Work in progress painting of dog, Border Collie.

I started another dog painting today. This is drawn onto the gessoed mat board with my watercolor brush and Ultramarine Blue paint.

We had 7 inches of snow the other day, and the power company still hasn't got our lines fixed. We're running the generator and glad to have it so we don't lose the meat in the freezer or the groceries we just stocked into the refrigerator.

Our electricity worked until today, the town of Great Falls was without for a day or two, in many places. So many trees came down on the lines. It was a hey day for the tree removal companies. But so sad for the trees.

Anyway, I don't suppose I'll get much more painting done on this as it's getting dark and we won't have many lights going tonight. I'm glad the weather man here is accurate! Because of him, and his prediction of freezing weather and heavy snow, I covered my flowers and they lived through the storm. Such is Montana weather, if you don't like it, stick around it will change in about five minutes. It's never boring and I like that. So long as it doesn't take my house down, or cause any great damage, we can live with it. So much better than living somewhere else!
Donna Ridgway

Email Meif you have questions, or want to inquire about purchasing a painting.

Remember, you can find horse art, Western art, Mule and Donkey art
wildlife art, cow art, and animal paintings, reference Photosfor sale on my website.

Dodge Power Wagon, Type D

Some Power Wagon Stories.

In 1949 an explorer took a chance, and asked Chrysler Corporation if they would furnish him with vehicles he could use to explore Arabia. He was given 17 specially equipped Power Wagons and set off on his expedition.

As luck would have it, he found the Queen of Sheba's temple and excavation began. Problems with authorities caused him and his crew members to flee for their lives, they made it to safety in two of the Power Wagons.

Read more about this story.

There's a Montana story about the power wagons, where Montana Power, in it's early days, had lines to maintain in areas where it was impossible to get vehicles. They bought a fleet of Power Wagons and took them to the mountains. One such power wagon was supposed to have been driven to the shop in brand new condition and never used. The legend goes it was purchased with from Montana Power with only the miles it took to get it from town to the shop...it sat there unused all those years. Like I say, this is a story...perhaps true or perhaps not, but a story about the power wagons just the same.

My grandparents bought their power wagon because they needed a pickup. This was probably in the early fifties or late forties. They went to town, bought the truck and headed home. They lived 50 miles from town, along the Rocky Mountain Front.

As they drove along, my grandpa went through the gears until there were no more gears...the silence grew until finally my grandma asked, "Why aren't we going faster than this?" To which Grandpa replied in a puzzled voice, "I don't think it goes any faster than this!"

That 's just a little family story about the power wagon.

I can remember taking salt to the cows in that power wagon. Weather was not a factor when you had a power wagon. If you got stuck, you took out the winch and pulled yourself out.

Back then, if a grizzly was killing your cattle, you set bear traps and caught the bear yourself. I can remember checking the bear traps in the power wagon. We'd get as close as we could to the trap, and sometimes walk the rest of the way. The anticipation of what you might find was so intense! I remember following my grandpa, while he carried his rifle through the woods like it was yesterday.

There are times now when Robert and I take our four wheelers onto the ranch my grandparents homesteaded. Even though I was a child when I roamed that ranch with my grandpa, when I find the old trails he and I were on, the memories come flooding back of what a wondrous playground that ranch was and how much fun I had with him.

As time goes on and Robert and I get busy restoring our power wagon, I'll probably subject you to more stories about this wonderful old machine. I was going to set up a different blog, with power wagon stuff on it, then I decided one blog was enough. Perhaps if you're interested enough to read my blog and see my art and photos, you're interested enough to learn all of what makes up an artist.

We're a curious breed, interested in so many things, we can't possibly cover them all in a lifetime.

But, in knowing the things that interest us, perhaps you see an overall influence in the art we create, and that leads to a better understanding of who we are and why we paint what we do.

I once painted the old Chevy truck which was the first vehicle I learned to drive, now you can believe I'm going to paint this old power wagon too!
Donna Ridgway

Watercolor study of a Rottweiler dog.

I finished this today. It's a little study, 4X6 inches. For sale for $15. I can send you a paypal invoice if you're interested.

This dog was so happy, and so clear eyed, he was fun to paint.
Donna Ridgway


Email Meif you have questions, or want to inquire about purchasing a painting.

Remember, you can find horse art, Western art, Mule and Donkey art
wildlife art, cow art, and animal paintings, my Montana Photosfor sale on my website.

Dodge Power Wagon

It's been a long time coming, but we've finally found our power wagon! He has a coat of many colors, parts in his cab, and he's going to come totally apart and become a new being, but the important thing is, he's arrived!

I've wanted one since I was a kid. My grandpa had one on the ranch, and my dad had one when I was growing up.

Speaking of growing up, I'm not certain how old my brother and I were the day my dad told us to go get "Skogen" and bring her and her new calf home. We were still milking cows then for the milk for the house so we weren't very old. I was a year older than my brother.

We took off for the cow pasture in the old power wagon. If you know power wagons, they don't go very fast, especially when they are in four wheel drive. I'm sure we had it in four wheel drive, as it was calving season, and probably a muddy spring. I was driving.

Skogen was a holstein cow, named after the cattle buyer we'd bought her from. She was notoriously rank when she calved. She'd spent many years having her baby taken from her and the very thought of coming in from the pasture in the spring was enough to put her on the fight.

My dad didn't think twice about sending us after the calf, in spite of our young age. And when he said, "go get that cow and her calf", we didn't question it, and we didn't stand there looking stupid, or hesitate, or pretend we didn't know what he meant....we just jumped in the old power wagon and took off.

We got out to the pasture and found Skogen and her new baby. We got hold of the calf before it took off running and together, we managed to throw the calf in the back of the truck. By this time, the cow was getting pretty mad. I ran around to get inside the truck and my brother held tight to the calf in the back.

I put the wagon in first gear and started off, shifting as fast as I could. The calf began to bellar and Skogen heard him. She ran up to the back of the power wagon and tried to jump in. She succeeded with her front feet, but couldn't get her hind hooves in because I was going just as fast as she was, and I was picking up speed, albeit, slowly...

The cow was mad, she couldn't touch my brother, but she was blowing snot all over him. He'd hit her in the nose, then he'd bang the back of the cab, while he yelled at the top of his voice, "Get this thing outta here!"

I had the giggles to the point I could barely drive for when I looked back in the mirror, I could see that cow's hind legs paddling along trying to keep up. When I looked out the back window, I could see her blowing and bellering at my brother.

We went quite a ways before Skogen dropped off the back of the truck. We didn't need to worry about her following us up to the barn, which was a couple miles away. She was right behind that truck, her full bag swinging and swaying as she ran.

So you can see why I wanted another power wagon, they bring back memories!
Donna Ridgway

Watercolor painting of a dog. WIP

I've started this painting of a dog. He's probably a "mutt". Those are my favorite dogs. No special breeding, no big pedigrees, just a wonderful, happy dog, who belongs to someone who loves him!

We found this dog in Cascade, Montana...stopped to visit his owner, and while the guys were talking, I asked if I could take pictures of the guys dog. Don't know his name, he was a stranger, but I liked his happy dog.

I'll update this as I go along.
Donna Ridgway

Email Meif you have questions, or want to inquire about purchasing a painting.

Remember, you can find horse art, Western art, Mule and Donkey art
wildlife art, cow art, and animal paintings, my Montana Photosfor sale on my website.

Le Cadeau du Cheval, The Horse Gift, update

I'm having a hard time photographing this so it looks like what I've painted, but here's another update. Unless I change something after looking at this for a while, it's finished. I could go crazy and repaint the whole thing at this point. I just don't know....
Donna

Le Cadeau du Cheval, The Horse Gift, update

Not much to say about this but it is coming along. It feels like I still have a lot of decisions to make about it, but that's ok. It will happen ...I will get this finished!
Donna