Contemporary Western Art

The beginning:

Ruby opened her eyes to find the clouds drifting above her after being awakened by a dream that stirred her soul. By now, the earliness of spring was fading and the summer snow of the cottonwood trees casually covered the ground. Ruby noticed that the chill of the morning was missing as she gathered a small wild bouquet, which she tenderly laced in Highway's golden mane.

She figured by now a woman's heart has a long memory sometimes tied gently with a soft satin ribbon. Yet, her thirsty boots serve as a reminder of the road as they rest patiently on the ground.

Wisdom may be found between the newness and the ending of a day. Ruby keeps a watchful eye for the charming glance of a longhorn, or a vista filled with buffalo that teach patience while minding their own.

Ruby sensed the sun behind her, turning back seemed meaningless...

At the light of day, Ruby’s thirsty boot brushed up against the low bush of a sturdy Purple Sage. Snagged around its velvety spires was a faded pink ribbon. It was easy to spot against its grayish leaves. The ribbon was tattered and beginning to unravel. Ruby carefully removed her new treasure and gently slid it into her breast pocket. Familiar with her surroundings, she looked for a place to stay awhile.

For the time being, she left her own troubles as she leaned carefully into a cool hollowed rock and gazed up at the early sky. Ruby learned by heart the significance of Josie, Betty and Shirl who seemed to have left her without saying goodbye. Ruby's only companion now is the occasion when she looks back over her shoulder, as if they were softly calling out her name, and knows they are with her, always and everywhere.

Ruby is now reminded of the simple pleasures of sitting near Purple Sage in the morning. She smiles as she enjoys the blossoms that are always present but often unnoticeable from a distance. Ruby reflects on those she loves back home. Gathering scented stationary from her weathered satchel she writes:

Dear Friend,

I don’t imagine I have ever given you anything that you would remember or recall. However, today, I have enclosed for you a small gift, one that I have recently received. In exchange for this threadbare pink ribbon, I will only accept from you - a cowgirl’s promise to pass it on.

Live well.
Ruby

It was easy to navigate town amid the glow of holiday lights. Once she arrived she was welcomed by five Buck-n-Bronco’s kicking up dust on the side of the road just outside the Rocking C. Ruby always liked coming back here especially on this night and looked forward to celebrating Christmas in Colorado.

The Rocking C was a Rock-n-Roll shindig in the middle of town and Ruby made her way inside amid the lavish and festive fare. She found a place within the air of long windies surrounded by her friends Maverick Bill, Bucky Sez, Bill Show and Calamity who delighted in her company and greeted her with the traditional holiday greetings and enthusiastic Howdy-Do’s under the mistletoe.

The friends engaged in a lively exchange of stories of their journey and spoke of tender memories from their pasts. It was in their plans to rest awhile and wait out the twelve days of Christmas - all except Ruby. She preferred to find her peace in the solace under the quiet of the stars. After many smiles and much laughter Ruby raised her glass “to friendships”, she said. A warming of hearts could be felt between them and then the group repeated her words, as if in unison, as they looked deeply into each other’s eyes “to our friendship.”

As the December stars burn brightly through the frozen air, Ruby collects her Cowboy Trading Blanket and bids a fond farewell to her friends. She leaves with Calamity a small brown paper package tied-up with string. “This is a cowboy’s favorite thing” Calamity says as she smiles. Under the Patient Skies of a Christmas morning Ruby Listens Like Spring for new direction. She softly signals for Highway, her faithful Hiphorsee friend and she rides out of sight.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. - Carrie Fell

February Song

Faint songs of a lone cowboy watching his herd by night fills the air and softly becomes an evening lullaby. Ruby stands still for a moment to listen. In her mind she wonders if his songs are words from memory, or is he spinning his own tales of love and loneliness without restraint. Ruby knows of such love and is indebted to her heart for its devotion and reflection. Traces of her affection are found within the silhouette of her cowboy love charms that she hides for safekeeping.

The pleasing melody in the distance serenades her while weaving its refrain through the treetops. Before long the wind will stage a nightly production of dancing tumbleweeds as Ruby waits patiently for the evening’s finale. She removes from her pocket a handmade valentine of pink lace paper. Written from the landscape are words of great love carefully inscribed upon it meant for those along the way. Ruby catches this swift drifter of the western plains just long enough to attach her paper made heart to its weathered brush, only to release it again. Ruby’s red valentine is like Cupid on the wind - to set wandering loves’ hearts on fire.

Cowgirl Love

Ruby’s Story
A GARDNER’ S SHADOW

May baskets remind Ruby of the sweet-scented summer rose and the foxglove growing five feet tall in her mother’s pleasing garden. Ruby has memories of a wonderful childhood even though she does not long to return to it. Ruby thinks about her age these days and, although it does not bother her, she notices how the years creep up no matter what she does. Charmed with the belief that one must look forward towards tomorrow along with the understanding that regret is waste of a good day, she cherishes the timeless advice and instinctive loveliness she learned from her mother.

A meadowlark calls from the roadside grass as the sunlight walks across the road. Ruby looks at her watch. It is eight-fourteen. The sky color has changed and the evening has become picturesquely still. This modern cowgirl remains indebted to the earth and sky and the altering landscape. Ruby trusts for the thousandth time in her life to rely upon nature's compass to lead her to the green, green grass found at the beginning of springtime and the nurturing garden of home.

Celebrate well.

Carrie

A Gentle Reminder

Ruby stands quietly and listens to the sounds of the fall breeze. She loves the faint aroma of the coming autumn. It happens every October when the trees begin to lose their leaves. One by one they fall from the security of their branches. It's like they are on some hush-hush mission prearranged by the wind. This time of year makes her think about friendships and how the many hours and days of travel have wandered her seemingly out of place.

She thinks, “These leaves, they are a lot like me”. Just then, the air becomes moist. “Slipping into the rain again”, Ruby says out loud even though her horse Highway is the only one who listens. She reaches in her tote for something warm. She finds her well-worn pink western corduroy shirt, which she always counts on for comfort.

She smiles as she puts it on reflecting on the feelings of her youth. The gentle color reminds her to believe in new beginnings and to cherish lessons learned with age. Once the rain clears away, she adjusts the saddle and jumps back on Highway. As they begin to set off, she pauses for a moment and willfully thinks to look to the right side of the road this time - watching for signs that read “colorful skies ahead.”

Be in this world.

Live well.

While taking in her favorite Rocky Mountain town and admiring the locals who decorate their homes with the holiday’s lavish trimmings, Ruby anxiously awaits the sights and sounds of the season. It's coming on Christmas. Over the years Ruby has delighted in collecting small glass treasures, keeping them safely tucked away until this special time of year. These glittering fragile keepsakes help her find again the goodness of days gone by when sharing memories of Christmases past to all who come to call.

Representing the joy and love in her life, Ruby carefully attaches her precious heart and star shaped ornaments at the top of her Colorado evergreen, where they naturally belong. The gifts spilling at her feet warm her heart revealing the thoughtfulness and gratitude she has for her family and friends - who unselfishly guide her way. In this moment, Ruby closes her eyes - and in her silence she says a wish and a prayer: “At the passing of our year may we become illuminated by the miracle of Christmas, the dedication of Hanukah and the guidance that Kwanzaa restores to our homes, families and friendships.”

Ruby is home.

Ruby hesitates. She knows better than to turn back. She stops as the tall grass, moving like water, brushes against her thirsty boots. From here, Ruby looks back at her life.

She turns her head skyward and becomes lost in the clouds. Then comes the second silence. She wonders if this quietness that stirs her comes from expectation, rest or danger. The cowboy crosses her mind again.

It is two hundred miles to the Divide. He always promised he would meet her there. Ruby once fell into him like breathing and on the day they crossed the Red River she swore that she would never return.

Catching the rhythm of her breath, she could not remember a recent time when she was so mindful. She has a story and a forever place within her tucked away like a weathered valentine. Ruby decides to anchor herself on the horizon. She closes her eyes and rests for a moment encircled with the sweet smell of the grass. In this minute Ruby remembers a long ago voice that reminds her of something she intuitively knows, “letting go doesn’t mean giving up, but gathering while moving forward”.

Sometime in the middle of her afternoon Ruby discovers that from where she is, she and Highway must travel south. With her heart racing wildly and one thousand kisses shy, she heads off in search of the wayward wind.

Find love.

Postcards of Camp Cowboy

The forty-something mile horseback ride wandered Ruby over the pass and into the green Vail valley. The blue-ridge mountainside wove her through the aspen and spruce forest following the river towards the West. She had never realized a place where pathways were marked with cobblestones so clearly to guide her way.

She met a camp scoutmaster on the bank of the Eagle River. “Come by here”, he said. The scoutmaster spoke to her of solitude and freedoms that a high-spirited adventurer could not find upon her faithful mount, Highway, alone. Learning of her interest, he provided Ruby with a birch-bark vessel and promised that he would be waiting down stream at the end of her journey. The fearless traveler began to cut through the water, purposely alert and attentive to her surroundings. Singing and laughing, Ruby was living solitarily in the moment. Impossible was her usual longing and familiar dream chasing. At the water's edge, Ruby carefully anchored the vessel and graciously thanked the man for what he had helped her discover.

The day ended surprisingly early when a mountain thunderstorm moved in. Ruby bravely hung around waiting for the downpour to stop, but this was no typical summer afternoon shower. Faithful and truehearted, Highway also waited with no hurry, grazing upon the tall grasses and flowering clover.

And, in keeping with Camp Cowboy tradition, where the activities are always venturous, Ruby was ready to head off.

Wo He Lo, my friends

Cowboy Waltz

A wisdom bringer speaks to Ruby of the bittersweet uneasiness found within "The Last Of An Indian Summer". Still, with great anticipation, it is a maverick that seeks the "Legend Of The Fall". "Autumn's Envy" lends its "Peaceful Easy Feeling" - a time where our heartaches, similar to the weary leaves, are carried off into the wind.

Ruby has written of her own longing in a diary of many wanderings. Inscribed with a note, only sentimental journeymen hold the key to a true cowgirl's heart. She describes western romantics as real adventurers. While "Looking At The Bright Side", they become faithful pioneers who find nothing but clear skies and starry nights throughout a life's journey. The cowboy, or to some, a "Wrangler", "Waddy" or "Hand", sure of "Blue Skies Up Ahead" will find any occasion to "Tip One To The Wild Tale".

Ruby wonders about the "Catch and Get-Along" of a cowboy's steady way as she notices a number of "Regular Joes" gathering in the distance. Together these mile "High and Wild" cowboys talk about leaving their saddles behind. Listening in, Ruby hollers “Yee-Haw”. For she knows that before long they will stop to smell the roses and sashay on the wild side accompanied by an authentic cowboy waltz. - Carrie Fell

Surprised to hear the sounds, Ruby follows the merriment of song and laughter. She is greeted with the spirit of the holiday and relieved to find the company of a group of celebrating travelers. She is warmly welcomed with the fragrance of spiced coffee and the delight of dried fruit and sweet nut breads. A soft spot calls her name beside the heat of a crackling fire. Dismounting Highway, she is careful not to disrupt a small sapling beside her as she lays her saddle on the ground. Ruby pulls a small box from her satchel and gently unwraps a fragile glass object. This shiny glittering ornament remembers when. Caringly, she attaches its small hook to the sapling's top delicate branch and tenderly, like a ribbon, Highway's rope falls to its side.

Ruby observes the glowing faces of the crowd gathering at the fire. The sleepy children crawl upon their parent's lap as if it's time for their long winter's nap. High upon a mountaintop you could almost touch the stars. Yet, in the frosty winter's silence, a white-bearded storyteller begins to speak, telling a familiar story of light in only a way that a tireless journeyman could understand.

His voice is smoky and low. "In the wild country, there was a guide, abiding in the plains, keeping watch over his longhorns by night. And, lo, the icy winter sky began to fill with a great light - shining upon all of the land. A peaceful easy feeling filled the hearts of each and every man, woman and child. For on this day, the entire world could feel the call of the west. And, for one moment in glory we are all joined together in love. Let this call of the great peaks be a sign unto you. For the majesty of the purple mountains will raise hearts in multitude with goodwill towards men - seeking peace for all of the Earth. That my friends, is the true meaning in the spirit of the season," he said.

Ruby watches the snow as it quietly falls in a town with no name; a tiny home found in the comfort of the Colorado western landscape. Highway finds a resting site inside the shelter of the towering blue spruce with a grand view of the bighorn grazing at the base of a rocky mountaintop. Ruby thought that this was a perfect place to say goodbye to the passing time while anxiously awaiting the New Year to come.

It is 7:35 in the morning and as the sun begins to rise Ruby thinks to journal her thoughts. She writes: As the old and new years trade, I am reminded of the difference between where the sun rises and where the sun sets. The sun slowly rises shining on today, and seemingly in a short period of time this gift will make its journey across the wild blue yonder. I remember to pay close attention to this constant wisdom bringer for at last, at sunset, it shines on the opportunity that is tomorrow. In my pursuit of great adventure, I am certain my direction finder, named Highway, will forever take me there.

Dear friends, a true journeyman's life is faithful, like a river's flow, with intent and purpose - the cowboy inside knows the way. Trust in your own story as you romantically perform in a magnificent spaghetti western, where only the willow trees weep and valiant mavericks ride the four winds without end.

To new beginnings

When evening fell, Ruby’s sureness faded too with the daylight. “These are quite ordinary days”, she thought to herself as she forced a sharp willow branch against the earth and drew a line on the ground between herself and the unknown. Ruby was so close to home yet feeling so far away.

She became interested in a wild rabbit that appeared to have taken residency around her. For hours this soft creature amused her. She studied intently it’s quiet, quick- thinking movements. Soon Ruby remembers the honest eyes of an old wisdom bringer and became carried away by the wind and its age-old story of the moon and the great grass. It was when she understood that her present unassuming nature had transformed into a belief in uncertainty that her eyes teared. She spoke to her horse Highway, “be back in a minute”. Out of the blue Ruby returned and smiled at the horse. With her hands behind Highway’s ears she bowed her head to his, speaking heart-to-heart to the horse, “there is no sense in trying to hold onto the rain my friend, carry me to where I can cross over”.

Ruby is convinced that Highway is a seer - able to perceive her thoughts and intentions long before her. Ruby continues to talk enthusiastically of her new awareness as she hurriedly packs the saddle “I have been reminded to seek the place they call the New Frontier - where pretty paint horses and candy coated buffalo roam”, Ruby chatters on. A yellow butterfly dances as if keeping rhythm to Ruby’s lively powwow and like a direction finder whispers the way with soft kisses into Highway’s ear. Awakened, Ruby’s faithful guardian of travel begins to make the journey in search of the wide place in the road - where Peace River flows. Only after reaching the river, will freedom run free, eager hearts will understand the value of true grit, fulfilling longtime honky-tonk dreams in the still shade of the great Wowahwa Tatanka.

Peace

IN COWBOY COUNTRY

Riding single but seemingly never alone, Ruby has learned to expect the satisfaction of this familiar juncture on her journey. The moonlit nights are longer now and the last blooms of summer are beginning to reveal the truth of the cooling night air. Mindful of the coming change, the season, in its extravagant color, kisses her memory.

Ruby's restless heart leads her to Cloud Nine, a big soiree somewhere between Whistle-stop and the edge of Wild. The whisper of the autumn leaves is her invitation to this Cowboy Ball and Ruby never misses the chance to dance with the mavericks. Amid the song and swing, her eyes wander the room for the cowboy last seen minding each and every sunset.

Suddenly Ruby becomes preoccupied with the ease of this cowboy who gazes into the west and the broken fence that gives freedom to that old rugged pathway. She will count on October's road to present a plush blanket of golden leaves making comfortable the miles and miles of byway that leads toward cowboy country.

Ruby is in search of the wild, wild, west. She believes in the truth of the great wowahawa tatonka and has allowed this certainty to be her guide. With a lover's yearning, Ruby thinks often about standing knee-deep in fields of long-waving grasses with arms wide-open to wide-open spaces - ever pursuing the secrets of her heart's desire.

Go west young men and women…go west. - Carrie Fell