February 18, 2005
Thunder Butte Sunrise
Thunder Butte Sunrise
oil on canvas
18" x 36", framed
Russell Smith, the artist, says this about the butte: "South Dakota is another one of those places that has provided me with a wide variety of ideas and images during my many visits. Thunder Butte Sunrise captures the warmth of the dawn sun as it begins to peek over the horizon and touch the high spots on the vast prairie. In the distance, Thunder Butte rises above the prairie. According to Lakota legend, when you sit atop the Butte on a quiet day you can hear thunder coming from inside it. I had the opportunity to climb Thunder Butte on one of my trips and was amazed to find a small cave there filled with graffitti as far back as the early 1900's."
Mike Crowley Friday, February 18, 2005