My three black & white photographs of the snow at the Roberts Ranch are dated December 1962 or January 1963. I think that there were more than one snow year in Madera, and maybe in January of 1962. What I do remember also was that a calf was born on Christmas in the newer feed barn, and I thought that was a snow day also. The property has been abandoned now, and I suspect that dad’s string of red lights is still on the old house. Anyway, here is a memory of that scene, whatever exact year it might have been, at the address then of 24245 Raymond Road, Madera, California.
Roberts Ranch Christmas 1963 – Mixed media on Morilla Block 120 lb. sheet – 15 x 20 inches
ST. JOSEPH’S CHURCH, Firebaugh – Number 2
Watercolor – 18 X 24 inches – November 1996
Commission as a gift for Father Craig
HARVESTER MAN
Oil Based paint on masonite panel 48″ x 72″ -September 2015
THE ATTACK
Oil based paint on canvas. 48″ x 48″
This was for the black and white show last April. After the “flag issue” began in South Carolina, added the red color to the 2nd National “stainless banner.” There were some other minor changes also from the original post of this painting. The painting depicts a company of the 3rd Confederate Infantry in Cleburne’s Division in an attack during the later weeks of Atlanta Campaign, July and August 1864. This was after Hood took over the Army of Tennessee.
There are other lanscapes that were lost in past times. Some may turn up and if so, will show here.
Heiskell Ranch, Madera County, California – Oil ca 1961 – Painted for Great Aunt Naomi Heiskell.
Tree and Barn – ca 1963 – Ink
Black Bird Summer – 1982 Screen Print – [This is a simulated color edit of original print]
BlackBird Spring – 1982 Screen Print
Roberts Ranch – April 1987 – Raffled at Madera Community Hospital Fund Raiser
Seeding – on field around Bureau of Reclamation lake near Roberts ranch – Oil Pastel – 1993 [There is another version of this one. May post it later]
Cabin at Heiskell Ranch – 1995 [There are several others from this location and date]
St. Joseph’s #1, Firebaugh, California – 1996
Tank House at Borden – ca 1997
Hemingway House Key West – ca 2003
305th Bombardment group – Chelveston, England 1943 – Book Cover design 2004
Cattle Truck – 2004
JJ’s Restaurant – Pismo 2006
Bertie’s Place – Pismo 2005 – Moved to New Bertie Mae Page
Bertie’s Place – Pismo 2006 – Moved to New Bertie Mae Page
Bertie’s Place – Pismo 2009 – Moved to New Bertie Mae Page
Pismo – trees of Coastal Resorts south of the river – 2009
Pismo Fish and Chips 2009
Ocenview Apartment – Pismo 2009
Price House – Pismo 2009
Pismo Sign from Splash Cafe corner 2009
Pismo Sign from west parking lot 2009
Kearney Mansion Fresno 2010
Hemingway Pool Key West 2012
Here is one that turned up after being buried in a stored portfolio.
The Frank G. Desmond and Sons Grain Elevator at Daulton – 1981.
It is on the Southern Pacific spur line to Raymond. Painted from memory in 1981, it is no longer there as it was torn down around 1968. The telephone located next to the scales bench was listed as Daulton Station. The tall structure in the back was the original six tanks of wood, built in 1938. Similar elevators are still visible in Madera County. One is the Albonico ranch near Road 30 and Avenue 10, and another is the Valley Feed and Fuel on Gateway between Yosemite and 4th Street in Madera. The six large round tanks, built in the late 1940s, were corrugated steel twenty feet in Diameter.
The second and newer is Reed Tire’s at Ripperdan corner on CA 145, Madera Avenue.
Reed’s Tires at Ripperdan – 2014
This was painted this year and I passed this location daily on Avenue 7 at Ripperdan for twenty-six years commuting to Firebaugh. I always thought it would disappear before I could paint it. As of this year 2023, I have not been to that corner in a long while. I should go there, to check on things.
Art by Desmond 
Wow! Great works of TD, most of which I’d never seen. I think St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Firebaugh was my favorite!
Richard, thank you. There was also another of that church I did. Both were for fund raisers for the FHS graduating class, but probably for their junior PROM year that they host and I was advisor for- at that time and year. See you soon as this is now February 2017.
Tim these painting are wonderful. I remember all the place’s in Pismo. I have eaten at the Splash and have seen all the buildings. Also thanks for the painting of the ranch and old cooks cabin on the ranch. Thanks for capturing the places that mean so much to anyone who lived in Madera or has history in Madera.
Richard, thank you. This was painting was raffled for a fundraiser for one of the graduating classes. I did another one, painting, of the St. Joseph’s church. I have not located my photo of it, as the original was done as a gift for Father Craig, who is now in Bakersfield.
Susan, Thank you. My apologies for not replying sooner. There are more paintings that I have not put up here. Will change or add some of those soon. Happy New Year.
My favorites are Kearney Mansion and St. Joseph’s Church.
Barbara, …. Thank you for the comment. One of my first watercolors was a house like in TV show Ozzie & Harriett. Yes, in 8th grade 1958 – 1959. I guess I am still doing buildings. I’ll bet you like Pat Hunter too.
Barbara, glad that liked those two. Sometimes one never knows what others have a certain response to or that “something clicks” with someone else. Best wishes for this holiday season.
Hi Tim..I came across your paintings tonight as I was working on some family history… I have traced my family back to a place called the Hayes Bros Ranch in Madera… Do you by any chance have any memories of that ranch or better yet any photos or paintings? I had previously contacted the Madera Chamber of Commerce as well as the local newspaper looking for any info they could share about the ranch…all requests went unanswered..Thank you in advance and any information you can give is appreciated….
Hi Kimm. Thanks for the visit and question. Hayes Brothers Ranch does not sound familiar to me, but I will ask a few people I know who have a historical knowledge better than my own. A question I would have is, “what kind of ranch or farming was done” with that family. I did do a little online search and found the following:
” …. Hayes Bros, ranch in the Eastin section of Madera county. — and “…. Hayes Brothers [?] miles west of the state highway 99 ranch on Ripperdan avenue, two and three miles east of Madera Avenue ….”
This was in the Madera Tribune Newspaper on 20 April 1939. Ripperdan Avenue is Avenue 7, and Madera Avenue is also CA State route HWY 145, South of Madera. The exact acreage is not given, but the reference for this at: https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=MT19390420.2.25
There was another article in earlier years of 1925 …… “. The delegation was then taken to the Hayes Bros, ranch where Ben Hayes, President of Madera County Farm Bureau, talked to the visitors giving them the result of his observation and experience in cotton growing….” That was at a site at: https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=MM19251009.2.20
Ironically, on reading this, my family owned a Dairy ranch west of Madera Avenue and south of Avenue 7 and had a store on Madera Avenue also — yes, the Ripperdan area. Being neighbors, my grandfather’s brother married a Ripperdan daughter.
You may contact me directly at email of: bobbitimdesmond@att.net …. That may be easier than messaging back and forth on this site. Kind regards.
Hi Kimm. Thanks for the visit and question. Hayes Brothers Ranch does not sound familiar to me, but I will ask a few people I know who have a historical knowledge better than my own. A question I would have is, “what kind of ranch or farming was doe” with that family. You may contact me directly at email of: bobbitimdesmond@att.net …. That may be easier than messaging back and forth on this site. Kind regards.