Website Construction is like climbing a mountain

Teton Range Stream_5x7_oil on panel_ available_$125

So much to do, so little time! I've been working on getting a web site for my art ready to go. Hopefully it will be ready with my own address very soon.

After Munnings 2

Since we're on the subject of studies, here's the other study I did of the same Sir Alfred Munnings painting as yesterday,minus the lady with the sidesaddle riding him. As I said,I like to mix it up, not doing the same painting but trying the palette, brushstrokes, lighting. On this painting, I changed the background, too. It's educational, and a lot of fun, too.

After Munnings

Periodically, I try my hand at doing a study from one of the masters of equine art, in this case Sir Alfred Munnings. It is illuminating, challenging work to get into the mind, palette and technique of someone whose work is so loose and masterful. Of course, I change it up a bit, in this case, I did a close up of the woman. I love the sidesaddle, linen coat and the hat, you don't see that around here unless it's Derby Day, and then not horseback!

Pin Oak Farm

Yesterday I, as well as other invited artists, went to Pin Oak Thoroughbred Farm to paint scenes from the farm in order to donate our time and efforts to benefit The Woodford Humane Society Fundraiser. The paintings will go on display next month at the Headley-Whitney Museum, until the actual Fundraiser in June. I started it at the farm yesterday,and completed it today. I can't show it, however, because the farm will not allow any viewing of the scenes from their farm... it's a shame, because I'm really happy with it, but Still it's their farm, and they are gracious enough to allow us to come out and paint. I'm sure it's an event for the workers, as we are all over the place, orderly, but still. I painted a scene of the retired mares pasture, with a nice bluish backlit tree line, and a pond with a bright yellow backlit tree and a mare looking up at me. I'm glad I got a photo of her there because she walked over to me and wanted to hang out. We bonded.
Woodford Humane Society is the best! I've done this before and want to do it every year, because the precious beasties deserve great treatment, and kind caretakers. Thanks to Debbie Graviss, Yvonne Todd, and Marilyn Sadler, all artists and all giving their time to help US, setting this all up, driving us around, and all of the other monumental things they do to make this event a success.

Across The Road

Across the Road 11x14"_Oil on canvas_available_$900

Since I went to the Horse Park this week,I thought I'd feature the painting done of the field across the Road...adding a horse, of course. It's usually full of cows. They would have been nice, too.

New pup

In honor of our new dog, I thought I'd feature a portrait of two friends. This is a detail of a larger portrait with five dogs.

Secret Places

Whitetail deer_9x12"_available_$325

The river can be a magical place, with pleasant scenes of verdant beauty, deer moving into and out of the picture, wildflowers everywhere. You never know when a deer will pop into view, or how they will take your presence. Sometimes they just look at you and keep munching, other times they scatter like the wind at a small movement. Other times they just creep across the pasture, hoping you don't see their invisible bodies.

Freedom

Freedom _20x24" oil on canvas_NFS

In honor, again, of the great escape.

Moonlight Run

Freedom 9x12"_oil on panel_available_$520

This image is in honor of the great escape perpetuated last night by my big gelding and a big grey new buddy. The trainer was called this morning by a farmer who had them captured in his barn. There is no telling how long they were out, but except for a few scratches on the other horse, they were no worse for the wear. Long live freedom! (As long as no one was hurt) This painting expresses the feeling of freedom that I know he had, and that we have in Christ.

Lazy Day

The Water Tank_11x14'_oil on panel_available_$900

This is how I felt today, really lazy, like the shires sleeping at the water tank at the Kentucky Horse Park. Still, I got Bear trimmed and ridden on a trail ride, and the rest of the day getting started thinking about another painting.

Moonlit Stream

Full Moon_5x6"_oil on board_available_$125


Moonlit stream_5x5"_oil on panel_available_$125

I'm in the mood for moonlight, along the same lines as rain, with cool tones and a misty feel. We are sure getting our share of rain lately. I love moonlight and try to paint it every so often, as well as get out in it and just enjoy it.

River Elm

"Walking Elm" 24x14" Oil on linen, birch panel_NFS

We saw this tree among many similar ones at the river edge at Jamestown. The banks had been flooded so many times that the soil was washed out from underneath, leaving daylight and giving the trees the look like they could just walk away. I originally called this "Mother Elm" because I had a foal on the right side, under the branches. I was never happy with the arrangement, and in the course of trying to change it, I ruined the whole right side, soooo, I just cut it off, and voila! Now the painting is a portrait of a tree, and I like it!

The Draw #2

"The Draw"_9x12_oil on birch panel_available_$225

Another view of the "draw' on the farm. It holds mysteries of wildlife. We see trails in the grass going to the pond and to the barn. Having seen a skunk and raccoons, I'm not surprised that they come and eat our cat food. This was done in the late afternoon. I painted all day one day and did four or five scenes on the farm. I liked this one for the leaning tree, framing the picture.

Split in Two

"Farm Draw"_5x7"_oil on panel_available_$125

This is one of my favorite scenes on our farm. It always seems to be full of wonderful shadows, no matter what time of day it is, and the colors are constantly changing. Im constantly thinking of new paintings I need to do here. I'll post another tomorrow.

Today I decided to separate my interests into two different blogs, one of art and one of farm life. We'll see how this works out! So, if you want to see the farm life, and the spiritual side of life ...the address is www.horselight.blogspot.com. Hope to see you there!

Trail Ride in the Country

Country landscape_4x6"_oil on linen board_available_$90
Traveling through the country you see a lot of nondescript landscapes that have a lot of appeal for me. They aren't anyplace special, just country with no buildings, no people, no signs of civilization except for the neat mowing and crops.


I rode Bear on a trail ride with four others today. He was a superstar, taking the lead and not flinching at anything, including the man building a garage or shed right next to the trail. I think the breaking with the Amish taught him that. They had a barnyard full of critters; horses and ponies, goats, dogs & puppies, cats & kittens, chickens, guinnies, (sp?) geese, turkeys, the only thing he definitely didn't like was the hog pen.

Farm Road

"A Painting a Day" for me...my little experiment just to see if I can do it.


"Farm Road"_5x5"_oil on Linen panel_available_$90

Painted yesterday, from a photo taken the day before, while driving down Hwy. 954. Just a little scene common around here.


Six in tow. Coming to eat.


Six in tow, leaving fat and happy.
These may be paintings in the future....
I rode Bear today, after he had four days off. He got a little tummy ache last week, so I gave him a big dose of Pepto-Bismol, after that he got time off. He's looking and feeling better. Today he got another jumping lesson from the lunge line.He really likes it, and didn't want to stop! This is the last post of teh farm, so if you want to see more of it, go to www.horselight.blogspot.com

Planting Day

"A Good Scratch"_5x5"_oil on linen panel_available_$125

This was done from a photo taken a few years ago on Russel Cave Road. I did another version of a different foal then and decided to revisit the subject. All done with a brush the size of my finger. More detail could be had with a smaller brush, but do I want more detail? The hardest part was getting just the right "swish" to the tail. Took 3 or 4 tries.

Later on, I went to the river bottom to plant our veggies. This is what I saw....


This calf is a bit turned around looking for Mom, first following the bull, then trying the mare. Where is Mom? Ahh, who cares! He took off running and kicking up his heels!

Yahoo!

We had a planting Mothers Day today. My neighbor prepared two rows for me to plant, he wouldn't let me use the tiller, saying he could do straight rows. He did come back straightening it out! Then I spent the rest of the afternoon planting corn, beans, tomatoes, turnips, beets, radishes, eggplant, herbs, flowers,etc. All I really wanted was a tomato plant and a basil plant. This is what happens when you let your husband pick out the seeds. Where was He? Helping a neighbor block out squirrels from his house on a 50 foot ladder. They had already run them out by sprinkling moth balls in the walls. Took him all afternoon. Hmmm.

Sunshine today!

"Locust Blooms"_5x5" oil on linenboard_available_$125

I planted 7 rose bushes today, it doesn't sound like much, until you factor in the 2 wagons filled with horse mulch that had to be added, and moving several bushes and plants to make a symmetrical display. It took all afternoon, then I could get back to my small painting started yesterday, and complete that and a new one today. Then I photographed a beautiful bunch of long shadowed horse landscapes.

More Rain!

Locust Tree Blooms 5x5" study start
After looking at "A Painting A Day" sites, I have decided to try my hand at doing something along those lines. It isn't as daunting as starting a new painting right now,and seems to be a fun way to start painting for the day, so here's the first effort. I went to Meadowlake Farm this morning to check on Bear, who had been a little peckish yesterday. (He's fine today). So I took the opportunity to photograph on the farm. I got to explore places I hadn't seen before, and got about 250 photos. The camera wouldn't hold them long enough for me to really look for any length of time, so I got short glimpses and then painted from memory. I could return to this tomorrow, to define the tree trunks and mare, if I don't have to plant rose bushes all day!

Lunch with the arts

"Trees in the Draw"_8x8" _Oil on board_Available_$325
Trees on my farm (my favorite place to paint!)This painting was done last year on a day with me sitting in the moist grass...I had forgotten my portable easel and chair. The main interest for the painting, was on the color temperature changes of the grass in the shadows and sunlight.

I had lunch today with Shelley Hunter and Marilyn Sadler talking art and pets. Shelley brought her new sculpture of John Henry's head, done from her great sculpture installed at the Kentucky Horse Park. I think we may get together to work on some relief sculptures and painting small one-a-day type paintings for fun.

Shelley and Marilyn look at cats and dogs on camera


Shelley and John Henry
P.S. One look at my studio with clay sculptures done several years ago and never cast (falling apart) was enough to scare them out!

Bear's Video Day

Went to photograph Bear today for his debut on the internet. I'm pleased with his moving off her leg, really responsive. But now he needs more work on the straight lines. I'm looking forward to riding him, now, on Friday. Seems he needs to put on a bit of weight,too.

Deer paintings

It used to be, when I thought about painting a large painting, I would weigh out how much time it would take to paint all of the details, a daunting task. There had to be a better way, and as I studied the art of painting, I found that the painting is really a work of directing the eye to the subject or main player in the stage set. To accomplish the goal, some players have to be down played by softening the edges or reducing the strength of color. The subject must always be the most colorful, sharpest image within the painting, in order to command the attention it deserves. Painting "loosely" is not my goal. Painting loosely to downplay minor subject matter means a lot to me. Now that I know the difference, I'm much happier in my work. To illustrate this, I have included two paintings painted several decades apart.

White tail doe on a road setting, done 30 years ago!
There's a spike deer in the shadows. 24x30"


Whitetail Doe_11x14 _available_$450
White tail doe next to a stream, landscape, done 5 years ago.
I'm done with painting every leaf as you can see, and am much happier with the results

Grey Day

Her Royal Pie-ness


Ellee wants her hay, NOW!

Today is another grey day but what a fun day to take pictures! Soft light and soft shadows make for wonderful landscape photos.

Derby day 2009

Fresh Mint at the spring



mmmm mint tea




Audrie looks for a stallion....anyone?




















TV set up. Notice the ladder holding the antenna in just the right spot!


Derby Day was a cool blast from the North. I went to the spring to get fresh mint for the tea and along the way saw one of the barn swallow parents atop the house where he (or she) raised a group of babies. Maybe God was giving a hint for the Derby!




The men spent all afternoon trying to get the ATV fixed, then gave up and enjoyed the Derby.
We divied up the herd of horses, and I came up with Bird of Mine. I had picked his grandfather to win years ago, so he was a sentimental favorite. Hoooray! Just proves that a bigger horse is NOT better. "He is a good athelete" is all I can say. I won $8. Whooopie!

Pre-Derby

Ok It's Oaks Day at the Downs, and Rachel Alexandra won it by 20 lengths! She is just awesome.
I decided to trim my filly's feet today with the rasp. Her feet seem to just grow at the toes so I'm going to keep it up until the farrier gets back. She was real sweet about it.
Derby Day tomorrow! We'll have to watch it, gonna grill out with some family. Hope they don't talk too much while the horses are being featured, I can be a little rude by turning the volume up or shushing. Love you guys! but Derby is very important!