Wild Ozark. A life in partnership with Nature.
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Studio Info
Next studio date: Dec. 2, 2023. Wild Ozark Studio & Gallery, 102 Main St., Alpena, AR. Click through for studio info: general information, hours, and schedule.
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An Imaginary Creek-side Scene
River cane arching over the creek from the opposite shore, sycamore trees on the nearside. A path for nature-lovers and wildlife meanders over the roots. This is the foundation for my imaginary creek-side scene. When I finished the Twisted Tree painting this past Saturday, there was brown (magnetite) paint left on my palette. Given the…
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2024 Art & Life Plans
Sometimes art & life plans work in synchronistic harmony here at Wild Ozark, just because everything here acts as inspiration for my art. But, it always feels like I’m flying by the seat of my pants. No routine, just trying to make art during the eddies in the wake of all the boulders in a…
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Win Some Lose Some
I’ve been working for at least four years to improve my artwork’s ‘findability’ online. And I’ve recently begun making sales to random collectors who found me via internet searches. So that’s a win. A random internet searcher finding one of my paintings and then following through with a buy is a big win. But as…
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Trying to get motivated
Everything in my life is in a sort of limbo at the moment, and I’m trying to get motivated to do anything at all. Even writing this blog post took some effort to begin. I’d also like to be working on my fiction story that’s been languishing in limbo for years now… but I haven’t…
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An Herbal Remedy for Winter Crud featuring Mullein, Beebalm, and Echinacea
Here’s my recipe for an herbal remedy I use every year to combat what we’ve come to call “Winter Crud”. We also take it at the first sign of anything that feels like trouble coming on. This year’s formula uses mullein, echinacea, ginseng, and beebalm.
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My Real Name: Roxann Riedel
Today I went to the Madison County Sheriff’s office to get fingerprinted. I expected to have black finger tips all day, but they don’t do it with ink pads anymore. They use something like a scanner instead, so that was interesting. I’ve never spent that much time so close to jail cells before. Of course,…
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Skippy, a new painting
This is a new 5 x 7″ painting. It’s a commission for someone out of state who’d contacted me about something other than art months ago. We got to talking, and she asked if I could do a painting of this cute little calf for her. At the time, I hadn’t developed my blue and…
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Too Busy to Blog
Being too busy is probably the number 1 excuse for why people aren’t consistent with making blog posts. It’s the excuse I’m using right now, too, ha. I’ve been attending real estate school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Saturdays I go to the studio or to another event to hawk my artistic wares. So,…
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2023 Ponca Color Fest
The weather isn’t looking too promising for this year’s Ponca Color Fest, but I’m still planning to go. If the bridges are flooded and I can’t get out, then I guess my plans will change. I’ll let you know if that happens. Location & Time At the Ponca Elk Education Center, from 10-4:30 Saturday (and…
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On the Cusp of a New Real Estate Adventure
So, I’m about to embark on a new adventure. Tomorrow I’m beginning classes to prepare for my real estate exam. You might have heard me mention this a few times over the last several months, but the day arrived faster than I expected. Well, it didn’t really, but it seems like it did. While I…
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The Bear Chewed Our Water Line Again
This morning when I turned on the faucet to clean the cast-iron skillet to get ready to fix breakfast, the water pressure seemed a little low. By the time I’d finished washing the dishes after breakfast, it was lower still. That’s never a good sign, and my best guess was that the bear chewed our…
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Art Goals | Baby Steps Towards The Art I Love
One of my art goals is to be able to paint scenes like the ones I’ve admired in other artworks. Now that I’ve begun using my pigments in oils, I feel as if I might actually be able to reach this goal eventually. I’ve made some progress in learning how the oil paints work with…
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Wild Ozark Color Watch | Autumn 2023
It’s my favorite time of year! The ragweed is on the decline and I can actually get outside and enjoy the weather without too much fear of repercussion, lol. I’ll start taking pics when I see colorful leaves or pretty scenes and add them to this page. So bookmark it if you’d like to see…
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Stalking the Wild Lady Fern
Of course, I want to paint these ferns. Just like I want to paint all of the orchids and the residents of the ginseng habitat. The ferns and orchids are usually present in the ginseng habitat, but I’d like a special series of just the ferns, and just the orchids.
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Painting Ghost, another dog portrait progression page
A puppy portrait of a dog named Ghost by Madison Woods using Ozark oil pigments and titanium white. Commissions re-open in Jan 2024.
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Picking Up Rocks, Digging up Mountain Mint, & Ordering Art Calendars
There’s something immensely satisfying to share my love for rocks this way. Since we’ve moved here, I’ve found every way I could think of to actually put rocks to use. But painting has by far been one of the most satisfying. However, it’s a lot of fun to package up a few to send a…
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New Acceptance: Fenix Arts’ Magical Circus | Fayetteville Arkansas
I’m happy to announce that Detour for a Thirsty Raven was accepted into the Magical Circus show at Fenix Arts in Fayetteville, AR. Thank you to the juror Zeek Taylor, who is a multiple award winning artist and author in Northwest Arkansas. Detour for a Thirsty Raven At first glance, this painting may not seem…
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Obstacles in my Art Journey | Painting a Portrait
I find it odd that I can paint an animal fairly well, but throw a human into the mix, and if there’s a face, I balk. Human faces are one of the biggest obstacles in my art journey, and I want to scale that mountain. In my current painting, I’m pleased with what I’ve learned,…
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Painting a French Bulldog Pup | Hugo
I’m currently painting a French bulldog pup. This is my youngest son’s fur-baby. He’s not so little as this photo anymore, but Garrison wanted one of him as a puppy, and then another later as an adult. Progression
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Progression Page | Gail’s House | Memorial Painting
Gail’s House This photo taken by my dad is the reference I’m working from. In this memorial gift painting, there’s a lot more bright green than something I’m accustomed to. I’m not sure my pigments will get quite there, but it should be close now that I have some thyme on hand. The lake pigment…
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Upcoming Madison Woods Paintings | Memorial Gift, Paintings as Gifts
For the rest of the year I’ll be busy doing art for family members, so any commissions requested now will begin after 2024 begins. Here’s the itinerary for upcoming Madison Woods paintings. A Memorial Painting My oldest son’s paternal grandmother died recently. One of her favorite things in the world was her house. She lived…
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See Artists Working at Art in Alpena | Wild Ozark Studio
At the Wild Ozark Studio & Gallery, we’re always artists working at art. Drop by to watch!
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Hiking up the Mountain
This morning I went hiking up the mountain to check on our water tank. It’s been very dry here for the whole summer, and the recent rains haven’t added anything to the creeks. The creeks are almost completely dry. Every few days I check the few watering holes left to make sure the horses have…
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Making a Temporary Fix in the Morning, Painting in the Afternoon
I was mending fences with a temporary fix in the morning, painting in the afternoon, and keeping a close eye on Rob in between.
Interested in a commissioned painting?