Welcome to my studio! After reviewing my website, you know that I’m interested in a heck of a lot more than rendering every hair on a herd of cape buffalo! I’ll have various ideas that amuse me, so they just have to be painted!  I’ll have a product idea that I like, and I want to make it available to my clients.  When I have a unique experience in the great outdoors, like that depicted in “Milky Way,” I naturally want to share it with you. So many of you seem to enjoy that approach and snap up the originals before they can be exhibited, that consequently I’ll be working on six new paintings that include several watercolors!  If you call and share your e-mail address, I’ll send you a preview of the images as they are completed.

New Custom Prints:  “HERTARI!:  The Movie Poster”
It’s about time that the growing numbers of female hunters be recognized for their tenacity, enthusiasm, skill, and successes. Organizations that I support, such as Safari Club International, acknowledge women hunters with specific awards each year, like the prestigious Diana Award, won by huntress Jackie Bartels in 2007, and by huntress Abigail Day in 2008.

In that spirit, I offer “HERTARI!:  The Movie Poster.” A play on the movie title of John Wayne’s “Hatari,” it’s a new customizable print with room to commemorate your favorite huntress’ African adventures, along with the names of her gun bearers, guides, trackers, and of course, you, her professional hunter! You’ll find “HERTARI!” in the Golden Age Parodies section of this site.  Click on the image, then scroll down the page to see an enlarged view of the customizable sections.  I recommend the canvas version of the print for beautiful color without the reflection of glass necessary to protect paper prints.

“AMERICA’S CHEAPEST AMMUNITION”
Because so many of you want to take credit for America’s Cheapest Ammunition – “It Usually Works!,” I’ve now made it possible for you to claim to be the manufacturer!  In the Customized version (available only in canvas), your last name goes in the banner up top, and then your initials and favorite caliber are painted by me on the head stamp of the bullet located in lower right border.

We have literally only one or two fine giclée prints of the Limited Edition of “Lesters Ammunition” left, only three Artist Proofs left, and then the edition will be sold out! Thank you for making this print so popular!  It’s hard to believe that Dave Petzal of Field & Stream fame once owned the original. Many of you probably thought he didn’t have a sense of humor!  Not so! Now the original is in my retirement portfolio and easily worth over $15,000  . . . make that $30,000 if Dave wants it back!).

Fine Leather Pillows:  Art Made Comfortable and Cabin Perfect!

For those of you who’ve had to build a second home for additional wall space for your trophies, I encourage you to consider our supple and handsome leather pillows made right here in the USA!

Perfect for use in the easy chair while planning your next adventure, the pillows feature many of my most popular paintings complimented by sumptuous suede trims and leather “frames.” We’ll have them shipped directly to the recipient if you choose: just e-mail your list to:  info@blueloonfinearts.com. From now though Father’s Day, 10% will be deducted from the price of your second pillow at the time of card processing.

Commissions: Focus on Adventure

Recently, I’ve completed a successful commission for a new painting that depicts a hunter in a very dramatic scene!  I really enjoyed creating the work, which was based on the hunter’s description and a video he had of the particular event.  If you are considering a depiction of your hair-raising adventure recorded in a classic painting, give me a call (603-445-2409).  I’d be happy to discuss the possibilities.

I can’t thank you enough for your continued support of my work through your purchases of my originals and prints, and your shared memories of recent adventures afield. Your anecdotes are inspiring, thought provoking, and recalled fondly as I put brush to canvas . . . call anytime for a chat! (603-445-2409.

Vintage Advertising for the Shooting Sports Industry

Many of you may have guessed that I’ve had a hand in the new Jarrett Rifle ads you’ve been seeing in Safari Magazine, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and Sporting Classics. Fans of these ads are convinced that Kenny Jarrett has a much better sense of humor than Ol’ Dave Petzal, and of course they’re right. Kenny and I had a great time putting these ads together, and several of them are now available as posters on his website www.jarrettrifles.com.  Look for new ads in the fall, and don’t forget to request a new Jarrett catalog in late 2008.  Rissa Jarrett will be happy to take your order for one or more super accurate Jarrett Rifles whenever you’re ready! (803) 471-9246.

The Shot Show is a wonderful place to meet the folks participating in the shooting sports industry. I exhibited my commercial work for a number of industry clients at the 2008 Shot Show in Las Vegas and the response was terrific: I’m happy to now be creating projects for many of my favorite gear suppliers! National Shooting Sports Foundation, another outstanding organization promoting the active participation in the shooting sports with excellent programs like “Step Outside,” sponsors Shot Show. Contact NSSF.org to learn more about their programs. Next year’s show is in Orlando, January 15-18, 2009.  Get all the details at www.shotshow.org.

Safari Club International Show 2008

At Safari Club International’s 2008 Show in Reno, I exhibited a number of new paintings (all of which sold before Dave Petzal could make up his mind and choose one).  Sorry, Dave! 2007 also marked the sale of “Close of a Splendid Day” and “The American: One Hundred Years of John Wayne.” The latter featured a frame of exotic woods with leather and antique cartridge accents.

Many Safari Club members feature my prints and pillows at their fundraising events. It’s a great way to decorate their homes with McLoughlin art and support their favorite organization at the same time! This year my auction donation was “Moonstone,” a mountain lion drinking from a stony moonlit basin.  A canvas print of the nocturne is in the Wildlife Art section. Please contact me later in the year to learn about my 2009 donation.

We have such a great time hearing about SCI members’ hunts and adventures on the phone and at the show! A comment I heard at the show sums up SCI perfectly, “I come to the Convention because these are the people I can really talk to!”  Share your dreams and adventures at the next convention January 21-24, 2009 and visit their website at www.safariclub.org.

Grand National Quail Foundation

Many of you may know about the Grand National Quail in Enid, Oklahoma, in the fall.  A great group of friends and celebrities, new shooters, and seasoned shooters gather at selected ranches to trade stories, enjoy barbeque, hunt quail together, and raise money for quail habitat.  I’ve attended two years in a row, learned how to shoot my Rizinni a heck of a lot better, made some new friends, and had a wonderful time. To learn more about this fine organization’s next event (November 11th – November 14th, 2008) contact the address below and visit their website at www.gnqh.org :

David  Henneke, Chairman
Grand National Quail Foundation, Inc.
PO Box 5039
Enid, OK  73702

Knives of Alaska and the Alaska Expedition Company

It’s difficult for a dedicated fisherman like myself to imagine a better experience than fly fishing in Alaska for Coho Salmon, Dolly Varden, and Steelhead.  However, when a Super DC 3 picks fishermen up in Anchorage for the flight to Alaska Expedition Company’s Driftwood Lodge on the Tsiu River . . . well folks, you’re well past “trip” and solidly into “adventure”!  Your hosts, Charles and Jody Allen, have a staff of outstanding guides, an excellent chef, and the equipment and facilities on hand for a trip of a lifetime. Visit their site, www.alaskaexpedition.com, for an overview of everything they offer. Charles, a registered Alaskan Guide and bush pilot, is the founder and president of Knives of Alaska, www.knivesofalaska.com. His new company DiamondBlade is literally the leading edge in advances in knife technology.  Check out www.diamondblade.com for the amazing story.