Light and Shadow, Tongue River Road

Light and Shadow, Tongue River Road

10x10

It's hard to describe the feeling that began to possess me at about this point in the trip. It was as if painting had unlocked itself to me, and what had opened was a door that I'd suspected was there, but had never seen. Suddenly, not only did I see the door, but it opened for me, and I was invited to step in to a place where painting freedom surrounded me. 

At the same time, I began to feel that my physical self was even farther from the process than ever. I understand that this sounds a little crazy, but in my relatively short painting life, the best paintings I've made have been the ones in which I have felt like a vessel or a faucet, like a thing that art flows through, rather than a physical being who is thinking and planning and plotting with every stroke. 

This has been absolutely exhilarating, totally thrilling, and also frightening. Every morning, I've gone to the van, wondering if I'd look at the previous day's paintings and realized that I'd been duping myself, that they really weren't as good as I'd thought. I've been thankful, every morning, that the paintings have stood up. I've been frightened, every day, that I wouldn't be able to paint like this again, and again, I've been thankful, every day, that I've been able to sustain it. 

Above, my painting in the landscape. Below, the scene itself. 

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 More from the Tongue River Canyon Road

THE TONGUE RIVER runs from the Yellowstone River through Wyoming and Montana. It starts in the Big Horn Mountains, and empties into the Yellowstone at Miles City, Montana. 

According to Wikipedia, the river runs through land where bison once ruled. The watershed includes parts of the Cheyenne and Crow reservations, and the Big Horn and Custer National Forests. The river's name derives from its name in Cheyenne. 

Winter snow pack from the Big Horn Mountains feeds the river in the spring, and groundwater from springs in the drainage basin feed it in the early summer; it generally dries up in late summer. People I spoke with said that this year, rainfall has been scarce, and many of the smaller rivers and creeks have dried up. The Tongue River seemed to be flowing well, though it was not high. Fishermen I talked to said that recent rainstorms have made a big difference in river levels. 

The Tongue River figures in the history of several Native American tribes, fur traders and mining operations. It's considered a good fishing river, in many spots. 

WHILE I WAS READING about the Tongue River, I came across a list of "woman rivers" in Wyoming and Montana. 

• Hanging Woman Creek is a tributary of the Tongue River, joining at Birney, Montana.
• Crazy Woman Creek is a tributary of the Powder River - and ran alongside the road where I painted in Crazy Woman Canyon. 
• Swimming Woman Creek runs from the Snowy Mountains in Montana, into Careless Creek. 
• Dirty Woman Creek starts east of Rock Springs, Montana, and ends east of Angela, Montana. 
• Kill Woman Creek runs from Fort Peck Reservoir, draining into the Missouri River, just east of Herman Point. 

Maybe on some painting trip, I will visit all the "woman rivers" I can find!

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Dog of the Day

I met this hound, Henry, one morning outside a hotel. He was pretty interested 

in sniffing me, and all my dog and paint smells.