River City Roots Festival

I finished up the summer outdoor art fair season in downtown Missoula at the River City Roots Festival, a two day bluegrass/folk/rock music festival with a small outdoor juried art show, food booths, kids events, and a 4 mile fun run. This was the 5th year I've done this event. Bands play throughout the day Saturday and the main headliner plays Saturday night. More bands play during the day on Sunday.

The weather was actually great! It wasn't as hot as it has been in years past (although 4 years ago was the exception...it was FREEZING). I was worried about smoke (from a raging forest fire burning in Lolo) but it never really came. Saturday evening, just before it was time to close, I noticed there was ash on my tent and table, but the smoke wasn't thick and it didn't smell like a campfire.

I had some great neighbors, got to see a lot of friends and familiar faces, and was able to listen to some great bands. My favorite was Lil' Smokies. I could've listened to them all day.

Unfortunatly I closed up early on Sunday. The show went from 11am - 7pm. I started packing up around 5:30 because I noticed some meanacing clouds coming closer and getting darker. I had just put all of my pictures in the parking garage (where my jeep was) when the downpour started. Two friends just happened to show up and helped me break down. A good Samaritan also helped out! We were all drenched by the time we had my tent and display units/hardware packed down and put in the garage. I did need a shower that day LOL!

Here are some pictures from the festival, when the skies were nice and blue

Adults & Kiddos could have fun at the Clay Studio live art booth. It was fun watching people of all ages play with clay on a wheel!

Lots of people heading down to the main stage area where they could listen to the bands play...the band playing at this time was Dead Winter Carpenters. They were pretty good too.

Blue on Black

Blue on Black 19x30

I finished it! I'm naming it Blue on Black...partly because that song (by Kenny Wayne Shepard) came on my playlist quite often while I was painting this piece and each time I thought how much blue and black (and purple) I was using in this piece. It's very tonal and the phrase, I thought, is fitting (yes, I know the song is about heartache and dealing with it, but we can just look past that aspect). So a shout out to Kenny for his inspiration when it came to a name!

I do want you to know that after I finished the piece and stared long and hard at it determining that it was, indeed, finished, I scanned it and stiched it together in photoshop (as I do with all my pieces) and then noticed a couple spots that needed so shadows. So, I've sinced gone in and given the piece a little more depth and beefed up some shadows within the shadow. I just got so excited that I was finished that I failed to notice I forgot those. Painting time clocked in at just over 19 hours. Add that with the drawing time and I'm under 25 hours for the piece!!! Close to 24 hours of drawing and painting time.

Thanks for letting me share the process with you!!! :)

I hope you all have a wonderful Saturday night and a fabulous end to your weekend tomorrow.