This is a study of an Atomic Disintegrator cap gun made by the Hubley Company.

Here are a pair of new watercolor paintings.  Each is approximately 20 inches wide inside the image, with plenty of virgin white watercolor paper surrounding the image.   Basically, these are studies of components for larger paintings in the making.  I did a much larger composition using the same Atomic Disintegrator cap gun as part of a recently completed commissioned piece.  I wanted to follow up with another painting of the gun for future use.  Practice makes perfect is what my dad used to tell me.

The second painting (shown below) is of a  dime store cap gun that I have never painted before.  It is a fairly common little gun that was cast from cheap pot metal in the fifties and could have been purchased at the local five and dime for a quarter.  This is not to be confused with those more storied and sought-after cap guns that toy collectors treasure today.   Yet, perhaps this piece holds more history, because more of us boomers actually held one of these in our little hands when we were cowboys,  (or cowgirls, as the case may be with this very gun.)

This gun was given to me years ago by my close friend, Martha Marple.  Martha has this thing about trimming the fat.  Anything that is not nailed down and totally necessary for her present enjoyment in life, needs to be disposed of if it is taking up space.  Sentimentality can be thrown out the window.  She gave me this gun when she was doing a little house cleaning.  It was hers when she was a girl.  I only hope that she never gets tired of her husband.  I like Tom and wish him no harm.

Unlike Martha, I have shelf upon shelf filled with old toys and collectables that were not even my own when I was in my youth.  I use these toys as models in my paintings.  This gun has been collecting dust, along with a child’s belt buckle, ever since Martha gave them to me.  Last week I used the gun in a painting for the first time.   So, here is Martha’s Gun. Enjoy!  This one is for you, Martha.

This is Martha’s Gun.  Ride ‘Em Cowgirl!