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It's always fun to see where the gallery staff decides to display paintings.  I love how my two large pieces look on this deep red wall.

Friday evening, the auction opened for the "minis".  Before I knew it, four of my six pieces had sold!

Let me introduce you to Doug Holiman.  A retired geologist, and a lifelong lover of all things of indigenous cultures. Doug, who is of Blackfoot heritage, has been admiring and collecting my work for several years.  Stan and  I had a delightful visit with Doug and his wife Karen, just before heading up Hwy 60 to Wickenburg.  Doug gave us a fascinating tour of his Native artifacts and rare books on Native cultures from the Mississippi River west.  Doug came to the show the following day and purchased one of my paintings!  However, he didn't consider the purchase finished until we "sealed the deal" with a pipe he made, and wild tobacco he'd collected.

This has to be one of the most unusual sale closings I have ever experienced!  Doug fashioned and decorated everything you are about to see.  I warned him that I'd never smoked anything in my long life--but was willing to try.

Hand-collected wild tobacco, a tamping tool, pipe bowl he fashioned out of Minnesota pipestone, a grounding stone, and the pipe stem.

He made an offering and thanks to the four directions.

Lit the pipe, made three puffs, then handed it to me.  And, yes, I inhaled--three very tentative inhalations.  And the deal was sealed.

These three found homes on the first evening.

This one found a home on Saturday.

Everyone is ready for the quick draw auction on Sunday morning.  This of us who chose to do the quick draw had 90 minutes to complete a painting.  Nerve-wracking, for sure!

At least we could work from a photo, so I did an evening scene of Grand Canyon.

And what a fantastic group of women artists!