Happy Pappy’s Authentic Chuckwagon Dinners and Western Entertainment

Description

When my wife and I were on a tour of some of our western National Parks several years ago, one of the events on our itinerary was an authentic chuckwagon dinner in remote Montana. The host of the event was this colorful character who said his name was Happy Pappy. He entertained our group with stories, western humor, as well as song. I created this composition based on that experience. However, as with Happy Pappy’s storytelling, I took a few liberties. I have featured Happy Pappy as the most prominent figure entertaining us with western song. I decided to have some fun with the other characters. Long ago in my painting Quick Exit, I had wished I had thought of including iconic characters in the audience watching the bull riding event. I decided in this composition to do just that. I featured the “Rushmore Boys,” our presidents depicted on our famous western monument. George Washington is encouraging a sullen Abraham Lincoln who is preparing the apple dessert to bake in the Dutch oven over the campfire coals. While the meal is in preparation, Teddy Roosevelt is sitting and trimming the branches off his “big stick.” In the center background, Thomas Jefferson is posing for his portrait being drawn by the internationally famous artist, Yours Truly! To the right, enjoying his cup of coffee and listening to the entertainment is my favorite western artist, Charlie Russell. In addition to my narrative and forms, I continue to explore the more formal qualities of picture making influenced by early twentieth century sensibilities and artists.