Bull fighters and the bull!

Bull Fighter in the Barrel by thecowboystore

On the other side of this cup, you can see the bull about to hook the barrel.  There's a bull fighter in the barrel and one outside it.  Lots of action on this mug that will hold your morning coffee!
Click the link and it will show you both sides...
Donna

Ranch rodeo horse.

Cowboy on Blaze Faced Sorrel Horse by thecowboystore
Here's a photo I took at a ranch rodeo in Montana.
Ranch rodeo is a great sport!  It's basically a bunch of neighboring ranchers, who get together, and form teams, to compete against each other.  Events are "branding" and "wild cow milking" among other things.
The competition is fierce and lively-a great spectator sport!
This print is wrapped around the edges of the canvas, and has no need for framing.  You can purchase it by clicking the photo above, or the links below the photo.  There are other items there in The Cowboy Store that you might like!  Check it out today! :)
Donna Ridgway

Cute dragon fly photo.

Nice little dragon fly came to sit on the antenna of our car.  I liked the way the light shone through his wings.

If you'd like to see more of my photography, check out my Red Bubble gallery, Donna Ridgway's Nature of Montana Photography.

Corki is going to Wine and Whiskers!

http://www.rimrockhumanesociety.org/

I was contacted the other day by the Rimrock Humane Society and asked if I could donate a piece of art to their upcoming event, "Wine and Whiskers".  Rochelle was so nice, I couldn't tell her no, so I sat down at my desk and painted "Corki".

Corki was a real dog, who belonged to my cousin. She was a ranch dog, rode the four wheeler, went fencing, rode in the pickup, did all the things ranch dogs do!  She was so happy about her life with my cousin, she was a joy to know.

She's crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, but this painting in her honor, helps to keep her memory alive. :)

If you go to Wine and Whiskers be sure to place your bid on Corki!

Sincerely,
Donna Ridgway

Buster a dog art painting!

Buster

I'm doing chores for my neighbor while she helps her family harvest their grain.  I've been doing her chores for the last two weeks.  I love her animals.  She spends so much time with them, that they seem human most of the time!  This is one of her dogs.  I had so much fun painting him like this!

This painting is 6X6 inches in size, and done with acrylic paints.

On another subject, it's fire season in Montana.  A large fire has blown up in bug kill areas in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.  You can bet that fire will be burning way into fall unless it rains real hard!   This fire is in a remote area where fire wouldn't be fought anyway, but most of the fires could be put out when they are small and the trees saved.  It breaks my heart the fires are allowed to burn.  The timber is completely wasted.  That is timber that could become homes for many people.  Logging has come a long way since timber was clear cut, and logging could save and rejuvenate our forests, all the time giving people jobs.

Think of all the small animals that are killed in fires...any one who's young, or old, or trapped, will burn a horrible death.  I don't like forest fires....

Donna Ridgway

The Hollyhock Stalk, painting of hollyhocks

The Hollyhock Stalk

It was amazing to Robert and I, but our hollyhocks grew to be 9 feet tall this year.  I know they carry a good six foot of flowers and blossoms on their slender stalks.  That is how I decided the stalk must be the hero in this drama!  For they hold the weight of the flowers, buds, and leaves without bending or breaking, and with only a little help from me.  I did tie some of the stalks to the yard fence at about the three foot level.  

If you stand inside the grouping of hollyhocks and look out, toward the sun, this is what you see, and I had to paint it.

This painting is 6 inches X 12 inches and is painted on a gallery wrap canvas, so you don't need to frame it unless you want to.  The painting wraps around the edges.  You can find this original painting for sale in The Artist Peeps R Us gallery on Etsy!

I hope your summer has been full of flowers and fun...

Donna Ridgway

King Fisher rescue

I was doing chores for my neighbor, feeding her horses, llama, goats, dogs and cats when I heard a horrible racket near the house.  I ran to see what was happening and the mama cat was terrorizing this King Fisher! The poor little bird was so disoriented, she was trying to fly away, but couldn't figure out where to go.  When she made her loud calling racket, the cat ran off in fear,  but the bird was in an L shaped corner of the house and every time she tried to fly, she'd bang into the wall of the house.

I got a bucket and put it over her head, so she'd calm down before she hurt herself.  I then reached in under the bucket, and got her out, to put her under my shirt in the dark.  I carried her home which was only the distance of three city blocks, so Robert and I could both check her over and make sure she was ok.  I also wanted him to have a chance to see her!

 After we determined she was ok, we took her back to the pond close to the house where I'd found her.

 Just below the house, was this big log with a lot of free space around it.  I took the bird from under my shirt....

 And set her down on the log!

 I think the bit of rest she got while she was under my shirt oriented her to the world again, because she took off the very second she was realeased!

 Just look at her go!

You can't imagine how happy we were to have this experience and to know she was back in the woods, unharmed after she had such a scare.

One of my friends asked me what I would have done if the bird had bit me.  Well, just so you know, while I had her in my hands, I put my finger in front of her beak, she grabbed it but she didn't bite hard enough for me to hurt even a little bit.  She was a very nice bird. :)

I hope you're having a summer full of adventure and fun!  I know I am!  My friend said my new name could be Montana Jones....she makes me laugh a lot!

Donna Ridgway 

Moon over Montana 4X4 inch Montana painting.

Here's one of my most recent paintings.  (I'm back in the studio again!  Please sing that to the tune of "Back in the Saddle Again!" :)  

This little painting is called, "Moon over Montana" and it's 4X4 inches in size, on a gallery wrapped canvas. You can frame it if you wish, or leave it unframed, and hang it as it is.  The painting continues around the edges of the canvas.  A painting that doesn't need a frame, is a great bargain!  You can purchase this painting in the Artist Peeps R Us gallery on Etsy.

Also available as a pendant, this painting has a somewhat western, or southwestern flair!  This pendant is available in Artist Peeps R Us also.  The link will take you right to the necklace.

Hope you're having a wonderfully happy summer!

Donna Ridgway

Isn't this rabbit cute?  He came out from under the post pile at the ranch to chew on some grass and I took his photograph.  He posed so well!

 One of the foals at the ranch had such a beautiful mane.  There's nothing so soft as baby fuzz on a foal.  And do you see the perfect cheerio circle there at the top of his forelock, next to his left ear?

These two are some of the older horses on my cousins' ranch.  Bunch and Murphy.  They spend many hours in summer, just scratchin' and being scratched.

We went to the ranch to clean the calving barns.  We always take our four wheelers and this year, my son met us there, so we had the added bonus of his delightful company.  We went fishing, took a tour of Swift Dam, had some great meals with friends and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly!

You can find these and other photos in Donna Ridgway's Gallery of Photography and Art on Red Bubble.  My Red Bubble gallery is a place where you can purchase my images in cards, giclee prints and a few t-shirts.  Their prices are friendly and shopping is easy!  You can also include framing with your orders.

I hope you're staying cool this summer...
Donna

Montana photos for you!

A Few Birds

In this photo, I fell in love with the blue coloring and the patterns formed by the tree branches.  It has so much rhythm and movement, it's like watching Dance with the Stars.

I was sitting in my little blind along the Sun River when these ducks came floating by.  I sat and watched them for quite a while.  I took a few photos, and they didn't notice me at first.  Finally, one of the ducks became uneasy.  I don't know why, I think the noise of my camera shutter  got to him.  When he took off, the other duck went into panic mode also.  It's awesome to see them walking on water before they actually take to the air.

This is the goose I call Heman.   He's very masculine.  Totally protective of his mate.  He's putting on a display here, showing the other geese how powerful he is.  I think they were properly impressed!

This is one of the yard birds in the cottonwood tree in front of our house.  They're colorful and cheery.  This time of year, they're hungry and it takes a lot of sunflower seeds to keep them happy.  We decided they're worth it.

As always, if you'd like to purchase a photo for your home, or a gift for a friend, click Donna Ridgway's gallery.  Shopping is secure and easy, you can purchase one card or 50, prints on paper or canvas, framed or unframed.  If you'd like to see a photo there, I haven't uploaded, just let me know and I an add it to that site.

I hope you're having a wonderful day!  Spring is almost here in Montana and we're enjoying a day of sunshine.

Donna

Winter has it's tail tucked between it's legs, and spring is holding it's head high!

This is the view along the Missouri River, near a place named Pelican Point.  It's early morning.  The light is soft yet can't be ignored, pure cerulean blue in it's finest!

I sit along the Sun River and wait for waterfowl to come floating by.  The longer I waited for birds, the more I noticed the beauty right in front of me!  The birds near here are hunted in fall, so they're wary of humans.  If I sit along the bank, the birds fly before I can take photos of them.  So off to the second hand store Robert and I  went, and I bought camouflage clothing.  That was good, but not quite good enough.  As I sat in my favorite place, I decided I needed a blind of sorts.  Off into the forest I went, to find two arched branches.  I placed them directly in front of me, stuck twigs into the mud to hold them in place.  When I sit there behind my structure, I weave reeds and grasses into place to form a slightly more solid barrier between myself and the river.  

I sometimes sit for hours, and hold my camera on my knees, ready for a shot of the birds that come floating by, totally unaware of my presence.  One day, a huge flock of pelicans flew directly over my head, without knowing I was there.  The soft whoosh of their wings made me feel as though I'd been sent angel kisses.  

This place is my magic spot, and I'm sharing it with you here.  I think this photo spells out the charm and the wonder of  sitting beside the still waters, waiting for the birds.....

You can see the ice has melted from the river, the snow is gone from the banks, spring is near!

Another sign of spring.  I was so glad to see him covered with his warm blanket as the day was bitterly cold, wet, and subjected to freezing winds.

In our yard, we feed the birds.  In our yard we feed the squirrels, lol.  I laugh at feeding the squirrels because our neighbor stopped near his fence one day and cussed us out for having sunflower seeds in our feeder.  "You know if you feed the birds, you encourage the squirrels to come!" he spoke in a very indignant tone of voice.  "Those things are nothing but pests and I don't like them in the neighborhood!"

In spite of his grumpiness, it's our yard, and we're very entertained by the little creatures that come for the comfort of food.  Some of my photos of the birds and squirrels are a bit ruined by the fencing I put around the feeder.  I have to do something to keep my cats from eating the birds.  :)

As always, my work is for sale here in Donna Ridgway's gallery.  High quality art for your home at an affordable price.  There are many styles and sizes of photos which can be ordered to fit your needs.

I hope you enjoy seeing a bit of spring here in Montana.
Donna

Black team, artist reference photo

Here's a reference photo, you can use for your own artwork if you wish.
Donna Ridgway

Canadian Goose, aceo original acrylic painting.

Purchase Canadian Goose on my Etsy Shop
Robert and I like to go to the Missouri River banks, looking for birds or wildlife.  One day we found this goose and I got a photo of her which was close enough to see the details on her face.  I love the goose faces, I think they're beautiful.

This is an ACEO card, which is 2.5X3.5 inches so it's small, affordable, original art!  You can't go wrong!  ACEO stands for art cards, editions and originals...  She's for sale for $15.00, free shipping.

Hope you enjoy her!
Donna Ridgway

Brush and Floss your teeth, every day!

If you'd like some help, getting your kids to brush and floss their teeth each day, frame this photo and hang it in your bathroom.  The kids will get a kick out of it!  You can order an 8X10 inch photo of this from me, at donnaridgway1@hotmail.com for $30.00.  That includes shipping and a foam core board.  Let me know if you want one today!
Donna Ridgway

Conversation with an Osprey

 Purchase Conversation with an Osprey

Osprey: I’m a little bashful, talking to you like this, you’re not my usual choice of companion…
Me: I know, I’m invading your world, but I won’t hurt you.
Osprey: Ok, then I won’t hurt you either, I could you know- my talons are strong, and my wings are powerful.
Me: I appreciate your strength, but I’ve only come to admire your beauty, and enjoy your resourcefulness. Look at the way you raise your children in that nest you’ve built!
Osprey: Yes, it is a beautiful home, isn’t it? I placed every item myself, with the help of my mate. And look at my kids, they’re almost ready to fly. It won’t be long after that, they’ll be hunting on their own, I can’t believe how fast they’ve grown..seems it was only yesterday they were eggs…
Me: My kids are grown, they left home a long time ago…I miss them.
Osprey: Sigh…yes it’s lonely when they fly the nest, and then I worry about them. I’m afraid they’ll try to eat a rattlesnake before it’s totally dead, or they’ll hit the water to hard when they try to catch a fish.
Not to change the subject, but what’s that black thing in your hands? And why does it click like that?
Me: This is my camera, it clicks when I catch an image of you. It sees you, the way I see you, but the picture of you stays, it doesn’t fade like memory does. It shows how wide your wings spread, the color of your eyes, it shows your black feet, and I can use this photo to show other people how beautiful you are!
Osprey: Cool! How do you think they’ll like this pose?

I hope you're enjoying Montana photos by Donna Ridgway! :)

Zig Zag

We were driving down the road by the elevator, near Priest Butte, at Choteau, Montana.  Some deer ran across the road in front of us.  Before Robert could stop, I shinnied out my car window, sat on the car door, and shot this photo leaning out around the antennae.

It was a fun shot, and I'm so glad I didn't miss it!  I call it Zig Zag, because it reminds me of the rick rack my mom sewed on homemade clothes when I was a kid.

I hope you're enjoying Montana photos and art by Donna Ridgway as much as I enjoy sharing them with you!