Christmas Day Painting

Christmas Morning 2013 was a great time to paint.  The sun was out. The temperature was about 30 degrees and the colors were exquisite.  Pam had everything under control for the afternoon dinner she was preparing for the family to join us.  I set out to do something productive.  I painted Coon Creek which flows into the Shoshone River a couple of hundred yards south of our house.  Fun! Fun! Fun!

First River Crossing Scene

We speed along our highways and biways at a mile a minute crossing rivers, streams and even canyons with hardly a thought. Our pioneer progenitors traveled at about one or two miles per every hour and every river crossing was a big dangerous deal. Was it shallow enough to drive the animals and pull the wagons across? Was it necessary to build a barge or a raft? I painted this scene many years ago and it was the first of a subject matter that still intrigues me and gives me pleasure to paint.

Sabino Canyon

A little while back I went up Sabino Canyon in the wilds of East Tucson and painted this painting...and I didn't get eaten by the wandering mountain lion. Very recently I added a country doctor driving a buggy. Health care in the past. Health care in the future?

All In

This 24 x 30 oil painting will be in the Mountain Oyster Art Show, in Tucson November 22.

Many years ago I found an antique lamp in Montana that has been the inspiration for several paintings. It probably lit up some Nineteenth Century saloon or pool hall. Imagining the characters that played high stakes poker under this lamp was a lot of fun. My models were friends and relatives. Spud Jones on the left, Jim Dalton on the right with Craig Reay next to him. Brad and Cindy Hopkinson Welch are in the middle. That is me in the plaid shirt going “all in”.

All In

GEORGE WASHINGTON & FOUNDING FATHERS VISIT WILFORD WOODRUFF IN THE SAINT GEORGE TEMPLE

Sometime in 1987 I walked into the studio of my father, Harold Hopkinson. He had some costumes that he wanted me to wear. I was to pose as a Founding Father (actually several Founding Fathers as it turned out). He was working on a very large painting depicting a vision that Wilford Woodruff had when he was presiding over the St. George Temple in 1877. Apostle Woodruff had this to say: I will here say... that two weeks before I left St. George, the spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them. Said they,

"You have had the use of the Endowment House for a number of years, and yet nothing has ever been done for us. We laid the foundation of the government you now enjoy, and we never apostatized from it, but we remained true to it and were faithful to God."

These were the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and they waited on me for two days and two nights. (Journal of Discourses, Vol.19, pp. 229-31; September 16, 1877)

In the fifteen years that I had been a practicing full time artist my relationship with my father (also a full time professional artist) was very close personally and professionally. We had many shows together, we often painted together and we relied upon each other for totally honest discussions and critiques of one another’s paintings.

I was very impressed by the scope and complexity of the painting of the Founding Fathers that he had started on. He had dozens sketches and many reproductions of portraits of such people as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin around the studio. That was the first I had ever heard of Wilford Woodruff’s vision.

Over the next few months as I worked upon my own projects in my studio I would frequently visit Dad at his studio where he would often ask me to pose and would always ask for my opinion. My main contribution was kind of like in the movie “The Agony and the Ecstasy” where Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II would enter the Sistine Chapel and shout at Charlton Heston’s Michelangelo up high on the scaffold, “When will you be done?” and Heston would shout back, “When I am finished!”

It wasn’t quite so dramatic as that, but I kept telling Dad that he wasn’t finished. He needed to do more. He had been working on it for months and was getting pretty tired of it, but as was his working nature, he just simply kept grinding on until he announced for the umpteenth time “I am finished!” And finally it was.

The painting “That We May Be Redeemed” by Harold I. Hopkinson is now hanging in the St. George Temple.

Now many years gone by and I have done my own version of “That We May Be Redeemed”. I have chosen to paint the same feeling of light and mood and have placed the Founding Fathers visiting Wilford Woodruff in a similar manner as is in my father’s painting. I decided that I liked Wilford Woodruff sitting naturally at a desk when George Washington addresses him. I used much of the same research but decided to pose new models for the most part. (I did find a couple of photos of me as a young man in 18th century costumes that I used). I pulled out my “artist license” at least once when I decided that the side burns that Wilford Woodruff usually wore were distracting and so I left them off.

My father passed away several years ago and so in my painting “That We May Be Redeemed” (as in my life) I am building on the gifts that my father gave me. Dad, thanks for everything, and if you are working on some great celestial mural, up on some celestial easle, with a few million celestial colors on the pallet, and you can wait for another three or four decades, then save a big section of canvas for me to paint and I’ll join you. If we decide to do this project again, you won’t have to have me pose, but perhaps we can go right to the source and have Wilford, George, Thomas, Ben and others don their costumes and pose while we paint a true “heavenly masterpiece”! But that is for later! Much, much later.

OLD FRIENDS

A few weeks ago I was in my old home town of Cody, Wyoming and stopped into see my friends John and Norma McDougal. There on their wall was a painting I did years ago for John titled Cody Social Club. John is that tough looking hombre in the center with his beautiful wife Norma standing at his shoulder. On the left is Bob Olsen, then in the center foreground is Dick Doerr. Bud Carpenter is to his right and Bob Merrill is on the far right. John still has his Thursday night poker night although most of the characters have changed.

In order to prepare to do this painting so many years ago, we all gathered in Old Trail Town (a museum town in Cody made of actual buildings from the late 1800s, all put together by Bob Edgar, an archeologist, historian and quick draw artist). We set up in the saloon where they put on my old costumes and promptly began a game of poker. Funny thing is these guys are all Church going men (usually) who don't drink (much) and so when I finished the painting and delivered it I pasted a cut out painting of milk and cookies on the poker table. It took everybody a few minutes to discover the joke. Unfortunately, since the milk and cookies were only taped on, they eventually fell off.

John was the high school football coach and long time mentor to many of the youth of Cody. The likeness in the painting is spot on. John has a face that says, "I don't take any crap!" but he is friendly, soft spoken and his wife Norma says he is a Saint. He'll growl a chuckle and say, "that's B.S.". John and Norma are great folks.

Ancient Photograph-Five Artists 1989

Back in 1989 Dad and I were in Jackson Hole, Wyoming at an art show. Jimmy Bama on the left and John Clymer on the right. Next to Jimmy is my father Harold, then myself and in the background is Ted Feeley. We are talking about "secret art stuff"!

The Hole in the Rock-Another View

The exciting story of the Pioneers who went from Utah to Arizona and carved a trail down a steep cliff called The Hole in the Rock is being published in a book written by Gerald Lund, called "The Undaunted" published by Deseret Book. I've read short versions about those people but am looking forward to the new book. Gerald Lund is a historian that is a viusal artists dream. He gives us descriptions of how things looked. Remember, Gerald Lund is the best selling author of "The Work and The Glory" series.

Hole In The Rock-Plunging Down

A few years ago Fred and Debbie Woods of Mesa, Arizona commissioned me to paint a large painting representing some of Debbie's pioneer ancestors who were called by Brigham Young to leave Utah and move to Arizona to farm and create communities. In 1879 250 men, women, and children, with 80 wagons and 1,000 head of cattle, traveled with teams of horses in a wagon train until they came to the vertical red cliffs of Glen Canyon. There was a small cleft in a sheer cliff and it took 6 weeks of picking, chiseling, drilling, blasting, and digging and hauling dirt to construct an almost impossible steep path down to the Colorado River 1200 feet below.

I drove from Mesa, Arizona north to Page, Kanab, Utah and finally Escalante, Utah before taking my small rental car on a 50 mile dirt road south to actually see The Hole In The Rock. It was winter and some dark clouds were on the horizon and some local folks told me the little car probably would not be able to make the whole trip. I went about 30 miles until I came upon an extremely muddy area of the road. I continued about a mile and could see two things; I could easily get stuck, and if I did I would probably spend the rest of my would be short life on that road as the clouds had begun to close over and were delivering the beginnings of a serious snow storm. I turned around. It's a good thing I didn't have a four wheel drive vehicle as I would have been foolish enough to try the road. Even a four wheel drive vehicle would have gotten stuck.

On the way back to Kanab I painted a couple of sketches of the area and indeed, the snow began to get pretty heavy.
Back at my studio I did some research and found several photographs of different views of The Hole in The Rock. Gathering models (my son-in-law, and some other young men) I plowed into the painting showing the wagons plunging down the trail being held back by men holding ropes.

It is a story of people with true grit and sand (fortitude and determination). Soon I'll tell you about a new book coming out that tells this exciting saga.

Summer Pastures

A family that lived in St. George, Utah from its beginnings in the 1860s, used to take their animals north into the mountains as the summer came on. Everyone, including the critters seemed to thrive and enjoy the cooler climate and good mountain air.

Far Away Mountain

Sometimes it is fun to take a large canvas and paint on location. This painting, FAR AWAY MOUNTAIN was painted on a ranch near Big Sky, Montana. As a dramatic cloud was pouring down the mountain behind the old log house, I put a 24 x 36 inch canvas on my small travel easel and began slapping paint. Two hours later the canvas was covered with paint. I liked the forlorn feeling of the scene and yet I wanted to give it something more; a little more life and a little more interest. When I got back to the studio I added the wash on the line and the young wife and child looking down the valley waiting for her man to return. It seemed to be the right touch.

Temporary Studio in Wyoming

It is snowing today, April 15, in Byron Wyoming. Pam and I came up from Tucson late March to see after her Mom, Dorothy (96) and help our son Travis move to a small house next to Dorothy. Pam flew and I drove a few days later and brought a couple of projects with me to work on while I'm here. The Cozzens family (that is Pam's side) closed Cozzens Cash Store last summer and so I have been able to use it as a temporary studio. It has good north light and I'm surprised (although I shouldn't be) that having only two projects that I'm working on gives me far fewer distractions than when I'm home with all the unfinished paintings there.

The Circuit Preacher

This thirty-three year old painting still holds up pretty well. The Circuit Preacher riding his mule to his next congregation trying to make sure that he stays dry while crossing the river. We lived in Cody, Wyoming at the time and I used the bank of the Shoshone River for the location and I used the cheapest model I could find (and perhaps my favorite because he gives me no guff)...me!

Painting on Location

Painting on Location is such a joy! I thought I would share some of my recent paintings of landscapes here in Southern Arizona. I grab one of my travel easles (my road worthy French Easle is usually the one I take) find a place of interest and just paint to the best of my ability what is in front of me.

The Protector

A few years back I painted this Indian man with his wife and child seeking shelter from the elements. The family is probably the most continuous theme in my paintings that have represented the Native American life style of the 19th Century.

The Night Stage

When the full moon is riding high in the late night sky I am just amazed at the beauty and softness of the colors. Every so often I'll make an attempt to capture that night time luminescence. The Night Stage is one of those efforts.

Little Bird

You don't have to be around a little kid for very long to see them do something you want to paint. My grand daughter, Lavender Nielsen, was about two when I captured this moment on a bench in her back yard. Lavender is ten now and I just finished another painting with her in it. I'll post it down the road.

Go Forth with Courage Strong

I love to paint the pioneers pushing west. Many of my ancestors came west in mid 1800's and by painting scenes like this I get a vicarious feeling of what great things they accomplished. I honor them.

The Hunters

A while back, Pamela and I joined some folks and took a snowmobile trip through Yellowstone Park. The beauty was incredible. The wildlife close to the trail. It is nature in its majesty.

I had my paints with me and was dressed very warmly, so I took a couple of hours and painted this creek near West Yellowstone on location. Of course I added the hunters later in my studio.

My Friend Dennis Barney 1946 - 2009

It is often a shock when you lose a friend in death. Talmage Dennis Barney passed away January 5, 2009. Not knowing of his death, three days later I went to his office to talk about a recent project that he had me do for him and to make sure that he liked it and was satisfied. It was noon on January 8th and several of his sons were coming out of the office as I started to enter. I shook Brian Barney's hand and said I was there to see his father. It was stunning news to learn that he was gone. Dennis was the same age as I am. I am told his enlarged heart finally gave out. I knew that in a figurative sense he really did have a big heart but am saddened that his big literal heart couldn't give him any more life.
A few years ago Dennis asked me to paint a picture that represented his great grandfather Pomeroy who traveled with a wagon train and 300 head of cattle from Utah to Arizona in 1881. It was a rough trip and when they came to Lee's Ferry on the Colorado River in Northern Arizona, they ferried the wagons over but the cows wouldn't go. So great grandfather Pomeroy put a lasso around the neck of his favorite horse Ol' Dan and rowed across the river in a row boat. Old Dan followed and the cows gathered courage and they were able to drive them across.
I painted this painting titled "Lee's Ferry" for Dennis.

I went to Dennis's funeral and besides myself there will be hundreds and hundreds of people who will miss his friendship.

The Studio

While my model was posing he suggested that his view would make a good painting as well. I opted to take a photograph instead. I am working at the easle I inherited from my father. As often as possible I work from my models live, or when I can I go on location to paint my scenes in the open.

The Model

Not too long ago I had my friend Craig Reay come over and pose for a dour looking lawman. He brought some of his cowboy gear including his Colt .45 single action six-shooter (I've always wanted one) so I included it in the painting.

The Orphan

I was on a ranch in Southern Arizona a few months ago doing some art work and I came across this little girl whose daddy was helping her feed some milk to a bum calf. It was such a great scene, but it had a deeper impact for me. I remember being given the chore of feeding bum lambs and calves on my Grandfather's ranch when I was a small boy. It was an important job for me and I remember what powerful little suckers they were. If you didn't hold on really tight, they would suck that bottle right out of your hands.