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