"Cowboy's Sweetheart" Vintage Cowgirl Journal - Weblog of Deb Trotter

WALL DRUG-WHAT AN ARTIST CAN LEARN FROM THE BIG KAHUNA

FREE ICE WATER AND 5 Cent COFFEE!

In the little town of Wall, South Dakota, (population 800) there is a cheesy American Icon known as Wall Drug. South Dakota even advertises itself as "The Wall Drug State." If you've never heard of Wall Drug, maybe you need to take a road trip. You don't have to travel to South Dakota to learn about this "drugstore", either.

You can go to Kenya, Africa - or Singapore - or take the Tube or Double Decker buses  in London, England - and you'll see signs telling you how many miles it is to Wall Drug. Here are other examples: Seoul, Korea - Wall Drug - 6,636 MILES;  Easter Island - WALL DRUG - 5,541 MILES;

and here is the sign in Antarctica advertising free ice water and - WALL DRUG - 10,645 MILES.

These are only a tiny portion of the number of signs, located all over the world, that advertise Wall Drug. In Europe, much of the advertising is free. (How can this little drugstore from the middle of nowhere get free advertising? More on that in a minte.)Of course, the closer you get to the Black Hills of South Dakota, the more signs you'll see:

When you visit Wall Drug, you can even order your OWN sign, like this one:

Yes, this business will calculate the mileage from your home town for you and make the sign, all ready for you to take home. I guess they hope you will put it in your front yard. I imagine some folks actually DO!

Wall Drug, as much a tourist trap as it is, has successfully marketed itself since 1931. Back in the depression years, on the verge of starvation, the owners decided to offer free ice water to dusty, tired travelers, and put up a little sign: 

"GET A SODA/ GET ROOT BEER/ TURN NEXT CORNER/ JUST AS NEAR/ TO HIGHWAY 16 and 14/ FREE ICE WATER/ WALL DRUG"

Have you ever heard the phrase, "If you build it, they will come"?  Well, guess what - Wal Drug made the signs and the people came!

Shortly after the signs went up, weary travelers began to pour in. Wall Drug made more signs. More people came. The owners added 5 Cent Coffee to the signs about the free ice water. You can STILL buy coffee for 5 cents a cup at Wall Drug.

After World War II,  a family friend who worked for the Red Cross posted some signs in Europe, and before long, servicemen were actually writing Wall Drug and asking for signs to display in the countries where they were stationed. Free advertising that began in jest.

The rest is history!

My husband and I experienced the Wal Drug signs on our recent trip through South Dakota. They are everywhere. You can't miss them.

And believe me, by the time you get there, you will never want to see another billboard sign! We snickered, made stupid jokes, and talked about how corny and ridiculous all those signs were.

But guess what? When we reached the final sign and saw that stupid giant dinosaur marking the exit to Wall Drug, we couldn't help ourselves! We turned off and went to Wall Drug! We just had to see it!

So what does Wall Drug's advertising scheme have to do with an artist, you ask?

Just this:  Make Yourself Known! Show you art in as many places as possible! Take any and every opportunity to market your art.

Maybe it's not going to be a sign in Paris, France that says, "Cowboy's Sweetheart: the Art of Deb Trotter." Maybe it'll be a bumper sticker instead, or a brochure someone picks up at a craft show.  Someone might hear about my art from a friend, or see it on display in a coffee shop. There is even a good chance that someone may read this blog entry right now and link to my web site!

Who knows? Maybe I'll start offering free ice water at one of those summer Arts & Crafts Shows!

Claudia Roulier: Up and Coming Talent

"COWGIRLS" by Claudia Roulier

More Fun Art To Brighten Up My Studio!

One of the best things about being an artist is making friends along the way. My favorite online group, Mixed Media Artists, has introduced me to an assortment of talented artists who are generous with both their knowledge and their hearts. One that I especially treasure is Claudia Roulier.

Claudia and I are retro cowgirls. We love the camaraderie, independence, and spirit of the early cowgirls who blazed the way for today's modern woman. And we specifically enjoy using their vintage images in our artwork.

Claudia recently surprised me with this wonderful collage featuring one of our favorite cowgirl images. I am thrilled to add it to my collection of art so generously offered by my endearing artist friends.

Cowgirls represent only a small part of Claudia's favorite subjects. She is also adept at transforming dogs, animals, children, and even vegetables into altered delights. Here are five examples of her recent work .

                                                                                           

Claudia's Tomato Card is my all time Favorite!

I was fortunate enough to meet Claudia several weeks ago when her family stopped by Cody on their way to a Montana fishing vacation (Fishing: sounds like a cowgirl, doesn't it?)

She is an artist with a wealth of knowledge and humor, and is especially adept at layering. Although Claudia has unselfishly shared many of her techniques with me, I am never able to fully duplicate the combination of subtle blending and funky "grunge" that so successfully define her singular style.

(An example of Claudia's Multi-Layered Style)

If you'd like to see more of Claudia's art, you may view more of her work at: http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/roulier.html  or check out her Ebay listings under the name of "bigbludog".

"Claudia Roulier." Remember that name. I have a feeling you're going to be seeing it often in the future!

WHIRLWIND DOGGIE ROAD TRIP

We're Off to "Adopt" Our New Daughter!

A while back I talked about anticipating the arrival of our new Wirehaired Pointing Griffon puppy. Well, we leave early tomorrow to pick her up.

We'll be bringing back 3 pups - 2 will join their new families in Montana on the way back to Wyoming.

Our son is staying with friends, the dogs we own presently have reservations at the Cody Bed and Biscuit, and we're off to Wisconsin!

There will be artwork waiting for me when I return, and news for my blog!

Until next week - HAPPY TRAILS!

THE ART OF LETTING GO

From "Preemie" to "Pre-Man" :  My Opus

(Whit and Me - 1988)

My son, Whit, turned 17 on Sunday. The older he gets, the more I like him.

Born 8 weeks early, Whit was a preemie in every sense of the word:  he was confined to the hospital in an incubator for the first six weeks and intolerant to any milk or formula we tried. We were so thrilled to bring him home... and THEN - he developed severe COLIC!

The colic was a nightmare! 

"Oh," people would say, "I had a fussy baby."  (We are not talking about fussy - we are talking about flat out SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER ALMOST TWENTY FOUR HOURS A DAY AND PROJECTILE VOMITING ACROSS THE ROOM. They didn't need Linda Blair for the exorcist - all they had to do was hire my infant son!)

His first year of life was not joyful. I'll never forget turning the stereo on so loudly that the windows in our house shook. The only thing that seemed to help him was the vibration of the Bass on the Stereo. And we tried ANYTHING anyone suggested - taking him for a drive at 3:00 AM, a $100 sheepskin blanket to lie on, boiling catnip for him to breathe, turning on the vacuum cleaner (that made it worse), or setting him on the clothes dryer. (Don't ask me why any of these "treatments" might have worked - I would have turned him upside down & let him gargle peanut butter if someone had said it might help.) We were desperate! The pediatricians and neonatologists were confused at three months, perplexed at six, and gave up at nine. They finally prescribed paregoric (more for US than for him, they said.)

Then one day, almost exactly a year to the day he was born, he simply stopped crying. We offered him his first birthday cake. He dropped his face into it head first and came up laughing. It was music.

With the colic finally over, our life became a bit more normal. We swore by John Rosemond parenting books, read to him every night (I can still completely recite Goodnight, Moon and Dr. Seuss's The Thinks You Can Think, and - well, we tried out best to nurture, love, and teach him.

I won't bore you with the rest. Suffice it to say, as Whit grew he became his "own person." He went through phases of obsessions.  Not fishing, golf or hunting like his dad. Not art, antiquing or history like his mother. Instead, Richard Scarry books, heavy equipment, scorpions (I claim no understanding for this one),lawn equipment, witches (yes, Halloween was his favorite holiday), leaf blowers, cars, and then tractors (this was his farming and tractor phase):

There were the awkward, bucktooth years that both of his parents "enjoyed" in their own youth. (He will KILL me if he ever finds I have shared his "toothy" photo).

Suddenly, he was in the 8th grade. We moved from North Carolina to Wyoming.

I stop to take and breath, and he is a Junior in High School - in love with trucks and horses. Proud of his parents in one breath and embarrassed by them the next. Having taught high school for a number of years, I realize that he is a normal teenager, on the cusp of manhood.  He is funny and smart and eager. And in the blink of an eye, just when our souls are perfectly in sync, he will be gone.

 

So I am learning the art of letting go.

Whit is my life long masterpiece, my opus. His heart is painted with the smoky violets of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the earthy rusts of McCullough Peaks. His spirit detects the music of the theatre his mother still loves and the bluegrass fiddles of foggy dawns in Tennessee where she went to college.  Sometimes, although he pretends not to hear, the rapture of Beethoven or Chopin creeps into his head while his father falls asleep.  And he may not know this yet, but the leaves in autumn don't fall - they dance.

The art in his life may turn out to be more about nature than about pigment. More about the feel of the soil than the molding of clay.

Maybe it will be the soft whisper of a horse's breath, or the raucous blast of a tailpipe on a 4 X 4. Perhaps it will turn out to be an author's unforgettable story, or the perfect hum created by a finely tuned engine.  What ever course he chooses to follow, my past is his future. The art of living is his legacy. I will always be with him, no matter where he is.

So maybe letting go is not so hard after all.

Happy Birthday, Whit.

MY FIRST BLUE RIBBON!

"LOVERS' ELAPSE"

("Time Only Seems To Matter When It's Running Out")

"Lovers' Elapse" (A Study of Etta and Sundance") Mixed Media by Deb Trotter (click on the photo for a larger view)

I won my first blue ribbon recently! I entered three pieces in the Cody Art League's 2005 Annual Art Show, and the judges chose my interpretation of the love affair between Etta Place and The Sundance Kid as First Place in the Mixed Media category.

I am especially fond of this piece because it was such a joy to create. This photo of the two legendary lovers has always been a favorite of mine. It was taken in New York City in 1901 - just before they fled to Argentina to evade the Pinkerton authorities.

I wanted to depict Etta and Sundance waiting on the edge of time - as if love was binding them to the present, but fate was unwinding their future.

I knew I had the perfect found objects to use in this artwork. Right before I began this piece, I attended a yard sale where I purchased a large bucket of huge, rusty screws and a plastic baggie full of old watch parts.  A tiny revolver (pointed at Sundance's head) and some rusty bullets had been squirreled away, waiting for me. And there, in my numerous image files, was an picture of a sun with twisting rays(representing Sundance), as well as a sundial (which I transferred to the canvas with caulk). I discovered a tiny bag of miniature gears, placing some around Etta's head as a type of halo, and scattering more below the words "running out," down towards the giant clock.  A few more gears seemed to find their way to random locations on the canvas. In order to identify the figures, I added a distressed metal piece on which I stamped the words, "Etta and Sundance," and placed it to their left.

I wanted to suggest history, so I added a tiny photo in the bottom left corner of the "The Wild Bunch," also known as the "Hole In the Wall Gang," around which I placed the rusty bullets and the date of the photo of the star-crossed lovers. Here is the original photo of Butch and Sundance's outlaw gang:

(And for those of you who are history buffs like I am, both Butch (alias Robert Leroy Parker) and Sundance (alias Harry A. Longabaugh) are shown on the front row. Butch is seated on the far right, and Sundance on the far left.)

Finally, there was the matter of the perfect quotation. This artwork craved words - but they had to be definitive! I searched for three days until I discovered Peter Strup's quotation:  "Time only seems to matter when it's running out."

And there it was - that composite of paint, paper, objects, and words that illustrates how love can be suspended in time one second, and collapse the next.

You know that ensuing intensity you feel, as an artist, when your creation is beginning to unfold - and you know with unexplainable certainty that everything is falling into place, just as it was MEANT to? That was the sensation that felt as I worked on this piece - or, as it worked on me.

I would love to tell you more about the people in this piece - but we'll save that for another time.

Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy studying my art as much as I enjoyed its creation!

LOOSENING UP WITH CLAUDINE

My Right Handed - Left Handed Exercise Attempt

For those of you who have been hibernating, Collage Queen, Claudine Hellmuth, has a new book, COLLAGE DISCOVERY WORKSHOP: BEYOND THE UNEXPECTED. And it's even more fun and full of pragmatic, entertaining information and activities than her first book, COLLAGE DISCOVERY WORKSHOP.

Claudine's second book is chock full of creative ideas on how to add drawing to your collage work. Claudine is not only a marvelous artist, but she is so proficient at written instruction and illustration that you will feel she is right in front of you, giving you a private lesson.

This book includes new ideas for backgrounds, printmaking, combining fabric and paper, and revving up your creativity by trying your hand at "poppets," Claudine's name for her characters designed from photos and drawings.

In chapter 16, Learning To Loosen Up, Claudine urges you to try your hand at drawing with your "weak" hand. The purpose of this practice is to free your mind and enhance your creativity - to become more childlike with your illustrations.

I'll just warn you ahead of time that it wouldn't take MUCH to make my sketchings appear "childlike." I am not trained in drawing and will be the first to admit that I find it very intimidating. I am so worried about simply making a straight line that I fuss and fret over every detail. This fear is often hidden with collage work. Thank heavens for vintage photos and rubber stamps!

When I learn that an artist has actually added drawing into his/her work, I am immediately envious and crawl into my little corner of insecurities. How could she make that cup LOOK like a cup, or that hat LOOK like a hat, I wonder? I have been so frightened of trying it - but Claudine gave me a boost.

So, I sat down this afternoon and made two sketches. The first is with my right hand, and the second is with my left (what Claudine would refer to as my "non-dominant" hand.) Here are the results:

RIGHT HANDED SKETCH:

LEFT HANDED SKETCH:

Now, what differences do you notice (aside from the fact that, when right handed, I draw like crap, and when left handed, I draw even crappier!) ?

Claudine wouldn't be successful if she didn't know her stuff. And I can tell immediately the difference between the two drawings. When right handed, my lines are straighter, my drawings confined and tentative. But left handed, since I don't have the control, I am less timid and more original.  The lines are freer, the handwriting cruder (but somehow, I find it more fitting to the actual drawing itself than my "better" handwriting).

I LOVED this exercise. Imagine something so simple could be so illuminative, so gratifying.

Claudine not only teaches you techniques to try, she teaches you about yourself... your self-consciousness, your strengths and weaknesses, your hidden child.

I doubt I will ever be the illustrator of the century, but I AM feeling more free, more confident, and definitely more inspired! In the theatre, we would have called this, "warming up." Claudine refers to it as, "loosening up."

Try it, you'll like it!

THE SATISFACTION OF TRADING ART

FROM ONE COWGIRL LOVER TO ANOTHER

"DEADWOOD DARLINGS" by KC Willis

I don't trade art very often. Usually I am reluctant to "let go" of a favorite piece. Sometimes my reluctance is a result of my love for the piece, and other times it stems from a certain feeling that this particular artwork may fetch a good price and stand out in a show or shop.

But when I had the opportunity to make a trade with fabric artist, KC Willis, I jumped headlong into the offer!

KC and I both share a love for western figures, myth, and legend. We are both cowgirls at heart. We share a similar style, albeit in different mediums. We both enjoy using quotations in our pieces, and our art appeals to each other.

My trade from KC arrived last week! She calls it, "Deadwood Darlings," and it features Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane, two of my favorite western legends. It's hard to see KC's quotes under the transferred photos, but this is what they say:

"I heard tell that Calamity Jane can be down-right sweet if she sets her mind to it." (Wild Bill Hickok)

"Always wanted to be Mrs. Wild Bill. Reckon I'll settle for just being wild." (Calamity)

It is almost as if KC can creep into the minds of the characters she chooses.

KC has a distinct style - shabby, worn, and nostalgic. She is one of those uncommon artists who saw her niche and slipped into it perfectly. She is a modern day woman with the sensibilities and wisdom of a wild west cowgirl.

If you'd like to see more of KC's work, visit her website at:  www.lipstickranch.com

Was this trade worth it? Yee Haw! I have become a trading fool!

An Artist Responds!

DISHES ACROSS HER COUNTER!

"TRAVELS" by Becky Christian

My friend, artist Becky Christian (I call her "Red Lips"), has a simple philosophy:  There is too much pain in the world, so spread joy!  This is an artist with "Humor" as her middle name. Each and every one of her pieces are fun, fanciful, and often flat out hilarious.

Her trademarks are tender, nostalgic portraits altered with luscious red lips, and often hats, or other accoutrements that Becky draws herself.

She sells her whimsical art under the name, "Bees In My Bonnett." I was lucky enough to be the winning Ebay bidder on her piece, "Travels," and it has found a home in my studio for those times I need a chuckle. If you want to see more of Becky's appealing, colorful artwork, check out her offerings on Ebay at:  http://tinyurl.com/41vsn .  She is presently creating wonderful ATC's (Artist Trading Cards) for her 365 Day Art Challenge. Maybe you'll be fortunate enough to purchase some of her work.

In yesterday's blog, I challenged readers to create their own humorous version of Conceptual Art, in response to my piece I call "Panties Across the Bedroom." Becky responded with, "Dishes Across My Kitchen Counter."  She calls it her, "interpretation of women's changing roles in society and how the kitchens of our childhoods affect us all."

(Wow, Becky Red Lips! Your Conceptual Art piece is much deeper and more thought-provoking than my simple,"Panties Across the Bedroom.")

OK, I know everyone is waiting with baited breath, and here it is, Becky's piece, "Dishes Across My Kitchen Counter":

By the way, Becky tells me she will be touring with this artwork beginning next week - I'll bet her first stop will be MOMA!

Just one question, Becky:  Where are the LIPS?

EXPERIMENTATION WITH PAPER

Curly-Q's and Texas Jack

"Texas Jack" 1877  (surrounded by my "curly-q's")

I've spent the last several days experimenting with hand made paper.  I love this particular paper, both for the texture and the color, which resembles a sort of sepia-type, rough leather.

Presently, I'm working on a "secret" project - something I'm very excited about but cannot disclose at this time. I'm attempting to make paper look like something other than it is. It's a challenge that has both intrigued and frustrated me. After two days, I have finally achieved the look I was after, and I'm VERY EXCITED!

I placed some of my paper curly-q's beside a vintage photo of Texas Jack Omohundro (a new one of my recent cowboy preoccupations) and took a close up. They kind of suit each other, don't you think, the swinging "Indian scout turned actor" and the wild paper twirls?

I'll let you know more about my little "covert" art adventure when the time is right. It's going to be SO MUCH FUN! Until then, think wafer-thin,coiled, crimpy, wavy, winding thoughts!

STYLE AND SIMPLICITY

"I Will Not Hit Boys"  (Clock by Artist, Debbie Overton)

"Style" is a word that is heard often in art circles. I think of style as the distinct look an artist has developed that makes his or her work immediately recognizable:

Picaso's cubism; Van Gogh's thick, vibrant brush strokes; Georgia O'Keefe's semi-abstract, monstrous flowers and bones.

Today I am relishing the clean, simple, vintage style of my good friend, Debbie Overton. Debbie is known for her love of sepias, antique photographs, aged papers, torn edges, and faded, gossamer ribbons.  Her pieces have an immediate feeling of antiquity and a fond kinship with friends and family that always comfort me. There is beauty in her simplicity.

True to her style of treasured memories and sweet-natured art, Debbie surprised me with a wonderful package on my birthday. I tore into the big brown cardboard box like a kid in a candy shop. I was greeted with styrofoam peanuts and tiny paper stars that spilled out joyously - everywhere! Intermingled with the foam and little celestial paper cut outs were a mixed media artist's delight:  tissue-wrapped books to alter, all manner of wires and puzzle pieces, old coins and doll arms, vintage post cards and game pieces and various odds and ends.

Best of all - there, at the bottom of the box, was a piece that Debbie had made especially for me... a clock featuring a vintage photo of two little school girls, giggling (and no doubt, conspiring) - surrounded by pages from old books. And oh, so perfectly, the girls are framed with the words, "I will not hit boys...I will not hit boys...I will not hit boys......" Finally, leave it to Debbie to "personalize" the hour markers on the clock with my family's initials in the form of paper typewriter keys:  9:00 "J" for my husband, John;  12:00 "D" for me, Deb;  3:00 "W" for my son, Whit, and;  6:00 "T" for Trotter. HOW COOL IS THAT?

Debbie follows the artist's path. She creates what she loves. She shares what she creates. She is true to herself. I am proud of her, and proud to call her my friend.

Here is a quote I have chosen especially for Debbie:

"When the subject is strong, simplicity is the only way to treat it."   (Jacob Lawrence)

Thank you, Debbie.