Watching the sun set
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Gallery of the Past
Month: March 2014
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Horse Tales
The horse. What can I say about the horse that one doesn’t already know. They’re capable of grace, agility, strength, compassion, and sometimes stubbornness! The last has a tendency to describe my guys Diesel and Dandy… some of the time!
Diesel and Dandy are black Percheron-Quarter horse cross geldings. Diesel is 13 and Dandy is 12. Now these two guys have had quite a life. They’re original owners didn’t care for them all that much, I won’t go into details because that’s not what this story is about. A friend of my grandpa, Myron was his name, acquired them because the owner said they weren’t worth it. In speaking one day Myron mentioned he had this team of horses that needed some work as their feet were really disfigured, it’s known as founder. Lavon said we’d take them and brought them here in summer 2005.
At first glance their future didn’t look all that bright but we’d do our best. Their feet were specially trimmed and we all worked with them frequently to get them back into shape. That summer we drove them in the Wasta and Wall parades and of course it was their first Artist Ride. I don’t know what it was but there was something unique about Diesel and Dandy. They may have acted up now and again, but they had spirit and character that even to this day amazes me.
In the spring of the following year it was decided to sell them, this wasn’t my decision, but I had little say in the matter. I remember watching them disappear down the road, knowing I’d never see them again. But, that was life and as much as I hated to I had to accept it. Several days passed and life went on as usual on the river. One day I spotted the pickup and trailer coming down the road and I have to admit I had a hollow stomach because I knew that trailer was empty. The trailer pulled into the yard and stopped before the barn and when the engine shut off I could hear horses stomping in the back. The door was opened and Diesel and Dandy stepped out. I was so excited and when I asked why they’d been brought back the answer was that no one wanted them. Well it was someone elses’ loss for I wanted them!
The three of us have been through a lot together, both good and bad. We’ve carried deceased loved ones to their final resting places, helped happy couples celebrate their marriage, showed off in the parades and just had fun. Well…there was that one time they decided they’d had enough Artist Ride and headed to the barn as fast as they could-that was fun!! But that’s a story for another day.
Diesel and Dandy are a part of our family, as is any horse to any horse owner. I know our lives have been made all the more exciting because of their spirit and character. Diesel is a “work” horse who will pull anything you hitch him to while Dandy isn’t quite as ambitious but he’s a card just the same! They’ve been through a lot more than some and though they are getting older they don’t show any inclination of slowing down. To my guys who have taken us through a lot and to those who love and respect their horses and everything they do to help us keep the legacy of the west alive!
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Steam, Steel, and Smoke
As we grow older we often find that we forget things from our past and our childhood, that even to this day when we think about it can still bring back a tiny spark of joy and excitement. For me, I had Hot Wheels, dinosaurs, and my favorite, trains! I love trains, still to this day I can’t help staring as those iron-clad cars as they “clickity-clack” across the track(again with the rhyme!) I love all trains, but my favorite era is when steam, rather than diesel, ruled the rails. 
There’s nothing more thrilling than hearing that steam whistle from the belly of a 4-2 Baldwin steam locomotive and listen to the steam hiss in and out, like a heartbeat giving life to the mechanical marvel!
However long railroading history may be in the U.S. its’ history is pretty short in western South Dakota. The first locomotive was brought from the Missouri by bull train to the Homestake mine in 1879. In 1881 Homestake began working on the Black Hills Railroad which would later become the Black Hills and Ft. Pierre Railway. It wasn’t until 1889 that rail would extend from the Missouri to the western side of the state. Even then only two lines ran from Chamberlain and Pierre both crossing the Cheyenne River in Pennington County.
The rails in our part of the state helped facilitate a population boom as towns were spaced some 10-15 miles apart to refill steam boilers. This is also true for most western states. As the rails progressed westward history sees a merger with the great cattle drives from Texas to the Dakotas. Rail allowed quicker delivery of cattle to the east, though many still preferred to drive their cattle to the steamships on the Missouri. 
Westward expansion and railroad growth will forever be entwined in our historys’ mind(again with the rhyme) being hard to have one without the other. This is why we decided that Artist Ride was in need of its own railway. So in the summer of 2013 I stood before the commission and presented my case that it was of the utmost necessity and benefit to the blossoming region of western South Dakota that we…build…this…railroad!! Or at least that’s how I had it pictured in my daydream. Needless to say our railroad is an awesome addition to Artist Ride. The locomotive is a future addition-I’ll have to check on Amazon-hmmm… I wonder if they ship UPS?
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Cabin Fever 2: The Conclusion
Alright, to continue my story. I know you were on pins and needles and just couldn’t leave your computer for fear you might miss the ending, well fear not!! Now, where was I…oh yeah…we had just placed the foundation of our cabin and had the appropriate logs in place. Much celebrating took place then, back slapping, hand shaking, Lord you’d have thought we reconstructed the Biltmore Estate the way we were carrying on! When we all regained our senses our cabin was still only four logs on the ground. Looking around at one another, the thought must have occurred to us all at once, “we’re gonna need more logs.”
Trucks, tractors, four-wheelers, and a-foot, we searched, felled, and drug logs from afar. Big ones, small ones, short ones and tall ones (better be careful I’m falling into rhyme)-we piled our stock and began selecting the most worthy logs for our project. After measuring for length, we hoisted the logs into place and notched them to fit the matching logs. Notching the logs was actually the most difficult because they had to fit perfectly to get a good seal between the logs.
Needless to say we didn’t finish our cabin that day. Rather, a series of days and a couple hundred hours found our cabin taking shape. We moved from using whatever logs were available, even rotten ones, to making sure the logs were rot free and had minimal gaps. After all the effort we want it to last a long time.
I have to say during the whole process I couldn’t help but think of 
those pioneers whose cabins were built for living. I mean they had to build their homes quickly to beat the winter, make sure their belongings were situated and weatherproof it to some extent. The drive and perseverance those folks had to have.
When it came to cutting the door out we had some interesting discussions! I thought it should be fair sized because we all hate squeezing through tiny doors. But Grant, he thought it should be fairly small, his reason being so when the ole grizzly bear chased you into your cabin you had a small enough door he couldn’t quite get in… haha he should be so lucky! We had a similar discussion when we cut out the window, only this time it had to big for when that old grizzly slithered through that small door you so carefully cut out you had enough room to jump through the window, slam the shutters, and run around your cabin and lock that old grizzly inside!
WINNER! Take that you ole’ grizzly! Then…while you’re congratulating yourself, you hear the bear settle in for a long winters nap and then the snow begins to fall….hmmmm….now what?
Probably the most unique feature of the cabin is the half round roof. The original plan was to put a straight roof on it. But, we were able to shape five cottonwood branches, that already had a slight bend in them, to fit almost perfectly, and I do mean perfectly in place!
Rafters installed and all the logs tied down it was time to move our cabin to its new home about a mile up the river. Using the four-wheel drive John Deere tractor, we hitched up our cabin and prepared for take-off. The John Deere pulled tight the chains and gave a mighty groan and the cabin moved an inch then stopped! It soon became apparent that our cabin was much heavier than we expected. In order to move it we resorted to pulling it with the John Deere while pushing it from behind with the backhoe, what sight it was.
An hour later, after a lengthy pull across the prairie, the cabin came to its resting place along the Cheyenne. It was quite a process but the end result was well worth it. The best part was seeing it put to use by all the artists imagination during the 2013 Artist Ride. So now you know…the rest of the story!
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Be Like Remington
Be Like Remington
The Artist Ride in South Dakota can create a world worthy of the next great artist.
Written by Bill Markley Published August 31, 2007
A delirious blood-covered cavalry soldier rises up.
Firing his pistol, he makes a mad dash to run through the Lakota warriors. One warrior rushes forward and tomahawks the soldier to the ground. Shouting a cry of triumph, the warrior bends over the prostrate soldier, grabs his hair and places his knife to begin scalping. It grows quiet, except for clicking sounds.
“Okay! That’s great! You can stop now!” shouts Jim Hatzell, Artist Ride director, at a group of 20 Western artists taking photos.
Jay Red Hawk, the Lakota warrior, stands up, reaches his hand down to me and pulls me to my feet.
“Close shave for you, Bill,” says Jay, with a grin. “Lucky for you, Jim told us to quit!”
I tell him “I’m gettin’ too old for this,” but I don’t really mean it.
One weekend each August, Grant and Jo Dee Shearer’s 20,000-acre ranch near Wall, South Dakota, becomes a journey back into the Old West. Cowboy, Indian, Mountain Man, military and pioneer models rendezvous at the Artist Ride where approximately 50 artists set up the scenes and models to fit their vision of the West. Like Frederic Remington, who utilized his cameras and sketch pads to create his masterpieces (see p. 30), these artists also take reference photographs to help them create their Western art.
The picturesque Shearer ranch, featuring steep bluffs rising above gnarled old cottonwood trees alongside the Cheyenne River, is a working cattle ranch that includes longhorns and horses. Little has changed in this part of the country during the last hundred years.
The Artist Ride began in 1984, evolving over the years so much that the event organizers limit it to about 50 artists and 80 models. Lavon Shearer, Grant’s father, was one of the pioneers of the Artist Ride.
“It all started when a few of us took a little wagon ride with a few riders and cowboys down in the Badlands one weekend,” Lavon says. “The artists, Dan and Cat Deuter, went along. Of course, they took lots of pictures. Dan and Cat said ‘Lavon we need to do this again next year. We got good pictures.’ So, the next year we did it again with a few more people and artists. They all said ‘Boy, this is really nice. Let’s do it again.’ Then we started to hold it along the Cheyenne River on our ranch.”
When these shutterbugs create a painting of the Old West, they strive for accuracy. That’s where Jim Hatzell comes in. He contacts the artists and asks for their wish lists of models and scenes. Then he does his best to fulfill on them. One year, Hatzell says, “an artist asked me to find a Model-T car that the artist could change into a chuckwagon. We got it for him.” Another time, an artist wanted Pancho Villa-esque Mexicans and the 1916 U.S. Cavalry. If Hatzell isn’t told the requests in advance, the models won’t know what gear to bring with them.
The best part about the Artist Ride is the cooperative community it fosters. “The Ride is like an artist co-op,”?Hatzell says. “If you need a stagecoach, we’ll get a stagecoach and then pass the hat to pay for it.”
The artists and models get along so well that after the shots for the day have been captured, they settle down together for hearty meals such as pork chop suppers with beans and baked potatoes. Some folks bide their time at the Dead Horse Saloon. A stone’s throw away, a large bonfire usually blazes. Old cottonwood tree trunks surrounding the fire make good seats as folks discuss the day’s scenes and make plans for the next day. Father and son ranchers from downriver often
sit on logs, strumming their guitars and singing cowboy songs. “I’ll play anything
but ‘Leaving Cheyenne,’” one father may say. Of course, someone inevitably shouts out, “Play ‘Leaving Cheyenne!’” The backdrop of flames silhouette several couples dancing.
A breeze may blow in, cooling the hot August night as a full moon rises over a ridge where coyotes begin to howl—the perfect ending for a day at the Artist Ride.
via Be Like Remington.
Source: truewestmagazine.com
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Cabin Fever: A Building Story
I was trying to figure out what I was going to write about today while I was doing chores. This winter has been relentless, not so much as in Wis
consin and the Northeast, but it is nevertheless beginning to get old. As much as we hate to admit it we do need the winter and we do need the snow but this years freezing temperatures have herded most folks indoors and has caused no shortage of cabin fever.
When I thought of the term “cabin fever” I remembered this book I read years ago about a frontier family being snowed in for nearly a week and how slowly everyone began to go mad. Then I remembered the cabin we had built last summer for the Artist Ride. It’s small, probably 10×12, the same size as the one in the book so I can only imagine how one would go crazy!
I wanted to share a little bit about our little cabin by the river. Cute little thing it is. Built entirely of cottonwood logs, it was quite a process, but well worth it. We started with the idea that it was going to be put together rough, whatever logs we could find that were long enough we’d use. After all, beggars can’t be choosers!
So, on a spring day in March my uncle and cousins and some friends cut down a few cottonwoods for the “foundation.” We used a set of construction I-beams as a template for dimensions and a way to move it once we had it finished. Chainsaws buzzing, sawdust flying, we notched the logs to fit together like Lincoln Logs. The notches were perfect, only….they were on the bottom instead of the top…oops! Aw well, we’ll just roll ’em. About five of us grabbed the log and gave a mighty shove… nothing…again, with gusto!….nothing! So… we might have underestimated the weight of our logs a bit! Enter the backhoe, thank the Lord for the backhoe!
Several hours pass while we determine which end goes where. You see you have to alternate small logs with big logs otherwise one wall rises faster than another and it looks like a Frank Lloyd Wright experiment. After several hours of chainsawing and more sawdust and with some help from the backhoe we had the foundation. It was maybe a foot and a half tall….hmmm…we’re going to need more logs, quite a few more. Find out the conclusion in Cabin Fever pt. 2!
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Art Of The West
A String Of Three, By Glen Edwards
Featured in 2013 July/August Issue
Oil
30″ x 50″
“In this painting, the cowboy is crossing the Cheyenne River in South Dakota with his string of three newly acquired horses. He is on his way home. The low, evening light creates alluring values, colors, and shapes. I enjoy watching and painting the movement of animals in water. A rear view seems unexpected and, in some ways, more interesting. The spacing and relationship of the animals created an appealing composition.”
via Art Of The West.
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Tales from a Tailor
What is the one thing that really stands out about a “western” painting. Everything else aside, just picture a man standing along the ridge looking down into the valley below. What is it about the man that says to you it’s a western painting. Of course, his clothing.
Clothing is probably one of the most obvious and defining characteristics when it comes to period recreation. Not only does it describe the person but it reflects the profession, culture, region, and social status as well.
Here at Artist Ride, I feel that the participating models have an amazing collection of wardrobe. Many models have spent a great deal of time studying particular historic characters and the materials, patterns, beads, etc, that goes into defining a person from 1800-1900.
And much like it was 100 years ago, you don’t just go to the store and pick out what you want. Material perhaps, but a ready-made coat or vest from 1879, probably not. In many cases if you want it you have to make. I’ve always admired the fact that the settlers and Indians made their own clothing or had it made to fit them.
I recently ventured into this area and attempted a bit of tailoring myself. I wanted a coat that fit me the way I wanted it to. So, I picked out the pattern that I liked and got some cotton and wool material. Now I’ve never so much as sewn a button on coat let alone built one so I wasn’t holding my breath when I began.
I soon found that running the old Singer wasn’t too bad although those needles are not very forgiving let me tell you. A few stiches here a few stiches there and slowly but surely I started to see the outline of my coat. When I got to the point where I could try it on one sleeve was an inch lower than the other and the middle of the coat didn’t match up. When I looked in the mirror it was like looking at a Picasso with strange angles and uneven edges needless to say it was back to the Singer.
Now in the fourth week I’m nearly done with my coat, just have a few buttons to put on. Through this experience I’ve gained a lot of respect for those who made their own clothing and those that do today. It’s not easy, but it is gratifying and it has helped me see a different side of what it takes to personify the past!
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Artist Ride Thoughts
Well here’s day two of my postings and I feel a little bit more comfortable with the program. Starting to get my feet under me.I’ve added a few more pages to the website and added some general facts about Artist Ride so you’ll have to check them out.
While I was building one of my pages a friend text me and said they’d seen the site and wondered what I was going to write about? I didn’t know, what does one who knows nothing about blogging or web building write about? Well, Artist Ride is history, so I’ll write about history! But then…it’s also about art…so I’ll write about art! But…I… don’t… know all that much about art… other than Van Gogh cut off his hair…or was it his ear?
I’d like to write a little about both because it is the combination of the two that make up Artist Ride. I also want to write about the people at AR, because both art and history aside, it is everyone who participates in AR that makes it unique! 
All in all, I want this website to be an avenue of conversation and communication to create interest in not just Artist Ride but in the models and what they do and the artists and their art. Also to prove I’m not completely insane when I talk about AR to people who have no clue what it is! I get the strangest looks when I start in about AR, curiosity, excitement, and my favorite, disbelief-the face that says I’m listening and pretending to know what your talking about, you know the one!
Check back tomorrow I’ll have a story then!!
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Welcome to the Artist Ride
Hello to all and welcome! This is the first entry I’m posting in my attempt to figure out what I’m doing! The basis for this page is the dedication to and promotion of the Artist Ride. I’ve been encouraged by family and friends to start a webpage with Artist Ride (AR) in mind and here it is! Tah-dah!…silence….
I think this is where the streamers burst out of the cannons and the doves fly from behind the curtains. No?…no, i guess not. Oh, I see here they charge extra for doves and streamers!
I’m really excited for 2014! It’s a new year for fresh starts and new experiences. It’s also the 30th Anniversary of the Artist Ride! Yes, for three decades professional western artists and western re-enactors have gathered along the banks of the Cheyenne River to capture scenes from the old west.
Many people today only read about the Pony Express and the trading done between the Native Americans and the mountain men and it’s hard to imagine just what life was like in the 1800s. The Artist Ride provides a snapshot into the lives and times of those who lived during the settlement of the West and those glimpses are captured by artists in their paintings. Now everyone can enjoy the moment when a remuda is run through the blue waters of the Cheyenne.
The Artist Ride is a great combination of folks from all walks of life who come together to recapture the past and preserve it for the future. Once again, welcome all to Artist Ride!
Shearer's Artist Ride 