As I approached the age of 50, I started to reflect on how I had lived the first half of my life. With
thoughts of a journal to chronical parts of my life, I began a painting. It was to be the first in a series
of paintings that would illustrate the short stories of my life. My plan was to maybe keep the original
paintings and sell prints of them, but to tell no one the stories behind them. The viewer could gather
their own interpretation from the artwork. That all changed at the first show, to which I took my first
painting.
The first painting I did, I originally entitled 'The Runaway Cowgirl'. I always loved the West, anything
about the west and horses. Having horses always in my life, it was only natural that I began to paint
them at a very young age. When I wrote the short story that accompanied the painting, I portrayed
myself as a cowgirl. I believe most of us wanted to be cowboys or cowgirls at some point in our youth.
At the time I was beginning my series of paintings, I was also traveling all over the country showing
my work in huge horse shows.
My next show was in Pomona California, I packed up my art and flew out to do the show. The place
was packed with people. A small group of women came up to me inquiring about my newest painting.
It reminded them of their absent girlfriend, who they described as "a renegade cowgirl". She is "wild"
they said and "she carries pliers in her saddlebags so she can cut down Irving oil fence lines to
continue on her rides." They wanted to know the story that was behind the painting. Initially, I was
going to follow the plan and not tell them. . These women were great.! They were obviously close
comrades, the type of friends I like to have, so I decided to share it with them. I told them my idea for a
series of paintings about things that happened in my life and the journal I was writing to go with
them. They thought it was cool. They wanted to buy the artwork. At first, I wasn't going to sell that
piece, but I thought I hadn't even written the story yet, I could do another painting. I sold them the
artwork, but they requested I make a change to it. They wanted me to add a sign on the fence near the
cowgirl that said: 'No Trespassing, Irving Oil'. I did and that painting became 'The Renegade Cowgirl.'
It was a lot of fun meeting them.
After the women walked away, another lady who had been standing there waiting patiently, asked
me how "Pizzazz", an Award Winning painting I had done, had gotten all the way to Pomona? I told
her I had brought it there. She inquired, "Are you Diane Snow?" I answered, "Yes." She picked up my
hand and shook it saying, "I am Sarah Crampton from 'Horses In Art' Magazine. I wondered how she
knew "Pizzazz", but when it won Best In Show in Sacramento, she published the image in her
magazine. She went on to say, "I heard what you were saying about your idea for a series of paintings
and stories about your life.....I just love it. Would you be interested in putting it in our magazine as an
ongoing series?" I was just so flattered and didn't know what to say. I told her I am not a writer, that I
was just doing this for myself, a catharsis of sorts and that I would be embarrassed to have anybody
see anything I wrote. Sarah thought it would be good for the magazine to have an ongoing series that
her readers could follow from issue to issue and when I was done I would have a book. She asked me
to seriously consider it. I told her I would.
The show ended that week and I flew back to Maine with great memories of Pomona, new friends and
the opportunity to have my work and stories published in a beautiful magazine. It was so far from
my original plan of not telling anybody. When I got home there was an email from Sarah Crampton
with words of encouragement to write the stories and submit them. After much deliberation, I
decided I would try. Sarah promised me, if she didn't think it was any good, she wouldn't publish it.
My story "Escape" was published in the Fall Issue of 'Horses In Art 'Magazine 2006!
My artwork has opened so many doors for me. I love art and I love horses. I feel so fortunate to have
been able to do the traveling I have done and to be able to market my art at some of the most
spectacular horse venues in North America. While at those places, I was able to take in some
incredible scenery and I met the most interesting people. However, I was beginning to feel a need to
slow down the pace and set up shop somewhere, so I could really get back into painting. Not just
painting, but now I have stories to write. Stories with deadlines!
I went to World Morgan National Championships in Oklahoma and returned home. I was scheduled
to go back to Las Vegas for Cowboy Christmas and The Pro-Rodeo Finals in early December. I
cancelled my trip to Nevada. While home in Limerick, I discovered a store front I have always loved
was not only available, but I could afford it too! It is very old and was built in 1882 as a general store.
It still has the original rippled glass windows and structurally, it looks just as it did 125 yrs ago.I
signed a year's lease and began fixing it up. Initially, I just wanted to hang my artwork up and just
paint new pieces. As I painted the walls and was fixing it up, I realized it was quite a lot of space. My
mind went back to all the talented people I had met on the road and that I know locally. I began
inviting them to put their stuff in my shop to sell. Eventually, my little work space evolved into a very
nice retail business. I started thinking of a name for my shop. 'The Runaway Cowgirl's Hideout' was a
perfect choice!
The Hideout is nestled in the foothills of the White Mountains in an old building, a building built
during the 'hey day' of Cowboys, Indians, Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley. When people ask why in
Limerick, Me...I answer what better place for a Hideout? People say there are no cowboys in Maine
and I say there are cowboys and cowgirls in all of us!
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