Dancing the Two-Step Bozeman, Montana 2012

Connie was on the phone the other day for two hours and twenty minutes (by her count) with an old high-school chum. At some point during that time I noticed through the window of my studio that she was out in the driveway making this pattern in the new snow that had fallen overnight. By the time her phone call was done her side-stepping slow dance had completely covered the driveway as well as the sidewalk to the front door. It’s gone now but I’m still trying to figure out if it was conceptual art or installation art or a mixture of the two perhaps even overlapping a bit into performance art.]]>

I have exhibited my photography in a cafe and sold one framed tryptych after about 4 months. I exhibited in art fairs many times and never sold more than a small print or greeting card. I owned a fine art photography gallery where I exhibited my own work as well as the work of 48 other photographers. In the gallery, less than 10 photographers sold anything and of those, only 3 or 4 sold consistently. I am just wrapping up my second month in a gallery in the Bridgeport section of Chicago…and another at the Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg, IL and I have not sold a thing. I haven’t event [sic] seen a significant uptick in traffic to my web site? I have some of my canvases on display on a couple of restaurants in South London – I sold 7 last year to people who’d seen them there. Its a slow trickle and not a huge moneymaker! There were of course some more positive success stories, but no one claiming to have it made in the shade. Me, I’m doing better than these three folks and perhaps at least a bit above the average for this particular newsgroup. In fact, I actually have positive income to report to the IRS this year. Still when neophyte photographers approach me at art shows inquiring if it’s possible to make money in this business, my reply is always, yes, you can make money selling your work at art shows. But for a better, more secure hourly wage you’re better off working at McDonald’s (they even offer benefits). I think most non-commercial photographers and other artists outside those selling in the rarefied air of the tony art galleries on the coasts are doing their art because it is a labor of love. (I know I am.) If they aren’t they are going to be disappointed because they’re not going to make much money. Think of American Idol. Most of those contestants aren’t ever going to make a career out of their music, much less reap a ton of money at it. Hopefully they’re singing mostly for fun and the appreciation of their audiences. So the next time you’re contemplating purchasing a piece of art from a local artist and hesitate because you think the price is a little high, think about what the artist’s net hourly income is. I can assure you in most cases you wouldn’t work for those wages.]]>

Not Kansas Cooke City, Montana 2012

When I took yesterday’s photo I could imagine myself back in Kansas. Not so with this shot of Republic Mountain on the edge of the Absaroka Wilderness. There are a lot of mountaineers in Montana who travel the world climbing rugged peaks. I wonder how many of them have been on top of Republic Mountain. It looks pretty challenging to me.]]>

Home on the Range Highway 191, Montana 2012

With the snowstorm hiding the mountains in the distance and a long straight highway out ahead, I felt like I had been transported back to Kansas where I grew up. Having spent so many years in the mountains, I’ve developed a strange appreciation for the simple minimalist lines of prairie landscapes that I was glad to get away from several decades ago.]]>

The Graves Hotel Harlowton, Montana 2012

I ate at the cafe in this hotel about five or six years ago. That was about the only part of the place that was open at the time if I recall correctly. Now even the cafe is closed. I assume the lack of business that lead to the closing of the hotel had more to do with the general direction of the population and economy in the area than it did with the desirability of staying at a place called The Graves.]]>

Patriot’s Dream #29 Harlowton, Montana 2012

An expression of the new American energy policy? Probably not. There is a large wind farm at Judith Gap north of Harlowton, but Harlowton feels more like it would rather be part of the more controversial oil and gas fracking boom in Eastern Montana. Of course whatever would bring jobs to the area would probably be welcome.

]]>

The Harlo Harlowton, Montana 2011

Harlowton, Montana is much more upscale and bustling than is Martinsdale down the road. Still I was surprised to see that the Harlo Theater is still open (although not showing first-run movies). With satellite and cable TV, Netflix, internet streaming of movies and the near monopoly of the big multi-plex theaters over the big-screen movie business, it’s hard for a small town independent movie house to carve out a viable niche.  Having lower income expectations than big city businesses helps a lot I imaging as does being 100 miles from the next largest town with little else to do on date night when you want to get your girlfriend out of the house away from the parents. How long will the Harlo stay open? The demographics aren’t looking good. The 2010 population was 998, down 64 from ten years earlier.]]>

White Cross Martinsdale, Montana 2012

Montana is famous for the white crosses along the highways marking the location of car crash deaths (although these days they are officially referred to as “white markers” in an attempt to avoid separation of church and state issues). This particular impromptu white cross commemorates the demise of the Martinsdale train depot.]]>

Lost Dreams Martinsdale, Montana 2011

The railroad station down at the end of the street with it’s lost soles and mysterious dates is the loneliest looking place in Martinsdale, but the old Martinsdale Hotel isn’t far behind on that measure. For reference purposes, below is a photo of the train station that I took some nine years ago. Along with a big chunk of it’s roof, it has lost a lot of it’s artistic appeal in the years since then.

Vanishing Point Martinsdale, Montana 2003

 ]]>

A Date to Remember Matinsdale, Montana 2012

Back in late August of 1924, something important happened–at least one person in Martinsdale thought so. They commemorated the day but unfortunately not the event, creating a mystery as to it’s meaning some eighty-eight years later. I’m going with it being the date this wall went up in the now quite derelict train station.]]>