By ELISE FINN

Dear Farmboy,

I gift you Smoke of a .45.

Charles Marion Russell is an artist of the Old American West. He loves cowboys and the country. Needless to say, you two would get along.

When I first thought of what painting to pick, I wanted to choose something different than what I've written about so far. I started searching around and landed on Smoke of a .45. I immediately thought of you and your love of Westerns.

What's going on in the painting? Did one cowboy run his horse into the other, resulting in a gunfire showdown? Was the man outside the Palace sleeping with the cowboy's wife? Maybe the Palace man is innocent and the cowboy is just looking to start some trouble. Who knows? The interpretation is up to you. Frankly, I'd go with the third scenario...it's more exciting.

The painting reminds me of you because you grew up watching this action. You know the cowboys, the accents, and the brawls. You also know every cowboy versus Indian movie there is. I thank you for introducing me to this different world of film. Although I have seen few Westerns, my love of them grows each time we get to watch together. You name the different characters as if they're family friends of yours, and you explain what's going on when I think two characters are the same person. Through these films, I get a peek into your childhood. It's like with each movie, I learn a little more about you.

The piece is chaotic, fun, overwhelming. The point isn't to question the work's brushstrokes or use of lighting. You don't have to look for a meaning. I look at his work and feel an urge to be apart of the excitement, to be that cowboy. In another life, you would be that cowboy.

And so, I gift you this piece. Take it. Enjoy it.

Best,

Elise