Cultured Cowgirl

It isn’t often I leave the comfort of my quiet mountain home for the hustle and bustle of downtown Denver, Colorado. But an exhibit titled The Masterworks of Charles M. Russell: A Retrospective of Paintings and Sculpture was all I needed to make the trek to the big city. I’ll blog about the exciting exhibit itself in a few weeks, when I have a chance to tour it again as part of the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo’s WinterWest series of art events. But now, on Christmas Eve, I’m reminded of Russell’s love of Christmas and how he created personalized greeting cards for his friends.

It was an annual tradition for the 19th-century artist to become reclusive prior to the holiday, as he created original drawings, paintings and small clay sculptures. The artist was fond of spirited subjects, such as jolly cowboys celebrating, galloping to the ranch house or exchanging gifts and toasting the merriment. He often included equally spirited women in the scenes, donning their finest festive garb, and families riding in horse-drawn sleighs. Most of his holiday scenes were wilder than Currier and Ives, but warm and inviting, nevertheless. The friendly scenes were contrasted by a cold, snowy Montana landscape, but they still put you in the holiday spirit.

What made Russell’s cards significant was that he not only created pictures with traditional artistic medias, but also with words. He personalized each card with an original holiday verse of sentiment. Some of his messages were funny, some were about adjusting to the 20th century and some were simply written from the heart. Receiving a card from Russell was prestigious, and some people even brought him gifts just so they could receive one of his coveted cards. Some of his cards are on display at the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana.

Pondering the historical value and appeal of Russell’s cards, especially this time of year, I’ve decided to start my own collection of Christmas cards, sent to me by contemporary Western artists I’ve worked with at Western Horseman. Just like Russell, many Western artists are carrying on the tradition of sending cards to friends, family and patrons. As I open each card, I feel fortunate to be among the names on their Christmas-card lists, and I’m reminded of the time I spent with each of them and of the lasting friendships my line of work fosters. One day I’ll frame these cards to share, but until then I hope you enjoy my sampling of this year’s sentiments.

Cowboy Artists of America member Bruce Greene took a Texas take on Santa’s sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. In true Charlie Russell tradition, Greene wrote a holiday poem inside his card.

The drawing on the card from Hamley & Co. in Pendleton, Oregon, is of a cowboy roping Santa. On the inside is a verse that reads: “The Hamley gang Is all a hopin’ That Christmas Day, You’ll be a ropin’ Yourself a lot O’ joy an’ cheer, An’ luck for all The comin’ year.”

Here’s a partial scan of Colorado artist Carrie Fell’s fold-out card featuring her watercolor “Winter Wonder.”

Bill Owen, CA, sent a graphic drawing titled “Affection” on his 2009 limited-edition card.

“Dancing with the Stars,” a dye on silk, graced Montana artist Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey’s card.

Oklahoma artist Harold “H” Holden is best known for his bronze monuments, but the artist shows his painterly style each year on his Christmas card and calendar. Shown here is the card he sent with the aptly named painting “December Morning.”

As I prepare to go home and celebrate a white Colorado Christmas, I’ll leave you with this verse from a Christmas card Russell wrote weeks before his death.

“Here’s hoping the worst end of your trail is behind you / That Dad Time be your friend from here to the end/And sickness nor sorrow don’t find you.”

¬-Jennifer Denison

By the way, here’s the link to the Russell’s exhibit at the Denver Art Museum: http://www.denverartmuseum.org/explore_a…

The C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana, presents Space Silence Spirit: Maynard Dixon’s West, an exhibition of more than 60 privately owned works by Dixon. The exhibit runs through January 25.

One of the most celebrated Western illustrators and artists of the early 20th century, Dixon is best known for his landscapes and murals, but also was a poet. Born in 1875 to a ranching family who lived near Fresno, California, Dixon related to the land and cowboy culture. As a teenager, Dixon was determined to be a professional illustrator and sought the advice of Frederic Remington.

“You draw better at our age than I did at the same age–if you have the ‘Sand’ to overcome difficulties  you could be an artist in time no one’s opinion of what you can do is of any consequence–time and  your character will develop that…” Remington replied.

Dixon began his career as an illustrator for the San Francisco Morning Call.  In the early 1900s, he left the security of a newspaper job to travel throughout the West, collecting reference material in Arizona, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. Working in oil, watercolor and pen and ink, Dixon depicted the intimate interactions of people and the land. Settlers, American Indians and cowboys were common subjects. Horses appear in many of his early and latter works.

Dixon lived in San Francisco, California , Utah and New York City before settling in Tucson, Arizona, with his third wife, Edit Hamlin. The couple resided there until his death in 1946.

Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, has the largest collection of Dixon’s work. The Maynard Dixon Museum in Tucson, Arizona, also has an extensive collection of his  artwork and ephemera.

For more information on Space Silence Spirit: Maynard Dixon’s West, phone the C.M. Russell Museum at (406) 727-8787, or visit online cmrussell.org.

"Las Animas Trail," by G. Russell Case

When: January 6-24, 2010

Where: National Western Complex Expo Hall, Third Floor, Denver, Colorado

Highlights: Held in conjunction with the annual National Western Stock Show & Rodeo, the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale is one of the most prestigious Western art exhibitions in the United States and the first major event of the show season. This year’s event features the works of 60 acclaimed artists in the Western genre, including T.D. Kelsey, Mehl Lawson, William Matthews, Howard Post, Karmel Timmons and Barbara Van Cleve. The featured artist is G. Russell Case of Brigham City, Utah, whose work features cowboys in southern Utah settings and is among the pieces in the National Western’s permanent collection. The exhibition kicks off January 5 with an invitation-only Blue Jean Preview. On January 6, the Red Carpet Reception will be held for ticket holders. The exhibit is open to the public January 9-24.

If you’re interested in a two-day immersion in Western art, check out the National Western Stock Show’s WinterWest program, which includes an all-day symposium on January 5 titled “Shaping the West: American Sculptors in the 19th Century,” being held at the Denver Art Museum. On January 6, symposium attendees will tour the Denver Art Museum’s exhibit titled “Masterworks of Charles M. Fussell: A Retrospective of Paintings and Sculpture,” and enjoy brunch at the museum.

Tickets: Symposium tickets are $65 each for Denver Art Museum members and $75 for non-members; Russell exhibit tour and brunch tickets are $50 each; Red Carpet Reception tickets are $175 each. Three-event ticket packages are $260 each.

Contact: Nicole Parks at the Denver Art Museum, (720) 913-0025,  western at denverartmuseum.org; or Annie Bengtson at (303) 299-5561,  coorsart at nationalwestern.com. For a schedule of events and information on the participating artists, visit online nationalwestern.com/coorsart.

When: December 31, 2009

Where: Hamley & Co., Pendleton, Oregon

Highlights: The occasion kicks off the 100th anniversary celebration of the Pendleton Round-Up, which was once referred to as “The Greatest Frontier Exhibition in the World.” The party is promised to be an elbow-rubbing roundup of world-champion cowboys from various eras, and Western entertainers. Following dinner at Hamley Steak House, live and silent auctions will be held, offering rare Round-Up memorabilia. There will also be live entertainment. A limited number of tickets are available for $150 each. Proceeds will benefit construction of the Round-Up Centennial Plaza.

Contact: the Pendleton Round-Up at (541) 276-2553; Hamley and Co., (541) 278-1100; or the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce, (541) 276-7411.

When: January 30-31, 2010

Where: Phoenix Marriott Hotel, Mesa, Arizona.

Highlights: This year marks the 20th anniversary of this prestigious event. More than 350 lots of rare Western Americana artifacts will be auctioned to the highest bidders. Some of the items being offered are one of only two known, documented saddles belonging to Mexican emperor Maximilian; pieces from the estates of Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Gene Autry, Mickey Dawes and Monte Hale; art by Olaf Wieghorst, Edward Borein, Andy Anderson, Herb Mignery and Eric Michaels; Navajo rugs; and gear by Edward Bohlin, J. Tapia, Hamley and Co., and more. United States and Canadian residents can order a catalog for $30 ($40 for foreign orders) by contacting the High Noon office at (310) 202-9010 or highnoon.com. In addition to the sale, more than 150 dealers will have high-quality art, artifacts and collectibles on display and available for purchase.

Contact: (888) 236-2427, (480) 898-8300; highnoon.com.

If you’re a Western Horseman reader (and I assume you are or you wouldn’t know about this blog), you know I’m the staff “foodie.” I’m always seeking and creating new recipes with Western flavors, and sharing them each month in the “Recipe File” section of the magazine. I see preparing a home-cooked meal as a good excuse to not only gather around the table with family and friends, but also to share a piece of yourself and your home.

This week, Western Horseman’s Book Publishing Director and longtime magazine employee Fran Smith, presented me with a rather relevant–not to mention extremely thoughtful–Christmas gift that I had to share with those of you looking for a simple, inexpensive, heartfelt gift from your kitchen. She got the idea from her mother, who used to give jars of homemade spaghetti sauce with pasta and a loaf of French bread to friends during the holidays. She also had received from her sister a book of recipes and mixes that make great gifts.

I enjoy cooking, but my busy schedule and long commute to and from work requires quick, simple meals with minimal ingredients. Recognizing all of that, Fran graciously put together a “Meal in a Bag.” Inside the beautifully packaged gift she presented me were all the fixings to make a steaming pot of tortilla soup: a jar filled with convection rice, a plastic bag of seasoning mix, a can of white chicken breast, a can of Ro-Tel with green chilis and a bag of tortilla chips.

There’s something sentimental about a hand-printed recipe card, like the ones my mother and grandmother have handed down to me, and Fran had neatly printed on a recipe card the instructions to make the soup.

In my daily life, we’re surrounded by material excess, commercial and peer pressure to buy the latest and greatest, and the struggle to stick to a tight budget. Fran’s gift is a reminder of how something as simple as soup can be the best gift all this holiday season.

Tip: If you follow the “green” scene, consider wrapping your “Meal in a Bag” in a reusable tote the person can take to the grocery or office.

–Jennifer Denison

“Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, had a very shiny nose…” (Like a light bulb!)

Nothing puts me in the holiday mood like hearing Gene Autry sing this classic Christmas carol or watching the 1964 animated television special about the misfit reindeer and his sidekick elf, which, by the way, is on CBS tomorrow evening. I’m known for being nostalgic and a little crazy about Christmas, so it’s no wonder this year I will be decorating my tree while watching the longest-running Christmas special, just as I did when I was a little girl. And, during commericals, Autry is bound to boom from my iPod as I tangle myself in tinsel.

Autry’s original recording of the popular Christmas carol Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is celebrating its 60th year in 2009. Autry recorded the song in Hollywood, California, for Columbia Records on June 27, 1949, and performed it for the first time on his weekly radio show, Melody Ranch, from Madison Square Garden in New York City, where he was making a rodeo appearance.
Composed by Johnny Marks, the song originated from a poem written by Robert L. Mays in 1939 for a Montgomery Ward holiday promotional booklet for children. The department store gave away more than 6 million copies of the illustrated poem before May’s published it as a children’s book. Mays then allowed Marks, his brother-in-law, to use the story for a song.

Several popular singer turned down the chance to record the song, and Autry had to be convinced to do it. The acclaimed song has since been inducted into two halls of fame, recorded by more than 500 artists, and remains one of the best-selling and most requested Christmas songs of all time. For more facts on the classic carol, visit geneautry.com. And may Autry and Rudolph continue to be part of our cowboy Christmas traditions for many years to come.

–Jennifer