Saturday, July 30, 2016

"Of One Heart"

Many of the Missouri artists whose art is featured in the initial rendition of the Missouri Hunters display, have also collaborated to create an "Of One Heart" set for the 2016 Contemporary Longrifle Foundation auction set for August 19th, 2016, in Lexington, KY, in conjunction with the Contemporary Longrifle Association annual show.

The 20th Anniversary CLF Fund Raising Auction features twenty-nine items from the efforts of over forty-five CLA artists. The auction will take place at 5:00 p.m. in the Grand Ball Room of the Lexington Convention Center (400 W. Vine Street, Lexington, Kentucky). The live auction is reserved for CLA members only, but there is a special prorated membership rate of $20 at the door. For those unable to attend in person, including non-members, an absentee bidding process has been made available via e-mail and the USPS. For questions, contact the Contemporary Longrifle Association directly at 540-886-6189.



Additional Photos & Info at:  "Of One Heart"

thanks for looking.....


wishbone

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Missouri Hunters Project Update

Working on the lay-out/design of the display.  The "centerpiece" will be Kyle Carroll's "Missouri Travelers" sketch, which he created just for this display.  It will make it's public debut at the CLA show as part of the display, but here is a "sneak peak" of my working it into the lay-out, along with some of the other art items.  Some of what you see displayed was created by Missouri artists for this display, and some of it is just stuff I put into the lay-out to reserve a spot for the actual item which I don't yet have.  Each artist will receive recognition on this blog, at a future time, once the display is finished.  We will also be adding new Missouri artists from time to time, as this is intended to be an "ongoing", living educational and promotional display.




Thanks for looking!

Wishbone

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Background on the Missouri Hunter Project

Background:

This project started as an idea which came to me at the Contemporary Longrifle Association annual show in Lexington, in August, 2015.   The basic idea is based on the "Southern Traveler" display which was at the show.  It occurred to me that one could create a display that could be taken to public events to both educate people on history and the "longrifle" culture, as well as promote the many talented longrifle culture artists, of which Missouri is blessed.


After bouncing this idea off a number of truly talented artist such as David Wright, Ian Prat, Kyle Carroll, my own son, Matt Fennewald, and others, and with suggestions along the way from each of the Missouri artist promoted in this project, another journey begins.

Background/Panels explaining the display:




The panels read as follows:

Panel 1:

In an earlier time, in areas of the East including Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, there was a phenomena involving groups of men who would go out on expeditions beginning in late fall, not coming back home to their families until early spring.  On these extended expeditions, they hunted and trapped for both fur and food, and traveled long distances.  They have since been labeled “longhunters”.  This collective group of “rough and brambled” men explored and charted much of the ever expanding American frontier for future settlement.

The era lasted a relatively short period of time. This way of life which began in the mid 1700’s with people like the Harmon brothers, John Findley, Elisha Walden and the Boones, generally coming to an end by 1780 when the eastern frontier states of Virginia and Kentucky became settled.  However, in men like John Coulter, who served as a scout for the Lewis & Clark expedition, that spirit of adventure drove exploration of the uncharted West well into the early 1800s.

Panel 2:

Some of these men, such as Daniel Boone. Elisha Walden, John Hughes, and others, did not accept the routine “genteel” life with its ever increasing taxation and government regulations, as found in established settlements in Kentucky and other Eastern states. They chose to migrate and live out their old age in the more unsettled and unconfined Spanish Missouri Territory which is now the State of Missouri.

{Image of an original sketch by Kyle Carroll titled "Missouri Travelers"}

Daniel Boone moved from Kentucky and settled in the Spanish Missouri Territory in 1799, west of the Mississippi River, near present day Defiance, Missouri. Elisha Wallen and John Hughes came to Missouri in 1806, and settled near present Ironton, Missouri.  John Coulter, when done exploring, settled near New Haven, Missouri circa 1810.

In 1817, at eighty-four years of age, Boone went on what would become his last extended hunt to the cold, blustery Missouri prairie. It is written that Boone's’ son Nathan, later said: “ Father was exhilarated to be camping out

 Panel 3:

again. He had brought his gun, his kettle, a light axe, provisions and two or three traps. He seemed to feel himself in his ancient element. After the evening meal, he told stories of his olden- time adventures”.

The era of the longhunter was ending...”

The “Missouri Hunters” display is a collection of a hunter’s tools and equipment which were commonplace on the Spanish Missouri frontier circa 1815-1820.  If men such as Boone, Wallen, Hughes, or Coulter were allowed by their Creator to come back to the area where they lived out their lives, before going to the eternal hunting ground beyond, and revisit their “ancient element” by going on one last extended hunt, these are the tool a pair of hunters might want to find waiting for them in their station camp.

This display is also a tribute to the Missouri artists who are keeping this epic tradition and love of adventure alive. Much of that same spirit of these past hunters is present in their art.

(Info on artists & art can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/MissouriHunters )


The Display:

The display will initially contain guns, bags & horns, and a sundry of other items a pair of hunters on the Spanish Missouri frontier might have used, or would be familiar with if they were to re-appear today and go on one more last hunt.  The panels will serve as a backdrop, and the guns, bags & horns,, and other items will be displayed leaning on an old log with a burnt out campfire, kettle, etc.

God willing, this display will make it's debut appearance at the 2016 Contemporary Longrifle Association annual meeting in Lexington, KY August 19-20, 2016.

Thanks for looking and stay tuned as we start to add artist's info and photos of their work.

Be humble,and don't stumble......

Wishbone