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This painting is my first miniature. The size is 7” x 5”. This is Stan Bearpaw. Stan is a friend and neighbor from Cody, WY. He is a full-blooded Cherokee and he is the great, great, great nephew of the famous Indian Outlaw, Ned Christie.
This painting is traditional oils on Realgesso Masonite. Here is version one. On day one, I painted in the sky background.
This is day two. I have roughed in the feathers and hair on his head dress, along with the upper part of his face.
This is the final version.
Thanks for riding along. Stay tuned, there are many more of my works in progress to come. Denny |
May 7th, 2013
April 16th, 2013
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This is Danny Reyes from the Cheyenne Nation.
This painting is traditional oils on Ampersand Gessobord Masonite. The finished size is 11″ x 14″. Here is version one. On day one, I painted in all the dark areas.
This is day two. I have laid in the base coat for the upper head feathers.
Day three. Here I painted the base coat on his face.
Day four. I spent the entire day roughing in his porcupine quill collar/chest plate and ear rings plus I added more detail to his face.
This is the final version. I finished detailing out his upper feathers, painted in David’s collar feathers and lastly, I signed it. I wanted to point out something in this painting that I didn’t notice until after I was about half way through the painting. If you look closely, check out the gold shape on David’s face. It is very cleverly painted to represent a crescent moon using his actual eye and nose, giving us the title that Andrew and I came up with, Cheyenne Moon.
Here are two close-ups of my final version to show all the detail.
Thanks for riding along. Stay tuned, there are many more of my works in progress to come. Denny |
March 29th, 2013
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This painting is my first miniature. The size is 7″ x 5″. This is Stan Bearpaw. Stan is a friend and neighbor from Cody, WY. He is a full-blooded Cherokee and he is the great, great, great nephew of the famous Indian Outlaw, Ned Christie.
This painting was created using a photo that my wife, Leigh took at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center’s Powwow in 2008. This is the second painting that I have done of Stan. The first was Cherokee Outlaw. This painting is traditional oils on Realgesso Masonite. Signed and number prints are available. Edition of 150. Original is sold. Measures: 7″ x 5″ |
March 29th, 2013
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Here is my latest piece. It is titled Cheyenne Moon. The model’s name is Danny Reyes. My very good friend, Andrew Hogarth, photographer/writer/storyteller from Australia took the outstanding reference photograph that I used to create this painting. Andrew, in his own words describes how it all happened:
“In early August 1992, Kim, my wife and I attended the private Cheyenne Powwow at Colony, Oklahoma. We had been invited by John Sipes, Jr. the Cheyenne Tribal/Historian. The year before Kim and I had worked with John on our booklet Cheyenne Hole: The Story of the Sappa Creek Massacre, 23rd April, 1875. The Grand Entry for the powwow was 7:00 pm and by that time it was dusk and nearly no light at all. About twenty to seven, as the dancers were making their way to the arbour, I spotted this ghostlike figure appear from the crowd in the camp. I quickly walked up to the young traditional dancer and asked if I could snap a couple of images on film. The young man nodded and I shot the two images. He later said his name was Danny Reyes from the Cheyenne Nation. When I developed the film on the Monday I found one of the two images were badly blurred and the second images sharp but still a touch blurred. Still it was good enough was inclusion in my first exhibition collection ‘Native Lands: The West Of The American Indian.’ This image was highlighted in the Native Lands showing at the Jackson Hole Museum during The Falls Arts festival in September, 1996. I met with Danny again at Colony in 1996 and we created the second set of images with his new regalia. I asked him about his regalia from 1992 and he said that during a dinner break at a powwow in Albuquerque it was stolen.” I wanted to point out something in this piece that I didn’t notice until after I was about half way through the painting. If you look closely, check out the gold painted shape on David’s face. It is very cleverly painted to represent a crescent moon using his actual eye and nose, giving us the title that Andrew and I came up with, Cheyenne Moon. This painting is traditional oils on Ampersand Gessobord Masonite. Signed and number prints are available. Edition of 50. Original is available. $3200 Measures: 11″ x 14″ |
September 27th, 2012
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Hardcore Steeler fans know him as the longtime Steelers scout with the five Super Bowl rings or the former Courier sports writer, local promoter, collegiate basketball star. For certain, he was celebrated locally for many things, a jack of many trades. But when he constructed a bridge between the Steelers and the black colleges that produced such players as John Stallworth, Mel Blount and Donnie Shell, this Bill Nunn became notable simply in one respect: “Super Scout!”
This painting is traditional oils on Ampersand Gessobord Masonite. The finished size is 13″ x 16″. Here is day one. I went at this painting a little different. I laid in the darkest areas in first and left them dry.
This is day two. Here I have added in the base flesh tones on his face.
Day three. I finished detailing his face. I have added the base flesh tones on his hands and roughed in his 1979 Super Bowl ring.
Day four. I spent the entire day finishing his hands, ring and laid in the background color.
This is day five. I roughed in the base coat on his shirt.
Here is the final. I finished detailing the cloth detail on Bill’s shirt and finally signed it.
This is a photograph that my wife Leigh took of Bill Nunn, myself and Hall of Famer, Jack Butler. This was taken in Art Rooney, Jr’s owners box during a Steeler home game.
The main reason for doing this painting was to have a limited edition collector card made for Mr. Rooney. Here is that card that I designed.
Thanks for riding along everyone. There are many more of my works-in-progress to come. Go Steelers! Denny |
September 14th, 2012
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Hardcore Steeler fans know him as the longtime Steelers scout with the five Super Bowl rings or the former Courier sports writer, local promoter, collegiate basketball star. For certain, he was celebrated locally for many things, a jack of many trades. But when he constructed a bridge between the Steelers and the black colleges that produced such players as John Stallworth, Mel Blount and Donnie Shell, this Bill Nunn became notable simply in one respect: “Super Scout!”
Funny thing is, he tried to hang up his binoculars almost 20 years ago. “I retired in 1987,” said Nunn, who the team lists in its scouting department as college personnel. “I think Dan Rooney, the only reason he keeps me around – I do some things – is because I’m the only one here older than him. Every year I tell him, ‘I’m going to quit coming in.’ And he says, ‘Nah, you’re not.’” Nunn, 81, then laughed at the irony. For he was telling this story from the Steelers’ South Side complex office he sort of shares with Doug Whaley, the team’s pro personnel coordinator, old enough to be his, uh, very young son. He was born and raised in Homewood, PA the son of the first black football player at Westinghouse High and later the longtime managing editor of the Courier, hence the reason why Louis, Owens, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Billy Eckstine and a parade of politicians came by the house. He followed his father to Westinghouse, but the son’s sport was basketball. After playing at West Virginia State with Earl Lloyd, the first African-American to play in the NBA, he was offered tryouts with the New York Knicks and the Harlem Globetrotters, who were a bigger deal back then and didn’t pigeonhole blacks into a stereotyped role such as designated rebounder. But he wound up at the Courier, in the newspaper business, from where he rose to sports editor (promoting Indianapolis Clowns baseball visits to Forbes Field) and managing editor, before he was asked to join the Steelers’ staff part time in 1967. He then worked full time with his good friend, Art Rooney, Jr. under new coach Chuck Noll in 1969. Write-up courtesy of Pittsburgh Post Gazette. This painting is traditional oils on Ampersand Gessobord Masonite. The finished size is 13″ x 16″. Commission for Pittsburgh Steeler, Vice-president, Art Rooney, Jr. Original is sold. Art Rooney, Jr. and I want to thank Pittsburgh Post Gazette sportswriter, Ed Bouchette for supplying us the outstanding photographic reference of Bill taken by Peter Diana. |
July 4th, 2012
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This is my very close friend here in Cody. His name is Greg Koschtial. Leigh and I met him in 2004 when he was outbid on my pistol piece that was up for auction at the Buffalo Bill History Center. The next day, we came into his store and I gave him a signed print I had. A few weeks later, a beautiful sterling silver, handmade bison pin with a 22ct. gold horn arrived in my mailbox. Greg is a master craftsman jeweler.
We soon became really good friends after that. Just before we moved here in 2007, Greg lost his left leg in a terrible motorcycle accident. He was riding near Jackson Hole, WY with a friend, and a friend of his friend. Greg spotted a large bull bison near the road and he pulled off on the berm to wait until the others caught up. The friend of a friend, wasn’t paying attention because he was standing up on his bike taking pictures and he didn’t see Greg. He slammed into his fiberglass bags on Greg’s Honda Gold Wing bike. They exploded into big pieces of sharp razors that cut his leg almost completely off. Thank God an EMS guy, and a nurse happened to be driving by. If it weren’t for them, he would have bled out in minutes. After a ton of surgeries, he now walks with a high-tech, U.S. Flag-decorated leg. He never, ever complains. I don’t know how he does it. This is a guy who survived Vietnam without a scratch and to come home years later to have this thing happen, it’s just heartbreaking! In 2010, a friend of Greg’s took several photos of him. He is Andrew Hogarth, a world famous photographer from Scotland. In my oil painting, to commemorate the incident and the “American Spirit” that he is, I painted a running herd of American bison reflected in his sunglasses. This painting is traditional oils on Ampersand Gessobord Masonite. The finished size is 14″ x 20″. Here is day one. I laid down a base coat for the American flag in the background.
This is day two. I have added more detail to the flag and laid down my base coat for Greg’s hat.
Day three. I finished detailing his hat. I also roughed in Greg’s face and his sunglasses with the bison herd reflections.
Day four. I spent the entire day finishing his face, roughing in his elk ivory necklace and his pistol.
This is day five of “An American Spirit.” The obvious addition is Greg’s chest area, his arm and hand where I was able to lay down a base coat. A few other things that I did was, I toned down the stars on the U.S. flag. I tighten up Greg’s gold necklace and elk tooth ivory pendant. I finished detailing his .45 Caliber Sig Sauer P220.
Here is the final! I smoothed out the flesh on his chest and painted in the hair. The last thing was to paint in the seams and stitches on the flag, and I finally sign it.
Here are two close-ups of my final version to show all the detail.
Thanks for riding along. Stay tuned, there are many more of my works in progress to come. Denny |
June 2nd, 2012
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This is my very close friend here in Cody. His name is Greg Koschtial. Leigh and I met him in 2004 when he was outbid on my pistol piece that was up for auction at the Buffalo Bill History Center. The next day, we came into his store and I gave him a signed print I had. A few weeks later, a beautiful sterling silver, handmade bison pin with a 22ct. gold horn arrived in my mailbox. Greg is a master craftsman jeweler.
We soon became really good friends after that. Just before we moved here in 2007, Greg lost his left leg in a terrible motorcycle accident. He was riding near Jackson Hole, WY with a friend, and a friend of his friend. Greg spotted a large bull bison near the road and he pulled off on the berm to wait until the others caught up. The friend of a friend, wasn’t paying attention because he was standing up on his bike taking pictures and he didn’t see Greg. He slammed into his fiberglass bags on Greg’s Honda Gold Wing bike. They exploded into big pieces of sharp razors that cut his leg almost completely off. Thank God an EMS guy, and a nurse happened to be driving by. If it weren’t for them, he would have bled out in minutes. After a ton of surgeries, he now walks with a high-tech, U.S. Flag-decorated leg. He never, ever complains. I don’t know how he does it. This is a guy who survived Vietnam without a scratch and to come home years later to have this thing happen, it’s just heartbreaking! In 2010, a friend of Greg’s took several photos of him. He is Andrew Hogarth, a world famous photographer from Scotland. In my oil painting, to commemorate the incident and the “American Spirit” that he is, I painted a running herd of American bison reflected in his sunglasses. What inspiration he is!! This painting is traditional oils on Ampersand Gessobord Masonite. The finished size is 14″ x 20″. Original is sold. |
March 8th, 2012
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This is Christina Tift. She is originally from Denmark. I met Christina and her husband, Jeff a few years back at the Cody, Wyoming Annual Horse Auction. They live in Sheridan, WY.
This painting is traditional oils on Ampersand Gessobord Masonite. The finished size is 16″ x 16″. Here is version one. On day one, I laid down a base coat for Christina’s Stetson, face, scarf, hair and leather collar.
This is day two. I have added more detail to her face and laid down my base coat for her wool coat and hands.
Day three. I finished detailing her upper body. I also added the leather trim on the top of her chaps and the decorative leather trim with the Conchos on the front of her jeans.
Day four. I spent the entire day roughing in the back of her saddle, saddle blanket and the horse’s rear.
Day five. Here I have laid in the base coat for her beautiful, weathered chaps.
Day six. I finished detailing her chaps and the back of her saddle. I was able to lay in the base coat for the front of her saddle.
Day seven. Here I laid in the horse’s neck, mane, reins and the front of the saddle blanket.
Here is the final! I painted in the background color and signed it.
Here are three close-ups of my final version to show all the detail.
Thanks for riding along. Stay tuned, there are many more of my works in progress to come. Denny |
March 8th, 2012
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This is Christina Tift. She is originally from Denmark. I met Christina and her husband, Jeff a few years back at the Cody, Wyoming Annual Horse Auction. They live in Sheridan, WY. They own a very large horse and mule ranch. Christina was kind enough to let me photograph her.
This painting is traditional oils on Ampersand Gessobord Masonite. Signed/numbered prints available. Edition of 150. Original is available. $3,800 Measures: 16″ x 16″ |