LBH BATTLE ART

[BrokenSword]

Elisabeth and Bab-

I too have thought of a series of paintings to depict the entire subject. Short of a cyclorama it’s the only possible way to cover it all. The Bayeux Tapestry is an interesting idea - hadn’t considered that at all but then my needle point is worse than (apparently) the artworks of Gordie’s. For right now, I’m concentrating on the famous/infamous ‘Last Stand Hill’ depiction.

Bab - There is absolutely nothing wrong with realism as a form of expression. Are you familiar with the ‘Super Realism’ movement of the late 60’s early 70’s? I saw a showing of some of those artists’ works back then and there were some incredibly detailed paintings among them. Street scenes were the main subject matter. Lots of reflections in the glass windows of buildings and cars, the glossy paint and chrome bumpers of vehicles. (Yikes! Chrome bumpers? I just dated myself) We Realists faced a heavy bias from the snobbery of the ‘Modernists’ at that time (to the point of complete exclusion from many galleries and shows - much as the Impressionists had encountered a century earlier) and the Super Realists (as they called themselves) were in reaction to that attitude. I ACTUALLY over heard one museum curator tell a tour group of school children, during a showing of ultra abstract art, “…After all. A Rembrant is merely a little paint.” Security escorted me from the building shortly after I injected myself into her lecture. What really torqued me was that her bottom jaw never moved when she spoke. That’s a true story. From BS but not BS.

Gordie: Man-Whose-Smoke-Signal-Machine-Needs-Ribbon (Piute) I hope you ARE around to see the completed painting as well. Stay very healthy. My painting has been in the works for years now. I think I am zeroing in on it but who can say? I probably just need Shan’s courage to go on and dive in.

Michael

[shan]

BrokenSword,

thanks for your kind words. You ask the size of the painting, its about 50" X 38" something like that, that's inches by the way for you folks in America.
It illustrates some of the problems discussed earlier, mainly the desire most artists have to get all the cast, especially the lead actors up there on stage at the same time. I recall I had read somewhere that Rain-in-the-face had said he was painted yellow that day, wore a full war bonnet and clutched a small blue shield, and that he rode a buckskin horse, wow! What an image, so naturally I just had to get him in there somewhere, and as I say, that then becomes is part of the problem.
I'm not sure I'd tackle the last stand that way any more. I have since decided to focus more on the small moments, what little we know of them, many of which are somewhat unpalatable to the general public, an example would be the small study I hope dear Diane will post for me, of the soldier who decided to play dead, but having been stripped, couldn't cope any longer when the women were about to cut off his man thing. It's part of the battle folk lore, but it's a taboo subject for the artist.

All 3 paintings, don't worry folks I'm not about to bombard you with the complete works, are small, being 16" x 12" on average.
Shan

[BrokenSword]

Shan-

"...don't worry folks I'm not about to bombard you with the complete works.."

Hey! BOMBS AWAY! I say

M

[Montana Bab]

SHAN,

"Bombs away!" is right! I'd love to see more of your work. I agree with all that Michael said about your masterwork, but I couldn't possibly have said it better. I think you did a fine job and look forward to more.

Michael:

I would love to see some of your work. If you paint as well as you give pictures with your words, you're a master. I havn't done much since I lost my son, but I can feel the juices flowing again. I love ink-work and wash, they reproduce well, and are easily corrected. But color is what I love the most. I hope Diane can post a couple of quite different pictures I found of the Battle. One is stark and colorful, and boy, does it make a statement! The other , well, colorful and quite unique! Can't wait to hear your thoughts.





BTW, here is a good website for artists:
www.altermann.com/inventory/i4.htm#a

Gordie,

Well, leave it to me to get it wrong! Everybody else maintains 20% of what they read; I, on the other hand, read 20% of what I maintain! (My husband tells me I'm 'NOT SAFE'!)

Bab

[Montana Bab]

Shan,

I especially like the last two of the three paintings you did. The last one is stark realism at its best. There's all the emotion in that work that a person could want. The other one is good. The depth and 'feel' of the turmoil is there for me.

I've seen some art pieces that are so well rendered that I can't believe they were painted, and of course those are my favorites. But then there's one like the red and white rendering above. It was done by a man who is quarter Indian, and I find myself wondering what his message was. In spite of the message, the colors do it for me. And the fact that all that is in the red is a solid mass of smoldering chaos.

I hope you continue your work, because you have something to say! And I'm listenting.

Best wishes.....Bab

[BrokenSword]

Bab-

I was saddened to read that you have lost a son. I can honestly say, ‘I know how you must feel.’ My son, Myles, was killed two years ago this coming April, 30th. He was 21 years old and less than two months from his 22nd birthday at that time. I still remember every vivid moment of it and its specter does not fade from my mind with time. You and I can personally attest that it is a not single cruel blow that one can really get over or fully passed. Rather, its more that it keeps on punching - everyday that goes by - hourly on many days. However, it does sound as though you are coping and I am heartened to know that. If you’d like to ‘talk’ more about it sometime I am sure that we can exchange e-mail addresses somehow. If not, that’s okay too. I don’t have any idea what I could say about it all - I certainly have no reasonable answer to the question, “Why?“ Just wanted you to know that I can be available to ‘listen’ and will be thinking of you and your husband in the future.

M

[harpskiddie]

Michael and Kathlene:

My prayers go out to both of you and your families. As a usually non-praying person, perhaps they'll bear some additional weight.

Gordie

[BrokenSword]

Thank you Gordie-

I hesitated all evening about posting that to Katherine (Bab). This really isn't the place. I just had no other way to send her that message.

M

[BrokenSword]

ARRRGH!

Kathlene! Sorry, Bab.

M

[Montana Bab]

Michael,

My deepest apology for dredging up such excruciating and painful memories for you. Your loss is more recent than mine, and you are so right that "it keeps on punching-every day that goes by". That trite expression of "closure" is such a joke. There's no such thing.

Your kindness has overwhelmed me because I know that you suffer the same. Please know that I wish for you and your family a sense of peace. We both know that our sons are in a better place than this place of turmoil.

Your great heart has touched me.

Born and Bred, Kathlene, under that glorious Montana sky !

[Montana Bab]

Gordie,

Dear Kind Heart! I'm sure that your prayers will carry a mighty weight with The One Upstairs Who Cares For All! Thank you for caring.

I received the article on Pvt. Sivertsen's horse, and deeply appreciate it! I promise I won't tell anyone that YOU ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST!

Born and Bred, Kathlene

[BrokenSword]

Bab-

No apologies necessary, what so ever.
Thank you

M

[harpskiddie]

BrokenSword:

If you click on the members name, you will get to their posted profile, and can send a personal message.

Gordie,
well now looka me, tellin' folks how to use technomolology!!!

[BrokenSword]

Gordie-

Thank you for the instructions. I too can't handle technomolologica STUFF. Don't even have one of those culcaliolaters. I use my finger tips. And besides, you have to read the instructions first.

M
Always leaping before looking.

[fiddlersgreen]

A couple of things to keep in mind when doing a painting of the "last stand". 3 of the companies with Custer were issued white hats. Custer liked his Officers (and trumpeters, riding grays of course) to remain mounted during a firefight. There were several dead horses found on "last stand hill" and they looked to be killed in a formation, U shaped, as to be used as a breastwork. The dead horses were gray and sorrel. Most of the Indians laying seige to battle ridge did so dismounted...creeping up the ravines and using natural cover. They lobbed in arrows like an artillery barrage. The Indians described the soldier position near the end to be so smokey that they could not see the soldiers. When the shots quit coming....the Indians rushed up top "into the smoke". Most if not all soldiers would have had some type of reinforcment on the crotch of their trousers. F company men wore a white canvas blouse so unique that they were referred to as the "Band box troop". The Indian pictographs captured at Slim Buttes show the soldiers mostly wore the 1872 pleated blouse and the trousers came down OVER THE BOOTS....not stuffed into them like Hollywood loves to show.
George Custer had a remington rifle(carried by an orderly) Tom Custer had a Springfield Officer's model rifle. Both rode sorrels. WW Cooke carried a Springfield rifle and a schofield pistol. He rode a white horse. I hope this helps.