After Rolex

I stopped on Iron Works Road a few miles from the Horse Park on the way home after Rolex on Friday. Just can't resist the farms and old church. This area is so beautiful even at the "wrong" time of day to take photos...noon!
Today is a misty rainy day, and I forgot my camera! Around the rivers, the mists are so beautiful, with the soft blues of the mists and greens of the new leaves coming out.
Ellee and I had it out today. She has been spoiled rotten (by me) and when I asked her to move today, she refused and tried to rear, looking very mean. Trying to bully me like she does her mom. Well, we had a discussion about it, involving pressure and
refusal, and finally capitulation (hers). Then I pushed her around for a while, to emphasize my position as the top mare. Thankfully, whew. I'll be glad when she's out of heat.

End of April

I went to BSF and stayed afterwards with the kids while leaders listened to the tape of the lecture. Then I went to see Bear today after a week of not seeing him. He looks good, nothing really to report - that can be good! I start riding him again after next week, eek, I am so out of shape, but Julie assures me I'll be able to ride him with no trouble. He is great to hack out in the country. Here's a photo of him in March. I'll update photos of him next week, when he'll be worked at a decent hour! These photos show his thick tail, but it is missing about 10 inches after his sister chewed that much off in two bouts in January and February. That's why it is cropped off, just to even it out! Julie reports he is getting stronger in his hindquarters, she's been doing hill work to do just that. I'll be taking lessons from her next month in May, and might take him to Eugene Abuello's clinic in May.
I'm getting well, taking echinacea and garlic for my sinus,much better! It's a good thing, because the flowers beds are awaiting weeding (degrassing?) I got most of a 30 foot bed of daylilies done today, with another 30 foot bed needing rescuing from 2 feet of grass all through it. Anyone need some daylilies? I could use help and I'm willing to share!!

Creative Day

Today I spent the better part in bed,with sinusitis and an ear infection. I did get to feed the horses, but came right home. I got my photos arrainged and played with some of them in Photoshop, all in all, had a creative day. Also, I talked with Mark Sweazy, my favorite ex-art dealer, who told me about a great blog... check it out! www.myfavoritesheep.blogspot.com

Planting

I got the rest of my little garden planted today, 12 asparagus plants, 4 lettuce plants, six swiss chard, 1 rubarb and 1 tomato. It was a lazy day, spring seems like everything is coming alive, except us! The girls at Runnymede used to lie down in the large paths between paddocks in the spring, "playing alligator". That's how I felt today, I had to take a nap when I got to the farm this afternoon. Then I could continue to work, refreshed and raring to go!
This painting was done to show my love for Kentucky summers,with the fireflies starting their dance, rising to the lure of their potential partners.It's a magical experience, one not to be missed.

Gorgeous day

Wonderful day today! We got a lot done, Bud cut more wood from the fallen branches and trees from the ice storm with his new chain saw. I planted asparagus, mowed two foot tall grass, relocated bird feeders to areas where they have a better view of the cat! Also got to photograph the mare and filly with fly sheets on as they chased across the paddock again.

Oreo

Today I stayed away from the Rolex event...it was a beautiful day, and I hope everyone stayed safe on the cross country course. Instead, I went to our farm and made an effort to fix a gully washed out by the rains with plugs of grass. I also took time to photograph my little herd of three. Three hundred photos later, with an arm about to fall off, I was satisfied that I had some great reference photos to paint from. Now I find that shooting them in RAW, I can't open them! P.L. will help me, I'm sure, so I'm not worried. Here's Oreo scratching her belly, but not anywhere near the best photo!

Demo at Horse Park

I went to the horse park today to paint for a demonstration, Booth Malone and I stood together to chat while we painted. We saw a total of 5 people, but at least we got to talk to them, instead of the usual shuffling by when you have huge crowds. Booth is in great health and was working on a posthumous painting of Theodore O'Conner. It was looking pretty good. I worked on a painting I've tried to get right three times, it's one that I lost the reference photo. That can be good or bad, in this case not an easy one to pull off. I think I've lost focus on this one
The Academy is having a silent auction fundraiser this weekend, I've seen a couple of things to bid on. The art show at the Academy looks nice, Leslie Humphrey has already sold her big piece, a scene with huntsmen in red coats, and a very loose background. Good for her! There are pieces that range from $225. to $7-8000. James Crow has a medium size painting of the World Equestrian games that Collector's gallery made into a poster. I've got Breakfast Club and Under the Sycamore in the show, although it's hard to guess what may sell. Leslie's piece proves that large pieces can still sell in this market.

Fay Moore

Last night was a gala affair at the Kentucky Horse Park Museum, hosting the opening of Fay Moore's 60 year retrospective of her art. She is a New York artist who has done sporting art of racing, hunting, steeplechasing, landscape scenes of Kentucky roadways, and a new venture into botanicals with horse artifacts. Fabulous work that I hope everyone gets to see. Her pastels have been noted to be some of the most creative, they are actually mixed media with guache, and sprinkles of paint splashed on in nice ways. My favorites were of Secretariat, another of three jockeys, a landscape of early morning with mares and foals, and a botanical with a crumbled horse statue. She will probably be coming up with more themes as time goes on!
I replaced my camera yesterday, yeay! They no longer make the Canon Rebel XTi so I got the new XS. With the lens that came with it, an 18-70 mm. with image stabilization, it is a much better version. And yes, it did cost more than the insurance check, with taxes and a nicer sling back bag that whips around to the front in a jiffy....the 70-300 telephoto seems nicer too, it has a feature that stabilizes the panned image, great for shooting running horses. Check it out at Murphy's Camera. Yes, this is a plug (unpaid)!
This painting is done from memory, the sky seen while I was driving home from the farm, and retained until the next day when I could paint it.

Planting

On the way to the farm today, I saw a male pheasant trying to cross Highway 27 on foot. I've never seen one in Kentucky or anywhere else for that matter! Hope he made it, I guess he did or gave up cause I didn't see any sign of him coming home.
Success today in getting the mare and her daughter together in the same paddock, with both racing around about 10 times, or I should say chasing around! Nobody got bitten or kicked, so I hope they will start getting along better. I got the trench started for the asparagus bed today, and will plant tomorrow after filling it with horse manure mulch. I'm looking forward to selling Bear, but if he doesn't sell I'm going to keep him at the boarding facility and ride him myself next month. He seems to be doing great on hacking out on trail rides, that's what I'm good at! I also may start him on small jumps. So far, he's never tried to avoid the poles on the ground, so I don't expect any avoidance issues from him.
This plein aire painting was done several years ago,and shows a view of our farm from the neighbors barn. It was purchased by the wife of the retired conductor of the University of Kentucky's orchestra.

Change

I've been moving horses from paddock to paddock to try to keep some grass alive, and with all the different personalities involved have seen some mighty new bruises lately. Today I opened the gate between a mare and her estranged 4 year old filly. They passed each other with teeth bared, each one into the others paddock. Oh well, tomorrow's another day to try to get them into the same paddock.

Wedding

The wedding was a huge success, and the bride and groom are off to Mexico. I had a great time helping out with different things and would do it again next week. Sister and I are back home, after visiting with old friends, and will see family tomorrow after church.
This painting was painted at Shakertown in Harrodsburg and was sold to Connemara Golf Course, to use in their wedding room, they liked the reference to a new path through the gate of life.

Keeneland races

Sister and I got up at 5:30 to get to watch Bear at 7Am. Then to the farm feeding, and home to pick up other sister and husband and then to Keeneland! We had a great day today getting our table at the Equestrian room for six, had lunch with another couple of friends, and my two dear sisters. NC sis made $40. on one race, ended up breaking even. I had a day of picking horses that finished one place down from where they should have. Lots of seconds for win tickets, and thirds for place tickets and fourth for show tickets. It sure was exciting, but no financial rewards for me! Here's a portion of a painting sold to a client in New Zealand.

Keeneland

Sister in from NC today for a wedding on Saturday, we are going to Keeneland with a group of friends tomorrow. Hope for a mild day seems justified,may get up in the mid 60's. I've got a small painting that reminds me of mornings when the horses worked out.

Grand Tetons, small painting!

Painting has been on the back burner this spring, got to get back into it soon! Showing a little landscape I worked on recently...5x7 miniature of a mountain in the Tetons range.
Julie Levandoski, Bear's trainer, reports this morning that Bear was fantastic today. She also saw the clinic this weekend, and was encouraged to go on with his training to a new level. (A whole 'nother level!) Ha! She really believes he will do Grand Prix. I can see it.

Riding Clinic

Today I was privileged to watch a portion of a dressage clinic by Eugene Abello, at Meadow Lake Equestrian Center in Garrard County. He is a gifted coach, (he says the horses are the real teachers). But I disagree, this is one of the most gifted teachers I have ever had the good fortune to see. I learned more in 50 minutes than I have learned in days of other clinics. Everything he taught to the rider, he would turn to us in the chairs and explain and expound on. It starts to make some sense to me, a total neophite in dressage. I think I'll go back tomorrow, it's a real opportunity to learn from such a gifted teacher. He kindly looked at a video of Bear and said he has a super suspension in his trot, and of the canter...AAAh the beautiful canter! The canter has to be developed...He says he really prefers the Thoroughbred canter to any warmblood. He also told me that it is about time to work him at the sitting trot. Man, it's a hard gait to ride on him, he just launches you out of the saddle.

Free Play

Taking photos of your horse is always fun, but we had a blast on Wednesday, turning Bear loose to play in the covered arena before his training session. He had too much fun energy, not getting turned out that morning before hand, so we gave him free time and we got to enjoy the antics.
Here's the most fun photo.

Under the Beeches

Ok, So I am having a hard time doing this every day, but I'm back. Bud went to the farm to feed to allow me to work on books, it was a gorgeous day, and he went fishing with a couple of buddies. Rain is predicted for tomorrow, so a day of trimming horses hooves holds a lot of muddy feet in store.
MeadowLake tack shop took a few small framed canvas giclee's to sell. Gotta be creative in sales in this environment! This is a painting I sold to Brown-Forman Corp. called Under the Beeches.

Equine Affaire 09

Just back from Equine Affaire in Columbus, I am full of knowledge I'll probably never use! A bunch of friends usually go up every year, this year we were down to just two of us .We missed the others but had a great time anyway. I saw three program/clinics by Steffen Peters, an awesome rider and trainer/teacher. He was kind enough to look at a video of my colt, and said he was very, very nice. He was also surprised that he is a thoroughbred, and said it is very rare to see this kind of movement in a thoroughbred. I'm feelin' good.