  I am pleased to know that you want to be an artist and I shall do all I possibly can to help you be one...

"You must remember, Genevieve, that art is only a way each of us expresses ourselves, and show to others how we feel.  After the snows of winter are gone, and you hear the frogs singing in the pond, and the little chipmunks scamper along the old rail fence while the crows make a big fuss in the woods, and the robins and bluebirds are looking for a place to build their nest, you go out into the woods to pick the first lovely mayflowers as the peep through the leafy mould, and with the warm cheerful sun upon you, there comes a feeling within you which cannot be described in words.  A photograph, full of perfect detail could not tell another person how you felt that day, but it is possible that a drawing or painting or certain music could describe the sensations that you felt on this lovely spring day, and that is Art."

The Frank Tenny Johnson Book, by Harold McCracken, pg. 115

Reed and Norma Ricks Reunion

 I was sooooo sad to miss the Ricks Family Reunion, hosted by Uncle Dale this year.  With trying to get the Spy Twins off to Nebraska, get Mr. Bechtel home from Dallas, get Granny ready for Scout Camp, and get Golden Delicious and me off to our art clinic, it just wasn't in the cards this time.

Here's Grandma.  What a doll.  This was when they were first married and Grandpa was in the Navy.  So cute.

And here are all my super fun cousins that I love (a few others were missing too) , and both my brothers and my mom and dad with everyone else.  I am jealous.  I love my extended Ricks family - they are bright and pleasant and faithful and marvelous.

Doctoring

One of Tate's cows had pink eye so the boys helped him doctor it the other night.

I find cowboys and horses endlessly fascinating to photograph.  

so cool.

good girl Nikita.

Duchess Essential Oils Update

I am having lots of fun (and admittedly a bit of frustration) putting together Duchess.  How is it that an idea can come so easy and actually DOING it requires a bunch of WORK - namely some competence on the computer. Ha ha.

Also my sister in law asked if I'd included an oil blend to use with her kids respiratory (cough, croup, lung stuff) each winter.  Ahhh... must include that too.  My kids are kind of through that stage and I forgot about that one!  So, I'm making progress and having fun.

More to come.

Summertime in Iona

It is a beautiful summer at crabapple farm.  We are lonesome for Mr. Bechtel, who is working in Dallas.  But we have been doing fun things while he is slaving away :)

The boys are riding and working cows, getting ready to go back to Ricky Quinn's place in Nebraska.

I'm wondering in Dallas can be as nice as our little community...

And I finally managed to get a picture of Nova Spy without him disappearing or making a goofy face.  Miracle!

Photo Bomb

This is what little brothers do....

Golden Delicious and Nova's Red Truck

Now that the beloved manure spreader is no longer with us, we need another photogenic vehicle for photo shoots.  Nova Spy's red truck is filling in.

I took some pics of Golden Delicious after she got done riding with Prairie Spy one night.  

She is horrified at most of these pictures.  I assure her it is the ineptitude of the photographer.  But I do think, as her mother, that they are all 'supes adorbes'  (current college lingo for 'super adorable'......)

My favorite (GD does not like this one)

2nd favorite...

The thoughtful, my dog just died, Carrie Ballantyne look

love the "custom" silver accent.

And closer... hi there cutie

And finally, why can't my hair ever look that awesome in a braid?

Thanks Golden!  So happy you're home!

The Hidden Nest

We have had a bumper crop of birds at our house this year.  Granny has been delighted.  Robins nesting on the basketball standard, in the weeds, in the trees.  We think our trees are finally big enough to be interesting and safe for the birds.  We found this little hidden gem in the orchard in our Norland Apple tree.

I love song birds.  We should probably make about 50 blue bird boxes and put them up around the property.  They are my favorite.  But I don't think it's wild enough here.  They like big, open country. Me too.  

When Prairie Spy and I went over to Picabo to watch Joe Wolter start colts it was the most perfect weather - sparkling air, blue blue sky, and a light breeze.   I heard one of the old ranchers say to his friend, "Nice day today.  Bluebird day."

I thought that was fantastic.

Lessons

Now that Golden Delicious is done with Spring Semester at BYU she is ready to begin her loooong bucket list of activities that she wants to do this summer.  One of those is learning to ride better.  She and Prairie spy have been riding a bit.

Often these "lessons" are very hilarious and involve conversation like this, 

"Golden!  I said turn!  Why are you going straight?  Golden!"

"Uggh!  All Pepper wants to do is eat this hay."

"Eat the hay??!!  Do NOT let him TOUCH the hay while you are riding him!  Yank his head up!"

Futile, gentle pulling ensues... "I said YANK!  You're just training him to try harder!"

"UGGH!  Pepper!  Quit eating grass!"

"Don't talk to him!  Do something!  Yank his head up!"

Meanwhile Nova Spy is watching from a distance.  He shakes his head and says, "poor Pepper.  He has to get so dulled down so Golden Delicious and Granny can ride him.  And then I get on him and expect him to be right with me.  I think the poor guy is confused."

But now the boys are getting ready to go back to Nebraska and their horses have to be good, so lessons are going to have to wait till they get home.  That is, unless Golden Delicous decides to be like Jessica in Man From Snowy River and just starts the colt, Dancer, while the boys are gone.

"He'll be away for more than a week.  If the jobs done when he gets home, what can he say?"

I'll have to discuss this with GD.  Ha ha ha.

Trip to the Tetons

I got to go to Jackson with my good friend, Deb.  We had a fantastic time.  Deb was raised in Jackson and her family had the horse concession in Grand Teton National Park until Pres. Clinton did away with that program.  As a little girl, they would move to a small cabin by Jenny Lake for the summer.  Each day after wrapping a 50# box of potatoes for the cook out dinner, and washing the other veggies, and helping get everything ready, she could run up and go swimming in String Lake if there was enough time.  

We hiked from String Lake up to the portage and half way around Taggart lake.  It was beautiful.  We found a little sandy beach to dip our toes in.  We want to go back with the canoes.

The Tetons were beautiful, as usual.  It's really a sin that only people from other countries visit our National Parks.  They are so amazing.  And right in our backyard.  I made a decision that I needed to visit MUCH MORE OFTEN!

This is the famous barn that everyone takes pictures of.  It's on Mormon Row.  If only the early settlers could have held out!  But the weather was tremendously difficult.  It was raining cats and dogs when we were here, so I didn't bother getting out of the car and trying to take a better picture :)

This country is so amazing.  It makes me delighted that we are getting a temple in Star Valley.  It's going to be wonderful.  I wonder what the theme will be?