Barronette AfternoonI don't know about you guys, but when I think of some of the great Western artists who have committed the wild & romantic imagery of the Rocky Mountains onto canvas, names like Charley Russell, Karl Bodmer, Frederick Remington and Thomas Moran come to mind. Now I can add a new name to the list; our very own fearless leader, the Chief.
One day last March, after a loooooong 12 hour day at work, I drug my sorry butt home to find a package waiting for me on my doorstep. The return address said Beech Creek, Pa. Hmmm, I thought, The Chief must be sending me all his remaindered copies of Caddis and a Beadhead. Then I noticed that the package was a long round cylinder not unlike what you would use to mail a rolled up map. Great, he's finally sending me that map of Midger's favorite fishing holes -including the spot where Pat caught that 28" brown trout- complete with GPS coordinates, access points and satellite imagery. Welp, you can imagine my surprise when I popped open the tube and pulled out the above painting done by none other than the Chief himself. Dang near knocked the socks right off my feet. The Chief, being his usual generous self, graciously sent me one of ten limited edition prints he had made of a bucolic scene along upper Soda Butte Creek in Wyoming that he rendered onto canvas. I already knew that he built world class graphite fly rods, was a gourmet cook and a cutting edge engineer but this just blew me away.
He didn't even have to tell me the location. The scene was instantly recognizable as the Fair Maiden's favorite trout stream. I have no idea if the Chief was formally trained or he simply took up painting as a hobby but I was so impressed with the painting that I had it matted & framed and it now occupies a place on my living room wall not too far away from my official RBF Turkey Beard Measuring Stick.
Not only are the Pro Staffers a great looking bunch of guys but they're extraordinarily talented too and I'm honored to be a member.
Mucho gracias senor' El Chiefo!
Fun fact: Barronette Meadows and it's associated towering peak are named after the colorful Jack Barronette, a a quiet soldier of fortune who built the first toll bridge across the Yellowstone River near the old Bannock Ford on the "miners road" to Cooke City. He was also the one who rescued the unfortunate Truman Everts after he went missing from the 1870 Washburn Party and spent 37 days wandering around the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on his back, a brand new Garmin GPS and a full rack of Clem's BBQ ribs.
2 comments:
The Chief's talents are genetic, pure and simple. He attempted formal training once but it resulted in an 0.0 GPA and that was that. I must say that I attempted most everything in life at least once with the exception of brain surgery.
Chief,
Perhaps if you stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, Neuro-Surgery would well within your realm of expertise! I had no idea you painted also. You sir, are truely a Renaissance man and never fail to amaze your humble staff!
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