June 2022
Hi, there!   

In early May, my wife and I traveled to the Grand Canyon. It was our first time actually visiting, although we had seen it from the air many times. As everyone will tell you, if you haven’t seen the Grand Canyon, you need to plan a trip…an amazing place.

Now, I am not a person who cares to walk up to the very edge and look down over a high cliff. During our stay at the Grand Canyon, the wind was constantly blowing with some very high gusts included. On the second day, we were standing at one of the overlooks when I looked to the left and saw a small group of young twenty-somethings, standing on another overlook about 100 feet away. Then, one of the young women, with a strong wind at her back, walked up to the edge, sat down, and dangled her feet over the edge…it was only about a 1,000-foot drop below her! I quickly took a picture, before she gave me an anxiety attack…and a part of this scene will be re-created in an upcoming bas relief artwork sometime in the future.
Speaking of canyons, I am currently working on a new artwork titled, Black Canyon Overlook. It’s interesting because I am learning how to create a look of deep depth, which will become useful in the Grand Canyon artwork, in the future.

An Exciting Opportunity
The National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, WY has selected my artwork titled Bighorn View to be shown in their summer art exhibit, Above the Clouds: Art of the Alpine. This exhibit runs from June 25 to September 18, 2022.
The National Museum of Wildlife Art was founded in 1987, is designated as the National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States by order of Congress in 2008, and holds more than 5,000 artworks representing wild animals from around the world.

The museum’s permanent collection of cataloged items includes paintings, sculptures, and works on paper by over 100 distinguished artists ranging from early American tribes through contemporary masters. This is a very exciting opportunity for my artwork to be seen by a large number of people from throughout the world who visit Jackson Hole every summer.
To Honor, Respect, and Give Tribute
At the end of May, our country celebrated Memorial Day. It is a special holiday for many reasons, but it always makes me appreciate the opportunities that I have been fortunate to be presented with during my career, first as an exhibit designer and builder, and second as an artist.

In 1998, my company was hired to create an interactive exhibit honoring the four Congressional Medal of Honor recipients who were born or raised in Pueblo, CO. This was an awesome project to be a part of and allowed me to meet many of the MOH recipients during the construction and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the exhibit, as well as the annual Medal of Honor Convention held in Pueblo in 2000.
This unique exhibit has been viewed by visitors to the Pueblo Convention Center for 24 years! Later this month, I have been invited to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony of a new and expanded Medal of Honor exhibit, replacing our original exhibit. It will be a lot of fun to see friends from the past and enjoy this new exhibit honoring the four MOH recipients: Drew Dix, William Crawford, Raymond Murphy, and Carl Sitter.
Secondly, in 2017 I was honored to create a bas-relief, mixed media artwork titled Acts of Valor that depicts actions taken by numerous Medal of Honor recipients. This artwork includes a panel that was autographed by most all of the recipients at the 2017 MOH convention, then auctioned at the end of the convention as a benefit for the MOH recipients and the D.A.V. (Disabled American Veterans). Besides making a nice donation, I had the distinguished honor of spending a week with many of our nation's MOH recipients.
WESTERN ART Special Event
Life in the West Art Gallery is hosting its second nationally juried art show, titled WESTERN ART Special Event, June 24 - 26, 2022. This exciting event will be for 3 Days ONLY. If you are a fan of western art, you will not want to miss this show…write the dates on your calendar now and plan on attending!

There will be over 100 artworks representing the West, created by 52 artists, from 19 states, including paintings, sculptures, wood carvings, photographs, prints, and more! Both traditional western art and contemporary western art will be on display.

You are welcome to download the poster and forward it to your friends and family.
Old Yellowstone
Portraits by Malaya
Malaya Woodard was honored with her first one-person art show in April. The photos show her work on display at the Brunner Farm House, a historic facility serving as a gathering place for the citizens of Broomfield, CO.
She has been busy studying for her school finals and has been short of time to finish a new piece, but will be working on it again soon. You will be able to see it here in the near future. 
A Plein Air Event
I have been notified of a fund-raising event taking place on the Western Slope of Colorado. This Plein Air painting event takes place over June, July, and August and it benefits 3 local history museums: The Museum of the Mountain West and the Ute Indian Museum of History, both located near Montrose, CO; as well as the Fort Uncompahgre Historical Museum in Delta, CO.
If you are interested in participating in this artistic event, please contact me at don@lifeinthewestart.com and I will forward more information to you.
Story Time
Every artist has a story…and every work of art has a story to tell!

Along with many other artists in the fine art community, we are telling our personal stories through fine art. Take a little time to visit an art show, art gallery, or art museum to enjoy these unique stories.

Abstract artwork, in my opinion, is more about expressing an emotion or feeling, which is also a good form of communication.

Prior to creating fine art full time, I was fortunate to make a 40-year career by telling the stories of companies, corporations, and institutions, through the means of displays and exhibits. Working with graphic design artists, I would design a structure or display and design the placement of artifacts that would reinforce their desired message…to tell their story!

Following are examples of the stories we helped our customers tell, from traveling trade show displays to visitor centers and Hall of Fame exhibits.
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading and I hope to see or hear from you soon. 


Don