Sam's Takes

Sam's TAKEs Over 50 years and a few more, I've been to some of the most memorable places and met some of the finest people in this hemisphere, all with the lame excuse of collecting material for paintings, stories and memories. How great is it that nowadays one can establish a 'place' with all this stuff, and like a flasher throwing open a coat to show faded prints, crystal clear Kodachrome slides and new, shiny digital images? We'll see. Maybe you'll drop me a line and / or a jpeg from yesteryear. Best wishes for big fishes.	Heart Mountain in Big Bend. That's Santiago Peak in the background. This will be the centerpiece of a triptych, soon. Thanks to Dale Couch for the invite, and for the great blue quail hunting. -------------- "Sunrise Surprise." A watercolor done while you heckled Sam at the Central Houston banquet. --------------------------------------------- "Waiting It Out At Pass Cavallo Jetties." The centerpiece of a triptych. Below, the other pieces at an early stage. Sold at the CCA Real Estate Banquet. ------------------------ Twelve fathoms deep, off Abaco, Bahamas and knee deep near Rockport, Texas. That's Cap'n Sally Moffett, one of the coast's finest guides. --------------------------------- A few St. Andrews greats: Tiger, Arnie, Jack, Ben and a couple of Ancient and Honorable Auld Scots. A large watercolor. Available, framed, $4,000. Below that, several studies, also available, framed. $2,000. ----------------------------------- Three of my favorite watering holes; Hurricane Junction in Port O'Connor, the Wee Pub (World's Smallest Pub at McClelland's in Kingwood), and the Tied Fly Bar, Rainbow Lodge, Houston. At Rainbow Lodge, ask for a reservation in the Caldwell Room.	A few images from the Heart Mountain Ranch. That's lawman Robert Haynes with Sam Caldwell. Two of the animal owners of Heart Mountain Ranch guard the kitchen door. Below, one of the finest singer-songwriters in Texas, Craig Carter. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Blue Quail and Turkeys, West Texas. Hunted with A.C. and Andy Black. I'm working on a triptych of that scene above. Maybe a turkey triptych as well, if only to be able to paint that incredible West Texas scenery. ---------------------------------- Caldwell did watercolor demos at Art Supply in Houston for two days. A Caldwell original painting and two prints were won by lottery ticket holders. All proceeds went to the Texas Children's Hospital.
	"Unconditional Surrender," A magnificent work of art in Sarasota, Florida. 25-ft sculpture by artist Seward Johnson, from the great Life Magazine photo of V-J Day by Alfred Eisenstadt. National Tartan Day was celebrated at the San Jacinto Monument with Scotch-Irish music, Scot food and Scotch-Irish speeches. Sam Caldwell was asked to speak, since his ancestor, Pinckney Coatsworth Caldwell fought at the battle. Caldwell noted that Capt. Caldwell had a less pleasant distinction- he was the only white man killed during the great Comanche raid on Victoria in 1840.	2009 Wounded Warrior Weekend. Coming up May 16 - 17 in Port O'Connor, Texas. This small coastal community puts on one of the finest events in the country, honoring veterans of all services and all wars. Fishing, barbecue, honors for the brave men and women of the armed forces.
	The Great Sandifer Padre Island Beach Cleanup of 2009. Above, Capt. Billy Sandifer discusses columnist David Sikes' attitude at daybreak. Below, just a small pile of the beach debris removed by 500 of Sandifer's closest friends. ---------------------------------------------------- On the other side of the channel in Port Mansfield, Miller Bassler (left, with stringer) led the charge to clean up the Padre Island beaches. Most of the fish on the stringer were released, including Miller's personal best speckled trout, a 26.5 / 6.5 trophy. A pair of southpaws (Houston Cougar pitchers), Eric Burke and Alex Jackson, helped Miller Bassler clean the Port Mansfield beaches, then settled in on reds and specks. Not all were released for further duty.	Grumpy Old Fishermen (GOFers) Sadly, GOF lost our friend Jim Terry to a heart attack. Jim was one of the finest fishermen, cooks, story tellers and men in Texas. The world is a smaller place without Jim. Below, Jim on the Laramie River in Wyoming. For many other photos with Jim Terry and friends, click on the fisherman in the river. ------------------------------------- Jim Terry and Dave Shelpuk. Shelpuk guided Terry to his first rainbow trout. "That would be a good kingfish bait, back in the Gulf," Jim said. Shelpuk is a Colorado trout fisherman, but will be spoiled rotten by the intense fishing of the Bahamas, we hope. Dave will join the GOF's in early June for a shot at the famous Marls bonefishing region. Stay tuned. Ross Kalmbach and Bob Kalmbach caught this huge wahoo off Taloo Cut near Hopetown, but Caldwell failed to have his camera perfectly ready, resulting in this great image. Jim Terry, Lewis Hiltpold and Bob Kalmbach at The Jib in Hopetown, Bahamas. Bob Kalmbach took this picture-perfect wahoo 30 miles off Freeport, Texas.

Sam's TAKEs

Over 50 years and a few more, I've been to some of the most memorable places and met some of the finest people in this hemisphere, all with the lame excuse of collecting material for paintings, stories and memories.

How great is it that nowadays one can establish a 'place' with all this stuff, and like a flasher throwing open a coat to show faded prints, crystal clear Kodachrome slides and new, shiny digital images? We'll see. Maybe you'll drop me a line and / or a jpeg from yesteryear.

Best wishes for big fishes.

Going to Marathon

Heart Mountain in Big Bend. That's Santiago Peak in the background. This will be the centerpiece of a triptych, soon. Thanks to Dale Couch for the invite, and for the great blue quail hunting.

--------------

"Sunrise Surprise." A watercolor done while you heckled Sam at the Central Houston banquet.

---------------------------------------------

"Waiting It Out At Pass Cavallo Jetties." The centerpiece of a triptych. Below, the other pieces at an early stage. Sold at the CCA Real Estate Banquet.

------------------------

Twelve fathoms deep, off Abaco, Bahamas and knee deep near Rockport, Texas. That's Cap'n Sally Moffett, one of the coast's finest guides.

---------------------------------

A few St. Andrews greats: Tiger, Arnie, Jack, Ben and a couple of Ancient and Honorable Auld Scots. A large watercolor. Available, framed, $4,000. Below that, several studies, also available, framed. $2,000.

-----------------------------------

Three of my favorite watering holes; Hurricane Junction in Port O'Connor, the Wee Pub (World's Smallest Pub at McClelland's in Kingwood), and the Tied Fly Bar, Rainbow Lodge, Houston. At Rainbow Lodge, ask for a reservation in the Caldwell Room.

A few images from the Heart Mountain Ranch. That's lawman Robert Haynes with Sam Caldwell.

Two of the animal owners of Heart Mountain Ranch guard the kitchen door. Below, one of the finest singer-songwriters in Texas, Craig Carter.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Blue Quail and Turkeys, West Texas. Hunted with A.C. and Andy Black. I'm working on a triptych of that scene above. Maybe a turkey triptych as well, if only to be able to paint that incredible West Texas scenery.

----------------------------------

Caldwell did watercolor demos at Art Supply in Houston for two days. A Caldwell original painting and two prints were won by lottery ticket holders. All proceeds went to the Texas Children's Hospital.

"Unconditional Surrender," A magnificent work of art in Sarasota, Florida. 25-ft sculpture by artist Seward Johnson, from the great Life Magazine photo of V-J Day by Alfred Eisenstadt.

National Tartan Day was celebrated at the San Jacinto Monument with Scotch-Irish music, Scot food and Scotch-Irish speeches. Sam Caldwell was asked to speak, since his ancestor, Pinckney Coatsworth Caldwell fought at the battle. Caldwell noted that Capt. Caldwell had a less pleasant distinction- he was the only white man killed during the great Comanche raid on Victoria in 1840.

2009 Wounded Warrior Weekend. Coming up May 16 - 17 in Port O'Connor, Texas. This small coastal community puts on one of the finest events in the country, honoring veterans of all services and all wars. Fishing, barbecue, honors for the brave men and women of the armed forces.

The Great Sandifer Padre Island Beach Cleanup of 2009. Above, Capt. Billy Sandifer discusses columnist David Sikes' attitude at daybreak. Below, just a small pile of the beach debris removed by 500 of Sandifer's closest friends.

----------------------------------------------------

On the other side of the channel in Port Mansfield, Miller Bassler (left, with stringer) led the charge to clean up the Padre Island beaches. Most of the fish on the stringer were released, including Miller's personal best speckled trout, a 26.5 / 6.5 trophy.

A pair of southpaws (Houston Cougar pitchers), Eric Burke and Alex Jackson, helped Miller Bassler clean the Port Mansfield beaches, then settled in on reds and specks. Not all were released for further duty.

Grumpy Old Fishermen (GOFers)

Sadly, GOF lost our friend Jim Terry to a heart attack. Jim was one of the finest fishermen, cooks, story tellers and men in Texas. The world is a smaller place without Jim. Below, Jim on the Laramie River in Wyoming. For many other photos with Jim Terry and friends, click on the fisherman in the river.

-------------------------------------

Jim Terry and Dave Shelpuk. Shelpuk guided Terry to his first rainbow trout. "That would be a good kingfish bait, back in the Gulf," Jim said. Shelpuk is a Colorado trout fisherman, but will be spoiled rotten by the intense fishing of the Bahamas, we hope. Dave will join the GOF's in early June for a shot at the famous Marls bonefishing region. Stay tuned.

Ross Kalmbach and Bob Kalmbach caught this huge wahoo off Taloo Cut near Hopetown, but Caldwell failed to have his camera perfectly ready, resulting in this great image.

Jim Terry, Lewis Hiltpold and Bob Kalmbach at The Jib in Hopetown, Bahamas. Bob Kalmbach took this picture-perfect wahoo 30 miles off Freeport, Texas.