Happy birthday, Charles Marion Russell.

Happy 142nd birthday, if my math is correct. But there's a reason I don't teach math (click on any of these to see the larger image).



Anyway, your work has filled my imagination with wonder ever since I first set eyes on and thrilled at the details of an Indian war party...



or a fancifully laid out scene from actual history...



Or the first time I saw a buffalo hunt. Where else are these kinds of images portrayed with better skill and realism.



There's humor there too, like here, where a man comes back to camp and finds it's been invaded by curious critters...



Or here, where a morning breakfast is ruined by an unruly bronc. If you search through Russell's work, you'll be amazed how often he painted this scene.



My own imagination has been enriched and shaken, seeing myself in pictures like this one and wondering what it would have been like to live back then.



What a wonderful job you did for us all, and what a wonderful legacy you left to your country and your people. Here's hopin' you found a rich and wonderful reward, beyond "the pass on the Big Divide."



Happy Birthday Charles M. Russell. We're better off for havin' known ya. Cheers!