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| Yellowstone and Missouri River Basin |
Day 1 (1/1/13)
My first entry of the New Year is actually sort of a lost
blog that I started in late 2012 but never got around to finishing.
A couple
weeks ago I got an e-mail from a lady who had seen a news paper article on an
art show that my wife and I were having. She was wondering if I was any
relation to a man who had created a painting she had bought at a thrift shop in
California by an artist named Al Urness. She was hoping I could give her some
information on the artist who did the painting. I explained to her that the
Urness name came from a farm name in Norway and that without further
information it would be hard to tell. My curiosity was peeked however so I did
some internet searching for the artist Al Urness. Although, what I found was
sketchy at best, his story is well worth telling. It seems that Urness was
quite the adventurer and pioneer. In the earliest articles I can find, July 18th
1952, he is about to embark on a kayak journey from Billings, Montana down the
Yellowstone, Missouri and Mississippi rivers to the gulf. From there his plan
is to rig a sail and sail to Miami. He plans to pay his way by painting
landscapes and anything else people want along the way. He built his kayak from
used aluminum that was donated to him by friends in Billings. Before dismissing
Urness as a complete crackpot it is important to understand that by this time
he had already spent time as an engineer in the military in France, traveled
painting in 28 states and spent time sailing and kayaking in Iceland and France.
I am guessing that the painting that the lady had bought was from one of those
journeys. I will spend more time writing about the painting in a later blog. Over
the next few blogs I will try to trace what I can find down river.
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| First Mention of Urness in Newspaper. |
Posts
In 1967 I saw next to Al Urness on a Greyhound Bus from Clarksdale, MS, to Memphis. He did a pencil drawing of me which I still have. Email me if you'd like to see it. bparkerdfw@aol.com.
ReplyDeleteI tried to contact you about your picture because I would love to see it but it would not send. Perhaps try emailing me at: durness1@wi.rr.com
ReplyDeleteJust now saw your reply. Hope it's not too late. Please reply with your email address below and I will send you a photo of the drawing. It wouldn't allow me to post a copy in my reply here. All the best, Bonnie Parker, Dallas TX
DeleteIn 1955 or 1956, my Daddy was fishing on the Mississippi and saw Mr. Al coming down the river. We were told that because of the current of the flooded river, he seemed to be in trouble. Daddy helped him come ashore and brought him to our home in Covington, TN. He stayed with us for several weeks in which time he made pencil drawings of my Mom, Dad, Great Grandmother and all of us eight kids. Over the years he would come back to visit us for a week or so. When I was about 11, we got our horse. He brought me a blanket from Wyoming and also subscribed me to the Western Horseman magazine. He was loved by all of us, like a favorite uncle. My Mom died in 1972 and he came to visit several years after her death. My step-mother made it very clear to him that she didn't care for him (she didn't care for us either) and he never returned. He gave one of my sisters a painting of Devil's Tower and so it became like a sacred place to all of us. In 2008 my younger sister and I made a trip out there and when we read the story behind Devil's Tower, it became even more so. You see, there are seven of us sisters and we have one brother. He also painted a picture for each of us, of the house we grew up in, in Covington. He is loved and missed by all of us.
ReplyDeleteJanis, If you see this, thanks so much for your stories. I had kind of hit a dead end and today I have received two stories of people who have encountered Al over the years. If you ever get the chance I would love to see images of his drawings and paintings. As of yet I only have one. You can send them to: durness1@wi.rr.com Thanks again!
DeleteYes this is Brian Brister of Helena Are I have a painting he did in 1955 can u call me at8707532217. Thank you
DeleteHi Donald,
ReplyDeleteI have sent several images of paintings by Al Urness and photographs we had of him in our family album to your email durness1@wi.rr.com ( if you have a new email let me know and I can resend them).
We met Al in the 70s in Lake Village, Arkansas and later he came and lived with us for several months in Jonesboro, Arkansas after we moved there. I was 15 at the time and studying and performing various ethnic dances. He did a large painting of me in my middle eastern dance costume. He worked from a photo but he also did a sketch which must be around here somewhere. My Grandmother was an artist as well as my Aunt and myself. of course now I sit and look at his work with a different eye. Looking back after reading about him in your blog I see why I had such a resonance with him then and realize he left a great impression on me. We exchanged correspondence after he left and I might even have some of those letters. Even though he was older when he came into our lives his spirit was young and playful and we enjoyed each other's company. Thanks so much for bringing his spirit to life again. I think as artists we always hope our work will survive and someone will ask " who painted that?"
Charl Agiza
I found 2 paintings and not sure if I have the right artist it is two portraits subjects unknown they are dated 1956 do you have an example of his signature?
ReplyDeleteThere might be something here that would help. http://onionriver.blogspot.com/2014/12/posting-face-to-al-urness.html
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