Driving through the countryside near my home in the Central Valley of California, I was observing some of the richest soil and ranches around which are slowly disappearing due to growth and development. The barns always capture my attention causing my imagination to run wild. For me the barns represent the past – the Old West and horses and the same images always pop into my head; visions of settlers and the cowboys and Indians who may have trod across this dirt years ago – some on horseback, others on foot or in covered wagons. Battles were fought, lives were lost and blood was spilled. I wonder who may lay at rest here, who pitched a tent and made a campfire. Can’t you imagine the stories that were told around those fires?
Thank goodness for the artists of the Old West. Without them, the images would be lost forever. We can only wonder but they had the great fortune to see it first hand and to put it on canvas or carve in in wood or cast in bronze.
Everyone has their favorite artist. Mine happens to be Frederic Remington. For me, he captures the true essence of the Old West. In looking at his art, be it paintings, sketches or his sculptures, you can almost feel the sun on the faces, hear the sounds of the Indian war cries or feel the pain of the cowboy who just got bucked off his horse.
Being a fan of Remington’s but not able to afford his works, I decided over 25-years ago to collect all the books I could find by or about him. What I thought was going to be maybe one shelf has now turned into over 3000 books. They include the books he wrote, the ones written about him and the ones he illustrated for others. And of course, there are the portfolios.
My hope is to share these finds with my readers and send you on your own journey of discoveries.
Kathy
About Frederic Remington 