As many of you know, I was born in Texas. I walked fields,
rode a horse or two, and fell in love with more than one cowboy. After all, who
can resist a cowboy?
Through the years, I had the pleasure of visiting the Amon
Carter Museum in Fort Worth where I first spotted a Russell sculpture. The
detail and design of the cowboys working with horses and other animals fascinated
me.
So, when we decided to drive through Great Falls, Montana, I
was very excited by the prospect of visiting Charles M. Russell museum. Not
only does his home and studio sit on a corner of a quiet neighborhood, but a
huge building houses his artwork. It also supports other artists. There are more
current pieces throughout the building along with a gun collection that he used
to get every detail of the weapons correct.
He grew up in Missouri but convinced his parents to let him
move to Montana to work on a ranch. He fell in love with the land and appreciated
the cowboys that worked it. Fond of sketching pictures on postcards and
letters, his boss shared one of these with the owner of the ranch. Pleased by
the picture, the owner shared it with his friends. This brought him work as an
artist and gave him the opportunity to paint.
Charles gained international acclaim, mainly due to his wife
who was his manager and set up many showings across the country. Even after his
death in 1926, his art has lived on and is still sought after by collectors
around the world.
I was surprised by the detail of his sketches and paintings.
He used all sorts of mediums; oil painting, pencils, and bronze sculptures. As
a self-educated artist, he had no formal training until early 1900 when he traveled
to New York and was introduced to other artists and illustrators. His journey into the art world was not always
easy but he followed his heart, leaving behind a collection of pieces that celebrate
women, cowboys, and a life on the western frontier.
If you are in the area, I highly recommend you stop by for a
visit.
Here is a sample of his work.
If you would like to see any of my other travel video - here is the link.
https://www.youtube.com/user/AuthorTinaGayle/videos
Happy travels,
Tina
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