The Gift

Here is a photo of a working space the Printy's have created for me in the Iron & Lace Store in Bentonsport, IA.   Part of  Bill & Betty's oil lamp collection hangs in the window beside my easel.  There is a big picture window to the left of this view where I can see the Des Moines River and the old Iron Bridge that was converted from driving to walking only in 1985.

This is the last pastel created here for this season.  I've packed everything up and have moved items home to work during the week.  The stores in Bentonsport will be open weekends only for the months of November and December.

This past weekend was celebrated with having a Buckskinner Rendezvous along the Des Moines River.  People from our Tri-State area come and re-create the past by dressing/living as Mountain men and women of the late 1700's, early 1800's.

This painting depicts one of those ladies.  She was gifted with this fox fur and it's one of her most treasured belongings.

Here's the finished Pastel painting   "The Gift"  18.5"x13"

This painting is part of my "Two Iowa Counties" project.  I'll share more about this series of works later.