Waving the US Flag and Keeping Cool!

Mother with her girls at the July 4th Parade 2011 in Mount Pleasant, Utah.

Our last 'Hip-Hip-Hoorah' together.

Mother, Elaine and Gene watching Old Glory pass by.

Matt parading behind Johnny Rock.

Just a few of her 38 great-grandchildren. 

Through My Mother's Eyes 1911 - 2014

This mixed media collage represents various stages of my Mother's 102 year + 11 month journey of life. 

I created it in 2011 to celebrate her 100th birthday.

Edith Freeman Elswood

Born 25 October 1911 - Died 25 September 2014

Grand-daughter of Utah Pioneers

Father's farm hand

Sweets candy worker

Nanny

Dreamer/Adventurer

Married E. Robert Elswood 21 June 1935

Relief Society President during WWII

Garden Club member

Young Women's President

PTA President

Single mother of 4

Book keeper - working 2 part time jobs

Guide Patrol scout leader

Loves flowers and working in her yard

Graduate of Snow College after age 60

Full time missionary 3 times - California, Texas and Utah

Grandmother of 15

Great-grandmother of 38

Line dancing and teaching primary at age 90 +

Moved to Costa Rico shortly before her 100th birthday

Her ghostly metaphoric image reflects a loss of her presence. The canvas is mounted on aged patina metal. Photography fastened with various devices. My sister Elaine contributed with photos and information of Mother's history.

Expedited Rain

plein air, oil, 8" x 16", 'Back Road Blues'

Find Your Outlet

plein air, oil, 9" x 12", 'Dry Wash'

Escalante Canyons Art Festival 2014

plein air, pastel, 11" x 14", 'Escalante'

14 House Painting

studio, oil, 6" x 6", 'Biggest Brush'

13 Backyard Pear-adise

studio, oil, 6" x 6", 'Pears'

12 One Onion a Day, Keep Doc Away!

studio, oil, 6" x 6", 'Onions to Rings' 

IDAHO ONION FACTS:

• Idaho ranks 4th in the nation in onion production.
• Southwest Idaho is famous for the Giant Spanish sweet onions
• 25% of all U.S. onions come directly from the Snake River Valley of Southwest Idaho and Eastern Oregon.

Did you know that onions contain a flavonoid called "quercetin" which protects against ca
taracts, cardiovascular disease, and cancer? Onions may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. They are a source of fiber, vitamin B6, Folate and vitamin C.

This time of year during the harvest, it is easy to spot onions scattered over bumpy back roads and the interstate curves in Eastern Oregon and Idaho counties of Canyon, Payette, Washington, Owyhee, Ada and Magic Valley area. 

11 Spudville USA

studio, oil, 6" x 6", 'Potato Flakes'

IDAHO POTATO FACTS:

• Idaho is ranked first in the nation for potato production, harvesting nearly 300,000 acres of potatoes each year (an acre is approximately the size of a football field)!
• Idaho produces over 11 billion pounds of potatoes annually.
• If Idahoans had to eat all the potatoes grown in the state, every man, woman and child would have to eat 40 potatoes per day, every day, all year-long.
• With over a century of growing potatoes, Idaho has produced more than any other state every year since 1957.

Idaho Counties where potatoes are grown: Bingham, Bonneville, Cassia, Elmore, Fremont, Jefferson, Jerome, Madison, Power and Twin Falls

This photo was taken today of the Potato Museum in Blackfoot, Idaho, 'Potato Capitol' of the world! Notice the US flag honoring victims of 9 11.

10 Breakfast of Champions

studio, oil, 9" x 12", 'Wheaties'

IDAHO WHEAT FACTS:

• Wheat is grown in 42 of the 44 counties in Idaho and 42 of the 50 states in America.
• Idaho ranks 5th in the nation in wheat production with over 106 million bushels produced in 2010.
• Wheat is measured in bushels. A bushel weighs about 60 pounds and will make about 73 loaves of bread or 53 boxes of cereal.
• One acre (an area about the size of a football field) can produce enough wheat to provide your family with bread for about 10 years.
• Besides bread, wheat is used to make cereals, crackers, noodles, cakes, cookies and even licorice!

09 Incredible Edible Idaho Grapes!

studio, oil, 6" x 6", 'Great Grapes'

IDAHO GRAPE FACTS:

• Idaho's warm days and cool nights produce a sweet, crisp grape.
• It takes a vine 3 years to mature before it produces grape clusters
• A mature vine can produce over 60 pounds of grapes.
• Idaho grows mainly seedless grape varieties, including Alborz (red), Emerald (green) and Jupiter (black).
• The average grape vineyard in Idaho is 5 acres, about the size of 5 football fields.

Idaho Counties where table grapes are grown: Ada, Payette, Gem, Canyon and Elmore

The grapes for my painting are from a backyard garden in Boise (Ada County), Idaho. Each year around mid to late October, the ripened grapes are picked carefully from the vine, washed thoroughly, steamed and bottled for juice. Kind of like Welch's grape juice, but better!!!

08 Leaving Fort Hall

studio, oil, 9" x 12", 'Leaving Fort Hall' 

The trees I painted are on the right hand side of I-15 heading north towards Blackfoot, Idaho, leaving the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. I love these trees! They are a welcome sight.

Here are some interesting facts I learned about Fort Hall:

The Fort Hall Indian Reservation is the federally recognized Shoshone-Bannock Tribe indian reservation. It is located in southeastern Idaho on the Snake River Plain north and west of Pocatello, and comprises 814.874 sq mi of land area. Founded in 1868, it is named for Fort Hall, a trading post established by European Americans that was an important stop along the Oregon and California Trails in the middle 19th century.

In the 1850s the Shoshone, led by Chief Pocatello, had attacked emigrant parties in part because the increasing tide of settlers was encroaching on their hunting grounds and game. The Mormons, led by Brigham Young, had subsequently pursued a policy of reconciliation with the Shoshone. In 1858, the arrival of the U.S. Army into the Utah Territory led to a full-scale conflict between the U.S. and the Shoshone. Colonel Patrick Edward Connor killed more than 400 Shoshone in present-day southeastern Idaho. The massacre was the culmination of a long struggle between the Shoshone and Bannock, and U.S settlers, which included numerous attacks by both sides. Connor led his troops from Fort Douglas in January 1863 in order to "chastise" the Shoshone.

Warned of Connor's advance, Pocatello led his people out of harm's way. Another chief and his band were attacked. Pocatello subsequently sued for peace and agreed to relocate his people to the newly established reservation along the Snake River. Four bands of Shoshone and the Bannock band of the Paiute relocated to the reservation.

07 Cut, Baled and Raining

plein air, oil, 9" x 12", 'Just Cut'

04 Four More Trees

plein air, oil, 8" x 8", 'Drive-by'

06 Warm and Cool

plein air, oil, 9" x 12", 'Wales Canyon'

05 First Friday

plein air, acrylic, 6" x 6", 'Johnny Jump-ups'

03 Ready or Not!

plein air, oil, 8" x 8", 'Drive-by'

02 Eastern Idaho

 

plein air, oil, 8" x 8", 'First Day of School'

01

 

plein air, oil, 8" x 16", 'Bert's Farm'