Doc Holliday and Ed Schieffelin

Announcement: Gallery of Dreams and Trask Fine Art are proud to present the latest additions to the "Legends of the West" collection -DOC HOLLIDAY AND ED SCHIEFFELIN. The eight foot bronze statue of Wyatt Earp that is permanently placed in Tombstone, AZ and the limited edition of 30 maquettes were the inspiration for the creation of an entire series of bronze legendary western figures. The bronze replica of the 8 foot Tombstone, AZ statue,"Wyatt Earp: Stepping into Legend" as well as the masterful sculpture of the new bronzes of Doc Holliday and Ed Schieffelin are just the begininning what is to come. Tim is in the process of creating Cochise as well. There were no pictures taken of Cochise so Tim did quite a bit of research on the legendary western figure and worked from pictures of Cochise's sons.

These statues are a must have for Western Art Collectors. They will be featured in an editorial in the January edition of Western Art Collector magazine. For more information give us a call or email us. The statues are selling quick so now is the time to reserve a lower numbered edition! Phone: (520) 720-2649 Email: agalleryofdreams@yahoo.com

Below Tim Trask, Gallery of Dreams owner and master sculptor explains the history behind the legendary figures and his inspiration for the statues.

Doc Holliday What Are Friends For!

Although Doc Holliday needs no introduction to most of you, Doc Holliday is depicted as he would have been dressed before the fight at the OK Corral. The historic accounts stated that he showed up on the corner before the OK Corral meticulously dressed wearing a slouch hat, overcoat, and carrying a silver cane. Morgan Earp stated that he did not have to be involved in the coming gunfight. Although the actual words used will never be known, Doc most likely answered “What are Friends For” (The title of the bronze) while tipping his hat with his cane. He then turned the cane over to Morgan Earp and accepted the shotgun he carried to the gunfight. At the edges of his overcoat, one can see the revolver he always carried in a shoulder holster, the derringer in his vest pocket, The Bowie Knife his uncle had given him and a deck of cards. All these items he was known to have carried on a daily basis. The story of Doc Holliday would not exist without the fact that he was Wyatt Earp's friend and was willing to back him up at any cost. Doc will always be remembered as a true friend of Wyatt Earp.

Ed Schieffelin: Founder of Tombstone

Ed Schieffelin as most of you know was the prospector who found the silver strike which created the town of Tombstone. He truly was the “Founder of Tombstone” (The title of the bronze). His story is the classic story of the prospector striking it rich. Once he found the deposit he had to work in another mine for a few months just to get enough money to travel and file his claim. His claim made him a very rich man in those days when he sold it years later. Prospecting kept drawing him back though. He died in his prospecting cabin in Oregon. It was said he was found just after he had assayed some new ore samples. The samples were very rich, He had scrawled on a note that he had did it! He had found another mother lode. Where the strike was found was never known. His body by his instructions was returned to Tombstone where he was interred in a cairn of rocks outside of Tombstone. The cairn is over 20 feet high and is marked as the grave of Ed Schieffelin created by the friends of Ed Schieffelin. It was placed where he had camped when he found the silver strike. I chose to depict Ed Schieffelin as he would have appeared while prospecting His prospectors pick in his right hand, his left hand holds the prized Sharps rifle. (The weapon of the time for accurate shooting over long distances) A cartridge belt on his waist carries the extra ammo he might need. On his hip are the revolver and Bowie Knife needed for survival in those rough times. His canteen is over his shoulder, He carried all the things he needed to survive in the desert while prospecting. He would never camp in the same place to elude the Apache Indians who were on the warpath at the time. Ed Schieffelin was a true pioneer in every sense of the word. This bronze sculpture represents the many people who came out hoping to strike it rich. Ed Schieffelin was the “Founder of Tombstone” and he should be memorialized in Tombstone.

Plein Air Painting

This article written by Lil Leclerc. Lil has be represented by Gallery of Dreams for over two years.

Plein Air painting is painting oil, watercolor, pastel, or a sketch that is done in entirety in the outdoors, usually in one sitting. A painting may be done over several days because of the largeness of the canvas. I use a small board 6x8 inch or 8x10 inch so that I can finish the painting in one session, usually in 1-2 hours. I use a limited palette so that I get color harmony in my paintings. I also do not want to carry a lot of equipment or paints with me. I like to keep my supplies limited to less than 10 pounds in weight.

My palette is ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow light, or medium, lemon yellow, Alizarin crimson, cadmium red medium, Naples yellow, and titanium white. I use Liquin to help in drying the paint. Colors right out of the tube are usually harsh and will not give you the emotion or statement that you want. They will give you a harshness in your painting. With the colors blue, red and yellow I can mix the whole range of colors, an get harmony in my painting. It is important to practice mixing or identifying colors before you go out to paint. If you have a problem get or make a color wheel to help. I often use a color wheel to help me mix a particular shade of a color. As everyone knows primary colors are blue, red and yellow. Secondary colors are produced when primaries are mixed: B&R=purple, B&Y= green, R&Y= orange. Tertiary colors produce degrees of gray (brown grays or black grays, red grays or purple grays). When you try and portray atmosphere and depth you will gray the colors the farther away from you the subject is. . So this means that the closest to you is the brightest and the purest of color. There are exceptions to the rule when you want to illuminate a particular subject or want to focus on something that is in mid ground or farther away.

In plein air painting I will use large value spaces. This means that I will use a large brush, a # 6 or # 8 filbert or flat to apply to canvas the scene in front of me, by using color and value to produce a recognizable scene. I do not do great detail to the painting. My goal is to paint the shadows and light areas, as quickly as possible. Most plein air paintings are used as a reference painting to reproduce another larger painting in the studio. Today’s plein air is often detailed enough to be in competitions and shows. The longer you practice the faster and better you will get.

I use gessoed board, or home made canvas boards for painting. When I do a paint study I may use a canvas sheet, such as “Yes” or a linen canvas. The gessoed board is excellent for transporting and is sturdy enough to handle the rough handling a plein air painting sometime has to endure. The ease of transportability is what I am looking at. I have several ways to transport wet boards. Homemade transport boxes serve as well as store bought boxes. Cardboard storage boxes, as well as cereal boxes work well. There are many ways to transport a painting. I have transported a painting on the dashboard of the car only to drop the painting in the dust at the studio. The painting was allowed to dry and them the dust was brushed off the painting. It was one of my better paintings.

Art Can Be Found Anywhere, From Anyone!

This blog entry was written by Jon Solbakken. Jon is a part of the Gallery of Dreams team and staff. He is an emerging artist and apprentice to Tim Trask.

Being a member of the team at the Gallery of Dreams as well as apprenticing under Master Sculptor Tim Trask has really immersed me in the world of fine art for some time now. Part of what I do for the gallery is to aid in the reception of new art. This involves assessing the quality and saleability of fine art. For me personally, there are a few questions that enter my mind. The first question is: Does this piece reflect the artist themselves? The next questions that follow are: What is the story behind this piece? What emotion is the artist attempting to tap into from their potential collectors?

Having this knowledge and experience viewing fine art has opened new doors for me in so many ways. One of which has been judging local art shows in and around Cochise County. The latest event I judged was the Fine Art Exhibition at the Cochise County Fair in Douglas, Arizona. There were two main categories in this exhibition. One was for students and the other was adults. These were of course divided into many sub categories, but to save time, I will only mention a few.

The student category included paintings, graphite drawings, and multi-media pieces. The adult category basically consisted of amateurs, semi-professional, and professional. I was truly impressed by what I saw presented in the students category! They showed tremendous talent and possess vast amounts of potential. With the right encouragement and teaching, I believe that these and other students around the nation would be enabled to bring true innovation and a shift in the perception of fine art as we know it! WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS ART PROGRAMS!

As for the adults, we'll just say that I was slightly more critical of their work. I'm not saying that I wasn't impressed with it. I just expect more out them. There were a few that were absolutely excellent! These artists were showing a mastery of their talents and really trying to push the envelope! Their composition was good, their presentation was wonderful, and just by viewing the pieces, I could see a real part of the artist in them. Ironically enough, My "Best of Show" choice went to a semi-professional.

This just goes to show you that great art can be found anywhere, from anyone! I think we are on the verge of something great in the world of fine art! I believe we are at the cusp of a new movement and I can't wait to see what the future will bring. What do you think the future will bring in the world of art? Do you think you are starting to see it now? If so, do tell! I am always keeping my eyes and mind open!

Jon Solbakken

Gallery of Dreams

Thinking Outside of the Box During Tough Times

Let's face it, when there is a tough economy one of the first items that people stop purchasing is fine art. Fine art galleries and artists struggle to make ends meet. However there are benefits to this struggle, it forces everyone to think outside of the box. Gallery of Dreams has done this by incorporating smaller more affordable fine art jewelry, cards and prints. We have also taken great interest in what the members of the community have to say. Last year winter visitors requested art classes of various types. Therefore, we started offering classes. Last winter they were a success! This fall and winter, we have begun planning for more workshops and classes! For example, Lindsay Roberts, a local artist, will be teaching a brass ornament workshop where students will learn how to peen and shape sheet metal using jewelry and tinsmithing techniques.

Many of the artists at Gallery of Dreams have also taken the concept of thinking outside of box and came up with some brilliant ways to inspire interest in fine art.

Alexandra Orton, Cochise County resident and Gallery of Dreams artist, has implemented several creative ideas. By creating an online inventory through Greeting Card Universe , Alexandra has made her art available to clients all over the world and has made it affordable to those who appreciate fine art but cannot necessarily purchase original art work. These greeting cards are fabulous to send or frame! Alexandra has also started a Facebook Fan Page where she not only updates her fans by posting her latest work, but she also posts clever Facebook statuses such as, "Alexandra Orton is making an art supplies list and checking it twice," or "Alexandra Orton is playing with clay." This gives her fan base an idea of "a day in the life" of an artist. It also demonstrates the personality and character of the artist.

With over 300 million active users Facebook is a social networking site that has much potential for artists. Gallery of Dreams artist, Jon Vaughn has a fan base of 141 and counting and he has already seen results in sales! Facebook statistics show that more than 10 million users become fans of pages per day!


Oil painter and Gallery of Dreams artist, Deborah Peters, used her passion of big cats to think outside of the box. Deborah received an offer from a big cat rescue facility to be a part of a gallery that is still in the works. This inspired her to find other big cat rescue facilities on the Internet that might be interested in selling her paintings. She was successful! She found an organization, Big Cat Luxe. This organization's core premise is that one can contribute financially to the extremely important work of Big Cat Rescue while finding just the right gifts for the home as well as office accessories. "I knew this was something unique to be a part of, " says Deborah. For Deborah it is a unique venue for the exposure of her art and passion.

As the manager of a fine art gallery and an art lover; it is very inspiring to hear stories of artists who keep up the good fight and keep art interesting! I know there are thousands of stories of artists and galleries who think outside the box. Do you have an inspiring story? Please tell! We can all help each other and stay positive even when times are tough!

Mia Schultz
GALLERY OF DREAMS

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