You can't beat original art...

6" x 4" oil on linen by Shirl Ireland
part of my "Postcards From The Park" series

Not enough people live with original art. I’ve been asked many times if I do prints. I should. But I don’t. I prefer original art any day...the paint textures, the way it catches the light and captures the hand and spirit of the artist. I know, you say, doesn’t everyone prefer original art, but it’s a cost thing. Prints are cheap – you can make LOTS of them FAST. You can’t say that about original art. I see that as our goal with too much of society these days – lots fast. Bigger topic. Don’t’ go there.


So… my ‘experiment’ this summer is Postcards from the Park – small original oils 4” x 6” unframed – standard size that could be framed inexpensively. I chose ‘photo size’ to keep ready made framing options plentiful. You’ve seen some of my Postcards previewed in earlier blogs. This week I put them together into a display at the Gallery.

I wanted to keep the prices as low as possible - $125 - to try to fill that ‘print niche’ – without doing prints!  I can’t say I never will do prints in the future. I always circle that questions, but I’m still dragging my feet on it this year – trying to find another answer that feels good to me. My first “Postcard” went to a new home yesterday, so we’re off to a good start spreading original art into the world! (I like to keep my aspirations high.)

Our Yellowstone Zoo...right out our windows....

Our newest edition in the Yellowstone Zoo – this one is actually on our property – just below the gallery. A new elk calf was born! And just like with the pronghorn, the mother ‘stashes’ the new born for MANY more hours than you’d expect. The new calf lays there, where he/she was left, hardly moving at all, not making a sound. (As a working mother, I can say I really wish human babies came with some of those characteristics! Sure would have helped my schedule, not to mention my sanity, in those early days.)

 

That’s our current attraction out our windows. Like I said in my last post – It’s hard to believe we can get anything done around here – other than just sit and watch wildlife that passes by! (Notice the time of this post – THAT’S how we get things done!)