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Bob Boze Bell's Blog – July 2009 Archive (33)

Biggy Billy

July 31, 2009

Last night I finished another sketchbook (the 17th) on the quest to do 10,000 bad drawings. Shifted gears and began a series of studies for a big oil painting I'm planning for our October 15 art show at Overland Gallery in Scottsdale: the theme of the show is Capturing Billy the Kid Country.

Did 12 studies. Here's another page:

Ed Mell, Gary… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 31, 2009 at 10:00am — 2 Comments

Tim McCoy Was The Real McCoy

July 30, 2009

As a kid I always dug Western movie star Tim McCoy. He had a steely gaze, mostly wore black and had the biggest hats in the biz. In the 1970s I met his son Terry McCoy who grew up in Nogales, Arizona on a ranch his father had in his last years.

We met several times at Durant's in downtown Phoenix where Terry held court with others in Phoenix who loved the old Westerns (I think there were five of us). I asked Terry what it was like growing up with a famous… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 30, 2009 at 12:14pm — 3 Comments

First Sketch: One of 10,000

July 29, 2009

Yesterday one of my favorite writers came out to Cave Creek and took me to lunch at Tonto Bar & Grill. Afterwards we drove out to my art studio (I apologized for the mess and he said, "If an art studio isn't cluttered, it isn't an art studio."). We spent a good deal of time looking through the 17 sketchbooks I have compiled on my quest to do 10,000 bad drawings. It was quite interesting to hear his take on the progression, or lack thereof of the drawings. He is… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 29, 2009 at 11:00am — 6 Comments

Thirty Years Later, Gator

July 28, 2009

Woke up to an anniversary. Kathy and I have been married for 30 years. Doesn't even seem possible. As she put it on the way into the kitchen, "It seems like about six years." Yes, if you don't count the teenage years (both Deena's and Tommy's and mine, which is ongoing).

Do Or Die

Harold Roberts asked about The Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn. He is a Texas firefighter (and the son of a famous heart surgeon) who developed a… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 28, 2009 at 10:00am — 8 Comments

Dieting In The Middle of A Jump

July 27, 2009

Stayed close to home most of the weekend, although on Saturday night we drove down to the new Marriott at Desert Ridge for a surprise graduation party for Frank the Tank. Deena put it all together and some 25 of us had a side room where we yelled out "Surprise!" at about seven.

The restaurant served $17 pizzas and fried calomari (sp?) and I didn't have one bite. I have been on the Engine Two diet for 27 days (they recommend 28 days avoiding anything with a… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 27, 2009 at 9:30am — 3 Comments

The Old Bison's Dream Home Is For Sale

July 25, 2009

Got an email from The Old Bison earlier this week. He is moving to Scottsdale and selling his spectacular home north of Austin, Texas.

As he put it, "We designed it for two working historians, with more built-in book shelves than most people want. It’s all on one floor and (the big selling point) overlooks Lake Georgetown and the adjacent park greenbelt. In normal economic times, we could have got more than $700,000 for it. Now, we are about to bring it down… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 25, 2009 at 3:00pm — No Comments

Draw As If The New York Times Is Watching

July 24, 2009

Big rain last night. Very cool and wet out this morning. In the old days, before air conditioning, a morning like this must have seemed like heaven sent.

Got a comment on yesterday's blog regarding my quest to do 10,000 bad drawings:

"If you slip up and do a good sketch, do you count it or not?"

—Hugh Howard

I've done so many bad ones, when I slip and do a good one, I give myself the benefit of the doubt and count it as a… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 24, 2009 at 8:30am — 14 Comments

Due Diligence

July 23, 2009

Meghan Saar and I had a conference call with Mark Boardman this morning to go over ideas for 2010. Mark came up with an added value concept to add to Classic Gunfights. I can't tell you how many people have contacted me to ask how they can get into Cottonwood Springs or Mattie Earp's gravesite, or Mickey Free's home (both of them). Mark wondered if we might give all that info when we run the gunfight. You want to see where Curly Bill Brocius bought the farm? No… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 23, 2009 at 3:00pm — 4 Comments

9,500 Bad Drawings And Counting

July 22, 2009

Today I hit another milestone: the 9,500th bad drawing on my quest to do 10,000 bad drawings. Here 'tis:

Tabulated that, at the rate I'm currently going, I will hit the magic number of 10,000 sometime in September, but since we are going to Buenos Aires on the first of September, to celebrate our anniversary, and to meet up with the kids, I have some urgency to finish before we leave. Tabulated my odds and… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 22, 2009 at 4:31pm — 8 Comments

A Tutorial On How To Get Into A Packed Movie Screening

July 22, 2009

Being in the media has its perks and one of them is that we often get preferential seats at concerts, clubs, movies and sometimes even restaurants. However, it's not always as choice as it may sound. Case in point: when I was in morning drive at KSLX FM radio in Scottsdale, our station sponsored comedian Dennis Miller at the State Fair. Miller was a big deal at the time and this was a big deal for the station. We got an interview (actually a phoner) with Dennis and the… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 22, 2009 at 3:30pm — 1 Comment

Julie & Julia & Frank The Tank

July 21, 2009

Kathy and I met Deena Bean and Frank the Tank down at The Harkins 101 last night to see the second sneak of Julie & Julia, a new film—and the alleged first movie ever about a blog—by Nora Ephron. We missed the first one last week because we got there too late and didn't make the cut. This time Kathy went down at 6:15 to get a good place in line and we still almost didn't make the cut. Unfortunately we were in the front row and I wanted to leave, but Kathy… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 21, 2009 at 4:30pm — 3 Comments

Coyote Bait & Whippin' Good & Dying Newspapers

July 20, 2009

Coyotes continue to try and snatch our old dog Peaches. I was standing at the kitchen sink yesterday when a mangy blur caught my eye out in the yard. Saw a lean and mean coyote cut between our crumbling adobe wall and my Ranger (which meant he was brazenly sweeping right up to our front door). Did my patented, "Hey! Hey! HEY!" which, of course, always does the trick. Ha.

Went home for lunch and whipped out a sweet page of Mexico scenes (yes, still trying to… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 20, 2009 at 3:16pm — 4 Comments

Frieda Free

July 19, 2009

Stayed home yesterday and worked on a variety of scenes for Classic Gunfights and Mickey Free. Speaking of Mickey Free, I was invited to Frieda Ethelbah's 91st birthday last week but I couldn't make it. Scott Stone sent this photo of Frieda and Lutheran Pastor Arthur Alchesay Guenther at the party. Frieda is the granddaughter of Mickey Free:

Check out that face, Man. She's got Mick's features,… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 19, 2009 at 10:00am — 3 Comments

26 Little Men Who Lived To Play Again

July 17, 2009

Really nasty out. 112 in The Beast today, and probably 101 here in Cave Creek. We're usually 8-10 degrees cooler than Phoenix, but after the century mark it just gets pretty oppressive.

Everyone else has left for the weekend but I'm here waiting to do a radio interview on a wild show called Ralph's Back Porch. They're calling at six our time. Thought I'd post another blog and show you what I'm working on today.

Still working on gunshots in a… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 17, 2009 at 5:00pm — 3 Comments

For Your Eyes Only

July 17, 2009

Believe it or not, sometimes we sit around and try to think up appreciative rewards for the creative types who participate on this site. Case in point: this morning our publisher, Trish Brink, stuck her head in my door and said, "What do you think about offering 100 of our loyal website people a lifetime subscription to True West magazine for $99?"

My first reaction was, "Trish, that's just too crazy!" But, as one of my marketing mentors, Wonderful… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 17, 2009 at 11:00am — 11 Comments

Kidder Kidded Killers?

July 17, 2009

Went into the Beast last night and met Kathy at Fashion Square to see a sneak of the new movie Julie & Julia. Even though we arrived fifteen minutes early, the line snaked all the way down the second story of the mall and we didn't make the cut to get in. Drove over to Bombay Spice for a dinner of hummus and veggie curry dishes ($35, includes tip, house account) and then drove home. Speaking of veggies, I am in the third week of my plant diet. Goal is 28… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 17, 2009 at 9:30am — No Comments

Naco Policia Cattle Call

July 16, 2009

Drove into the Beast at 11 this morning to pick up my Big Billy oil, but it was too hot to transport via my pickup. Ed Mell and I went to the Heard Museum for lunch again. I needed to check out their gallery for an art issue we're doing this fall. Found a couple pieces I liked and drove back out to Cave Creek.

Decided to back up on the Naco gunfight and get some good types for the Naco policia who shot it out with Arizona Ranger Jeff Kidder in… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 16, 2009 at 5:30pm — 5 Comments

The Curse of Serious Intention

July 15, 2009

Nothing kills a painting faster, for me, than serious intention. As soon as I grip my wrist and say to myself, "This is going to be good," I start to strangle everything in my path.

I did some decent color studies last night, warming up for the Jeff Kidder, Naco fight illustration:

But when it came time to do a serious intention study, this afternoon, I flat out killed it:…

Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 15, 2009 at 4:27pm — 6 Comments

A Cantina Patina Full of Choking Smoke From A Forty-five

July 14, 2009

Working on the cantina shooting between Arizona Ranger Jeff Kidder and two Naco, Mexico policemen, Tomas Amador and Dolores Quias. As mentioned, I believe I have a good idea what this bordertown cantina must have looked like even though my exposure to them was some sixty years later:

This is a patina painting of a small room filled with blackpowder gunsmoke. Also, whipped out another gaggle of patina studies,… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 14, 2009 at 4:52pm — No Comments

Border Patinas & Putas

July 13, 2009

Kathy and I drove to Kingman on Saturday morning. She dropped me off at the Power House Route 66 Museum, while she drove on to Vegas to attend a memorial service for an old friend. Tom Erickson was setting up his camera equipment in the back of the museum when I arrived. He told me to meet him at the "Al Bell Memorial." I laughed and assumed it was some humorous reference to a gas station display to celebrate Route 66. But when I got back there, on a big mural that… Continue

Added by Bob Boze Bell on July 13, 2009 at 5:00pm — 1 Comment