Billy's Tascosa Beeves Head for New Mexico

February 11, 2015
   Got up this morning about six. A little windy, but warm. Sat down at the kitchen table and knocked out a possible opening to an upcoming Classic Gunfight: In August of 1880 Billy the Kid was rustling cattle in west Texas, Wyatt Earp was riding shotgun on the Benson stage and Jesse James was planning his last train robbery. In the Netherlands, the son of a preacher man decided he was going to be an artist. Of the four future icons, only Wyatt Earp would escape death by pistol shot.

   Based on the above, I whipped out a little study from my Do-Or-Die-Skies pile:

 
Daily Whipout: "Billy's Tascosa Beeves Heading for New Mexico"

    While the Kid was "dealing in cattle" in the Tascoasa, Texas area, the son of a preacher man in the Netherlands had just decided to become an artist. I wondered how Vincent might paint the Kid.

 
Daily Whipout: "Van Gogh's Billy"

  All color theory and a smidge of Seurat-splat. Perhaps too loosey goosey for the Redheaded Madman, but I'm on his trail (and I plan on tracking his every move on my next trip to the home of the French fry).

   In related news, Claude Monet's "The Grand Canal" (1908) just sold for $35.6 million and Gauguin's "Nafea faa Iroipo" (1892) just sold for "close to $300 million." And these guys couldn't even pay their bar bills when they painted these puppies.

   Got into the office and met this guy:

 
Film Director Claude Gagnon: A French-Canadian on the trail of Will James

   Claude had just come from the Kingman area where he was investigating Will James employment at Tap Duncan's Diamond Bar Ranch. Claude tracked down a specific Joshua tree on the ranch.

The Joshua Tree

   Claude has been out on the trail for over eight months and met with Will James collector Abe Hays yesterday. He wanted to meet with my cousin Tap Lou Duncan, but she wasn't interested ("The Duncans didn't talk about him to me and I have no stories from them" is how she put it). Can't argue with that integrity.

"Van Gogh sided with lack of talent."
—A Van Gogh expert discussing Vincent's humble, but brilliant simplicity

Frank Stilwell's Incredible Ride

February 10, 2015
   We are working on the killing of Frank Stilwell in the Tucson train yard by Wyatt Earp and crew in March of 1882. One of the controversies in the story is Morgan Earp was shot and killed in Tombstone at approximately 10:50 PM on Saturday night, and Frank (named in the inquest as one of the killers) checked into the Palace Hotel in Tucson at 5 A.M., a mere six hours later (a 75 mile run). The fastest a stagecoach ever made the run was nine-and-a-hallf hours.

 
Daily Whip Out: "Frank Stilwell Crosses Pantano Wash In The Predawn Light"

   Utilizing the intrepid research of historian Roy Young, we have several conflicting reports: The Arizona Daily Star published "an undocumented report" that Frank arrived in Tucson on Sunday aboard "the emigrant train."

   Meanwhile, John Pleasant Gray, who was a cowboy and friendly with all the Cowboy gang, wrote a manuscript, with an ironic title, "When All Roads Led to Tombstone" in which he said, "It was contended that it was impossible for a man to go from Tombstone to Tucson—a distance of seventy-five miles—between the hours of 11 P.M. and 5 A.M. by any method of transportation then extant. The sheriff would not hold Stillwell [sic] in the face of this alibi. A long time afterward it came out that an old roan saddle horse could have told a different story had he the power of speech."

"I guess there will be hell here tonight."
—A train news boy, who rode in on the train from Benson with the Earps, saying this to the baggage clerk

The Billy the Kid Image I Always Wanted to Find

February 10, 2015
   It's Ken Amorosano's birthday today and I just want to say it was a great day when he came aboard the True West ship. Happy Birthday Amigo!

   Went home for lunch and whipped out a painting I've wanted to do for a very long time:

 
Daily Whip Out: "The Billy The Kid Image I Always Wanted to Find."

   Haven't found it yet, but I keep looking. Had a design review this morning and went over our spring and summer feature ideas for the magazine, plus looked at Dan Harshberger's preliminary designs for The Best of True West Moments cover ideas. A departure of a book, for me. Small, all black and white and one tidbit per page. Do I think it will be successful? I'll tell you the truth. . .I. . .well, here is Mr. Shaw to tell you the truth:

"If you're going to tell people the truth, you better make them laugh; otherwise they'll kill you."
—George Bernard Shaw

Billy Still Riding High In Lincoln County

February 10, 2015
   We had an attempted break-in at the True West World Headquarters last night (alarm went off at midnite). Back door is ajar, alarm won't go off, nothing appears to be missing. The police came around 8 this morning to inspect lock.

 
Door Jam?

   Trying to work with alarm going off every five minutes. Ah, welcome to the new tech hell.

   Working on a possible poster design for an upcoming pageant:

 
Daily Whip Out: rough for "Billy Keeps Riding High In Lincoln County"

   Vincent van Gogh is in Arles now, and he is closing in on his most iconic work and yet, emotionally he is as lost as ever. I'm referring to the opus biography I'm reading. He is about to hit paydirt, but the cruel irony is there is no pay in that dirt, for him. Here is a quote about one of his breakthroughs:

"It was a dazzling summary—an image that finally connected his new art to the emotional wellspring of his imagination: the past."
—Van Gogh, The Life, referring to his painting of "The Langlois Bridge"

Kit Carson & The Blue-Eyed Vaquero

February 9, 2015
  Spent the weekend filing artwork in the archives, but stopped often on pieces I thought could use some more work, like this one, a failed whip out of Ben Rux (done for "The 66 Kid"). Took another stab at it and came up with a different slant:

 
Daily Whip Out: "Worn out"

   I also grabbed a couple paintings out of my Do-Or-Die-Skies file, including this one which had a big swatch of black across the middle (should have shot it before). The black blended in with any color I put over the top, which gave the storm an ominous appeal:

 
Daily Whip Out: "Thunder Will Roll"

   I also grabbed a couple half-finished panels and gave them a go. This one turned out decent:

 
Daily Whip Out: "Kit Carson"

   Full disclosure: I was meeting Paul Hutton for dinner at La Fonda many years ago and was taken with a 1930s mural-painting of Kit Carson. I took a photo of it and kept it in my studio for a long time. Started this painting about two years ago, hated the sky, Kit was half finished, let it go. Picked it up this weekend and loved the sky (go figure) and finished off Kit, which is a direct lift from the La Fonda painting.

   And, finally, here's another image that just needed a foreground tweak and a little definition on the legs of the cayuse:

 
Daily Whip Out: "Blue-Eyed-Vaquero On The Move"

   All in all, a great weekend for art.

"When I saw the movie, I said, I wish I had heard the music. I would have ridden the horse differently."
—Eli Wallach

What is a Hoodoo Haboob?

February 7, 2015
   Nice day in the studio working on artwork. Took a small piece out of my Do-Or-Die-Skies pile and gave it a gray wash, and it eventually turned into a decent sky, although the half-and-half design is less than ideal (the cloud ege is right at the half-way mark which is a no no in terms of interesting design).



Daily Whipout: "Hoodoo Haboob"

   The rock outcropping in the painting is a famous Hoodoo in the Painted Desert, up by Holbrook. And, of course, the name for a sudden desert storm is sometimes called a haboob, so the title refers to and plays off two weird phenoms in nature. And speaking of weird phenoms, here is a great take on art and our feeble attempts at capturing beauty, or the truth:

"The film is about mediocrity, how we deal with our limitations. What our parents told us we are capable of doing and who we are—we are great, we are unique, all that. But we are not. It's brutal, but it's true. . .the difference between what we really need, which is affection and love, and what we are normally seeking, which is admiration. In the end, no matter how successful you are, nothing will fulfill you. It's impossible."
—Alejandro G. Inarritu, about his film "Birdman"

Squibe's Mother for Charlie

February 6, 2015
   Went home for lunch and to meet the heater guy and while he was working on the roof, I whipped out a little study:

 
Daily Whip Out: "Squibe's Mother"

   I wanted to do a Native American woman wrapped in a white blanket and for some reason I thought of Whistler's series of women in white, and then, of course I came to one of his most famous paintings, "Whislter's Mother, and then the obvious question became, if this was an In-din mother who exactly would it be and that was easy, because Nay Nish and Squibe Nish were two of our favorite Hualapais. My only regret is that this guy doesn't get to see it:

 
Linda Waters, BBB, Kathy and Charlie Waters, in Paris, France

   Charlie would probably have preferred "Squibe's Mama," but I wanted the formality of it, as in the famous painting. Anyway, somewhere Bugs is smiling.

"I had to quit AA. I don't know if you know this, or not, but they've got some pretty strict rules about drinking."
—Some comedian I can't think of right now

Tapaderos to Beat The Band

February 6, 2015
   Our internet was down all day yesterday so I went home and did artwork. Remember this little study from my failure pile?

 
Daily Whipout: "Stage Going to Beat The Band"

   My grandmother Minnie Bell had all these old, quaint sayings, "Those boys were going to beat the band." Also, "What in the Sam Hill?" Always loved them, and her.

   Proof that I do listen: I felt like the transparency on the Blue-Eyed Vaquero's horse was a little suspect (you can see the horizon line and gradation through the horse.This speaks to bad coverage on my part:

 
Daily Whip Out: "Blue-Eyed Vaquero On The Hunt for The Mexicali Stud"

   This was bugging me. So I took the painting back to the studio and hid the horizon a little better. And then, since I was in fixing mode, I added tapaderos!

 
Daily Whip Out: "Blue-Eyed Vaquero On The Hunt for The Mexicali Stud, No. 2"

   Going home right now to meet the heater guy, so expect a whipout after lunch.

"The whole of modern art is an articulation of barbarity."
—Some van Gogh expert talking about his art and the birth of Modern Art

The Amazing Story of Tulane Flattop

February, 5, 2015
   When we lived on the Hualapai Indian Reservation at Peach Springs, there was this sad, but incredible story of Tulane Suthogomie, a Havasupai boy, born on the two-lane highway near Sacaton (his mother and father were killed by a drunk driver). He became very infamous in our area. Someday, I intend to tell his story.



Daily Whip Out: "Tulane Flattop, born on the highway that gave him his name"

"If you can't turn the clock back to 1904, what's the point of being a conservative?"
—Boris Johnson, mayor of London

Lozen In Twilight

February 5, 2015
   Went home last night with major problems at our offices. We went with a new provider and our internet is down, no one can work, send faxes, etc. Very frustrating.

   Got up this morning and whipped out a little painting of Lozen. Took it into work, but internet is still down so I couldn't post it there and, so, I took it home, and after lunch gave it another pass. When our internet is fixed (this is the new hell, by the way!) I'll post the first pass scan, vs. this newer version:



Daily Whipout: "Lozen In Twilight"

   It's slightly compromised because I shot it with my cell phone and I had to crop some of the image because the paper is bent, but it's an interesting example of when do you put the brushes down. I kind of think this more detailed version is better, but I may be wrong. You'll see, assuming we ever get back on line.

"Mark my words, the internet is going away."
—some internet guru predicting the net is going away and we will all be hooked-up continuously

Rank Comments On Banned Cowboy Boots & Hats

February 4, 2015
   To recap, I was coming back from LA on Monday when I got a call from Stuart Rosebrook, our book editor, saying a reporter for National Public Radio was doing a piece on a sheriff in Wyoming who is banning cowboy boots and hats. We were contacted because True West named Pinedale, Wyoming a Top Ten Western Town. So I called them and told the reporter what I thought about the banning of cowboy hats and boots:

NPR Interview

  Late yesterday, the story was picked up by the Associated Press and now the story has multiplied into hundreds of articles, even in the UK. It has sparked some spirited conversation, both here and on our Facebook pages. Here are a few of the choice comments:

"Well, I can, sort of, see the Sheriff's point - having his deputy's in a 'uniform' so they are easily recognizable by citizens who may be wary of imposters and such.  But this speaks to me more of wanting to move to the "tactical" type of Police Uniforms that get us folks upset with the apparent militarization of our civilian police forces.  Big Hats and Cowboy Boots - not to mention Cowboy-style shirts would certainly make these law enforcement folks more approachable to the public - at least in my opinion.

Surely the Sheriff could settle on a uniform that was similar, same style of hats, shirts, boots, etc. that would also allow for some individual expression.  I like my local LEO's a lot more friendly than folks all tricked out in tactical gear and such."
—Jim Holden


"Hell, when I was a Texas Ranger we shot their legs or lassoed ‘em, Damn, what the hell is this country coming to?"
—Al Tibbitts Chase

"I was a police officer for 14 years and never chased anybody on foot."
—Kyle Lewis


"Dammed yank wagon must be a fart blossom!!!"
—Geronimo M. Perez


"W.T.F. ,???? I wear my boots and hat EVERY day , and I live in friggin' Belgium in Europe .... Keep on wearing them guys !!!! Show the spirit ....!!!!!"
—Peter Van Echelpoel


"And little by little it's all getting takin away everywhere with everything."
—Aaron Riley

"Lederhosen are the answer. Take away sirens and make them yodel too."
—Brent Stoneking

"As part of the Arizona Rangers, I worked a security duty for the Super Bowl. Black uniform, black cowboy boots, and black Stetson. Never have I had this experience before. People from everywhere, especially the foreigners wanted to get pictures taken with us. No matter what anyone thinks, the world still believes in and loves cowboys."
—Scott Cook

"I was a deputy in Nebraska and I wore boots. One night, on ice and snow packed sidewalks, I ran down a teenage girl that had committed a crime, while she was wearing regular shoes. Don't tell me boots can't do the job!"
—Tom Bermingham


"Obviously Mr Watson [a disgruntled reader who heard me on NPR and complained about me not getting my facts straight] has never been in Texas. Our Texas Highway Patrol officers are issued Justin ropers, and cowboy hats. I have worn either Justin cowboy boots or Justin lace up ropers for the 18 years I've been in law enforcement, and for the of those years I had beget not have gotten caught outta my patrol car without my cowboy hat on."
—Mark Reinhardt

"As the sheriff, he has a responsibility to provide the best service possible for the citizens in his jurisdiction. As he stated, there needs to be a uniform standard for his deputies and the boots and hats aren't the best choice for work in the field. While I can respect Bob Boze Bell's decry of cultural loss, I can also point out that the deputies aren't mounted on horseback either."
—Vincent Murray

"That happened in my county in NM, had to go to tactical boots and ball caps."
—Leo Karpinski


"I live near Gene, he lives in Marbleton, WY next to his gun shop. The Sheriff's office is headquartered in Pinedale. He's a hell of a guy and I am in his corner on this. I wear my cowboy hat year around. Yes, I have had to chase is down once because of the wind, but it 'does' keep my 'noggin' warm, contrary to what Haskell says."
—Jeff T. Jackelen

"Texas State Highway Patrol wear like uniforms, boots, but still wear the (all same style) western hat. Wyoming could keep the hat and have a uniform all alike."
—Donnie Carol Hinderliter

"I don't think I could trust a Law Enforcement Officer in Wyoming that WASN'T wearing cowboy boots!"
—Jr. Rice

"Anyone who thinks that a person wearing traditional cowboy boots is as steady on his/her feet as in more service designed footwear has obviously never tried to do very much strenuous activity on foot in them. Boots were designed for riding horses."
—Mel Snodgrass

   Of course, in today's climate you cannot talk about anything, without the illiterate haters coming out in full force:

"He must be a damn oboma loving Muslim."
—Odis Courtney

The Blue-Eyed Vaquero Hunts The Mexicali Stud

February 4, 2015
   Got up this morning and attacked a panorama in my Do-Or-Die-Skies pile, adding a horseback rider. Went for a walk up Old Stage Road, came back and finished and came into work. Here it is:

 
Daily Whip Out: "The Blue-Eyed Vaquero Heads Out to Hunt The Mexicali Stud

"Painting is a blindman's profession. He paints not what he sees, but what he feels, what he tells himself about what he has seen."
—Pablo Picasso

Insane On The van Gogh Plane

February 3, 2015
   Went home for lunch and worked with Curator Cal on filing Daily Whip Outs, then sat down and whipped out another Ratcliff Ridge study:

 
Daily Whip Out: "Ratcliff Ridge Sunrise"

     Still knee deep in van Gogh scholarship: on page 585 of the big biography. Watched "Van Gogh" (1992) a French film on the mad Dutchman artist. In other words, lots of sex and nakedness, plus some pretty astute dialogue on painting and the times:

 
"Van Gogh" (1992)

"His many weaknesses add up to strength."
—Margeritte Gachet (above) played by Alexandra London

   We flew in from Pasadena yesterday straight into the teeth of the biggest travel day in the history of Sky Harbor (an estimated 180,000 travelers trying to get out of town after the Super Bowl and the Phoenix Open). We sailed right through baggage and to our car in record time and it was a breeze. Go figure.

 
180,000 of my closest friends at Sky Harbor on the day after the Super Bowl


"The kind of paintings liked by people who don't like paintings."
—Van Gogh describing the customers of the painters he doesn't like

High Heel Pumps Comin' Out of Chute Number Six

February 3, 2015
   Well, not everybody is happy with my remarks about cowboy hats in Wyoming:

I didn't know that when I was buying my monthly copy of your magazine that I was getting involved in politics.

But now that I've been informed by you, via NPR, that "The West" is (in your opinion) "under attack" by people (like me) who live in "The East"... well, now I know better.

And, by the way, you should know as an authority on Western history what even *I* know as a writer of Western historical fiction -- that cowboy boots were designed specifically for use when *riding horses*... and *not* for *walking*.

The *fact* is that the wearing of cowboy boots today (for non horse-riders) is just a fashion affectation, practiced by grown up little boys who watched a whole lot of *fantasy* cowboys walking around Hollywood TV and movie sets.  And in comic books.

They are high heel pumps, in effect, for men.  And just as impractical.

As an editor once advised me early in my writing career -- get your facts straight, or you'll just make yourself look like an idiot.

And, since I feel that today's "conservative" politics is pretty much just a bunch of ignorant meaningless fooforah... I'll be sticking with "Wild West" magazine instead of yours.

Thanks for your time.

"I'll be around."

—Frank Watson

These Boots Are Made for Walking and Talking

February 3, 2015
   I did an interview with NPR about a sheriff in Wyoming who has banned cowboy boots and cowboy hats. I think you can guess my take on it:

 
"Wait a minute: we can't wear boots or cowboy hats?!"


Boots Are Made for Walking?

   Back in the office this morning after a weekend in Pasadena babysitting our grandson. Design Review this morning to go over the best performing covers of 2014. With the newsstand in such instability, it's sometimes hard to make comparisons, but we know what it all means.

"Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, and riches take wings. Only one thing endures and that is character."
—Horace Greeley (1811-1872)

Lecturing On The Old West

February 1, 2015
   My son Thomas Bell teaches a world history class at an intrernational school in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Through the magic of Facetime, I gave a lecture this evening on The American West.



Tommy Bell outside his classroom in Chiang Mai, Thailand earlier this month

   Lecturing with me was Weston Allen Bortscheller, who charmed the students when he said, very clearly, "Hi cowboys!"



BBB and Weston tag teaming a history class half-way round the world via Facetime

"We will long forget what was said here today but the memory of the experience will live on."
—Weston Allen Bortscheller's intent

Two-fisted Strawberry Gorging

February 1, 2015
   Kathy and I landed in Burbank yesterday at ten and Deena picked us up and took us to the Silverlake Farmer's Market, held under the sign of a mega-bomb of a movie (Johnny Depp's third in a row):


Silverlake Farmer's Market

   When you get called to babysit grandchildren it pays to know what they like. Here's Weston at the Silverlake Farmer's Market throwing down strawberries.


A Two-fisted Strawberry Slamfest that resulted in "Icky-icky hands."

   Turns out he also likes cupboard spelunking.


Weston Exploring The Fascinating World of Kitchen Cupboards

   Oh, and chewing on Jo Jo (seen here stuffed in a Diaper Genie):



Weston Chews On Jo Jo Who Has Been Stuffed Into A Diaper Genie Found in Cupboard

"'Compllimentary' or not, you can't take ninety million dollars' worth of mints."
—Cops interrogating a suspect in a New Yorker cartoon

Capturing Ghosts On Ratcliff Ridge

January 31, 2015
   Yesterday at five I glanced out the kitchen window at Ratcliff Ridge and saw that tattered clouds were drifting in front of Continental Mountain. I walked out to see if I could capture the scene.



Nope.

   Walked a couple steps to the south and took another picture:



Nope.

   Walked another ten steps:



Nope.

   Walked out to the end of the driveway and took another photo (I'll spare you), then came back to where I started and clicked off two more. Went back in the house to see what I got.



Bingo! Ghosts On Ratcliff Ridge

"Heroes are forgotten, legends never die."
—Old Vaquero Saying

A Toasty Pot Bellied Stove Morning

January 30, 2015
   Rained most of the night. Woke up to a soggy Arizona morning. Here is Ratcliff Ridge at about seven this morning.



Ratcliff Ridge at 7 a.m. on a soggy, fogged in Arizona morning

   I always marvel at that impressive stand of saguaros along that ridge. Something that even Ms. Ratcliff doesn't get to see. And it changes sometimes hourly in all kinds of light. I could spend the rest of my life, just painting that ridge and I would never capture it in all it's glory.



Ratcliff Ridge at Sunrise




Ratcliff Ridge in Late Afternoon Light




Ratcliff Ridge In Twilight




Ratcliff Ridge Just Before The Storm

   I could post pictures of Ratcliff Ridge until the cows come home, but suffice to say I think you get the picture?

   Brought in some wet wood and stoked a fire in my Big-Bug-Creek-Pot-Bellied stove. Very cozy. Now if I can just some work done!




My Big-Bug-Creek-Pot Bellied Stove stoked up and roaring good

   At least three decades ago, I paid $900 for this stove at the Big Bug Creek Antique Store near Mayer, on the road to Prescott. A recent realignment of the roadway killed the once popular store, but I smile every time I drive by there.

   Finally got untracked about ten and whipped out two paintings inspired by the rain.

 
Daily Whip Out: "A Break In The Storm"

   The funniest thing is, I literally took the painting out on the hood of my Flex and painted in the saguaros. I then did this slightly different take on the landscape but it needs work. Full disclosure: these are paintings out of my Do-Or-Die-Skies file, with the clouds blocked in already. So this morning's "whipout" only applies to the foreground.

"After midday, the rain eased, and the Land Rover rode into Pokhara on a shaft of storm light."
—Peter Matthiessen, The Snow Leopard

Five Daily Whipouts (Thanks to Foothills Plumbing)

January 29, 2015
   Went home for lunch and waited for the water heater repairman. Had an apple and a tortilla and decided to do some sketches while I waited:

 
Daily Whip Out: "The Frowner"



 
Daily Whip Out: "Red Rider"


 
Daily Whipout: "Headin' Home"

 
Daily Whipout: "Hi Jolly"

 
Daily Whipout: "Jumpin' Black Rags"

   Paid $519.25 to Foothills Plumbing and personally thanked the technician for allowing me the time to do some decent work.

"I fall all the time. You know who comes and gets me? The bouncer."
—Chelsea Handler