I'm glad you stopped by today!
My name is C.S. Poppenga and I've been making art since 1965 and making a living at it since 1997.
I live in the middle of Montana and that means plenty of solitude in which to work. It also means plenty of solitude. So I really am glad you're here. Take a moment to look, read, maybe even leave a comment or two. Questions are welcome too. Heck, I might even answer them, so stop by again to continue the conversation.

On this blog you'll discover my thoughts about the art process and how it relates to making a life. I'll also post some of my artwork, including some works that are a bit out of the "main stream" of what I produce for exhibit and sale (but by all means, those works are also for sale--so do not hesitate to email!)
This blog supplements my primary website which you might enjoy visiting too. (To link to that site go to the LINKS section in this column.)
Comments from visitors are welcome. If you're an artist with a blog, I invite you to include your blog address with your comments.
Cheers!

Oh, about the photo of me at the top of this column . . .
No, I don't use a shovel in the studio (although one might be helpful for clean-up sometimes!) This photo is me on a US Forest Service PIT (Passport In Time) restoration project at the historic OTO Ranch in Montana. I've been an active volunteer for PIT since the program's inception in 1989. Projects I've worked on have taken me to remote locations throughout Montana, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and South Dakota. Some PIT projects were prehistoric site surveys or excavations while others were restoration efforts on historic structures. One of my favorite PIT projects required a two-day 25-mile hike into the Bob Marshall Wilderness of Montana. In 2010 I participated in two PIT projects: a Paleontological project in Thunder Basin in Wyoming and an Archeological project at Guanella Pass in Colorado. Both were terrific projects in fantastic settings.

Year 2011 Newsy stuff:

Oil painting "Thunderhead Over Hobson" is in the Custer County Art & Heritage Center's 32st Annual Juried Works on Paper Art Exhibition. Exhibit is: January 23 - March 6, 2011 at the CCAHC in Miles City, Montana.

My works, "Powerful Storm" and "Prairie King" are in the Yellowstone Art Museum's 43nd Annual Art Exhibition and Auction. The auction is set for March 5, 2011 in Billings, Montana. (View my blog post dated December 8, 2010 to see the paintings.)

"We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it—and stop there."
~Mark Twain