Blue Indian

Here is my latest painting titled, "Blue Indian." It will soon be at the ArtFusion gallery in Bigfork. Oil on canvas, 18x24. I've seen many cliché paintings of such an Indian--usually painted in ultra realistic style. I took a different tack, but I still wanted to maintain an expression of severity and dignity. I think I accomplished that. The man is from the Blackfoot Indian tribe. I lived among these Indians when I was a kid at a ranch in Blackfoot Idaho.

I met an Indian here in Lakeside recently. He was about my age and had an advanced degree in languages. He spoke many Indian languages fluently including the one used by the local Salish/Kootenai tribes. He spoke to me in that language and it sounded exceptionally beautiful. He said some of the Indian languages had many more words than English. which enabled one to express oneself in subtle ways. The Salish language in particular was very poetic and beautiful. I wish I could speak such a language.

I'm currently working on my next painting and it will be a good one. I'm also considering not drawing any more cartoons since everything I draw is instantly defaced into hatred by trolls. They've succeeded in ruining my online reputation. My cartoons are no longer being taken seriously or reblogged by others since I'm now seen as racist and 'anti-Semitic.' The trolls have won. My business has also been ruined. Nobody is going to hire me based on my name and google searches. My work site, bengarrison.com is currently down and no longer tenable. I'll have to make major changes in order to try to continue to make a living. All because I dared to draw anti-Federal Reserve cartoons. --Ben Garrison

UPDATE: This painting sold very quickly at the ArtFusion gallery in Bigfork. It's the quickest I've ever sold a painting!