Andalusian 1

This work is inspired by a beautiful Andalusian and rider I saw perform at the Windsor Horse Show at Windsor Castle a few years ago. Such concentration and grace on the part of both that it just had to become a painting. This one is oil pastel on 24" x 32" canvas.

Before the race 3

I have to let the paint rest a day or two before I can make further corrections as the upper layers are very soft and my oil pastel sticks will move the under layers instead of going over the top of them. So, on to another one. I have a show coming up here in Aiken in February and am under the gun to produce several more new works that have not been exhibited at this venue. I really like working in the kitchen, and I can't wait to get into my new space that is being added onto the south side of the kitchen. It will be sunny and cheerful with ceilings high enough that I don't bump my head! I have set the production bar high to make sure I deserve this wonderful new space, and I'm obligated to do my very best work and plenty of it!

Before the race 2

This one is going fast and has been a lot of fun! I really like painting in my kitchen...closer to the snacks. Maybe I can finish it tomorrow.

Before the race

Here is the start of a new piece in oil pastel. It's 36" x 48", a really large piece. It was too big for my attic space and low ceilings, so I moved my good easel down to the kitchen, got Marguaritaville playing on my laptop for cheerfulness, and it's coming along. I was inspired by the recent fall steeplechase races here in Aiken, on the backside near the start, as many of the riders let their horses go up to and see the first fence. This jockey had such a look of confidence in his horse, and joy in his job, that I knew I had to do a painting of the pair.

Oops 3

Here is the next step...a folding back of the leaders beside the wheelers in a four-in-hand team. Oops! Another layer to come tomorrow.

Oops 2

Here is the next step in Oops!..keep watching to see how this one plays out.

Rabbits in the Forest

There are five rabbits hiding in the peacock feather grass next to a clearing in the forest. This piece is about 20" x 12", very mixed media and will be finished soon. I did another tiny piece, 2" x 2" but it didn't photograph well..more rabbits.

New drawing

Here's the beginning of a new piece, a surprise situation that carriage driving competitors don't relish happening.

New pieces

The collage I posted called "Hope" has morphed into an entirely different work. It is now "Rabbit Eyes", pictured here. What can I say?...an artist's mind works in digressions and sidebars, just for the fun of it! It's going to be finished today and there will be another photo to come. I love working with feathers and the colors of nature are intoxicating to me. I am so grateful to be able to see them.

Busy week

I've been hard at work in the studio this week! First, "Is Breakfast Ready Yet?", bottom left, is finished. I wish I had a better photo of it for you, but it goes today to be professionally photographed, and then prints will also be available.



Next is a re-painting of "The Wheelers", bottom right. This one is in the middle stages of completion.

And then a new one, "The Muse", top left. There will be an opportunity for a viewer to do a double-double take to figure this one out. Great fun!

And, finally, "HOPE!", top right. This is a mixed media work, experimental, and a great learning experience to work with new materials.

The foundation was poured for my new studio, and I've found many visitor, critter foot prints to be forever embedded in the now dry cement.

I've added more contrast...the darks are darker with more delineation of the main shape from the background. Still more work to do on the face, but it's coming along. Just in case you want to see a pony I have for sale, you'll love the YouTube video I have up for him. Go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT48ovSujSA and watch some of the tricks all the ponies here perform...and, of course, he paints!

Is Breakfast Ready Yet? 2

I've added some cool yellows and greens in the background to give this piece more interest and placement in a morning environment. Still some corrections to make, but it's coming along well in time for my deadline for the Barn Book/Florida. Maybe I'll do another one so thet the Barn Book has a choice. Suggestions are always welcome!

Is Breakfast Ready Yet? 1

Here is the next step of laying in colors, and starting to get the background lighting. I really have so much fun with these paintings, and I hope they bring you pleasure in seeing them come to life. Thanks for watching!

Is Breakfast Ready Yet?

I got further along with this piece for the Florida Barn Book cover than I realized, and I'm sorry not to have shown you the basic drawing first. This is an oil pastel, 18" x 24" on Gesso Board, and they wanted a horse at a gate in a misty morning setting. My friend, Elin Pendleton, www.elinart.com, has a new DVD in the works on just this foggy lighting, and I wish I had it now to refer to. She is a master in different lighting and I encourage you to go view her work. This is just the first layer and there will be many more to come, with reflected colors of the morning sun trying to come through. Please feel free to coach me or offer suggestions!

Barn Book FL 1

I am taking a little departure from serious work into playing with my encaustic materials, which means building and painting with wax. A corner of my studio has been set up just for such play and I've included a piece in progress of a rooster. This will be whimsical and fun to hang on a wall.

I've also started an oil pastel for the Florida edition of the Barn Book and will include the sketch next time. Ground has been broken today on my new studio and I am looking forward to having enough room to stand up straight and not bump my head on the eaves on a regular basis...well, that's a true attic for you!

Bareback 5

Here is Bareback and it goes to the photographer tomorrow. This is for the show, Women on Women, at the Aiken Center for the Arts. On to the next painting!

Bareback 4

Oh, my...some experimenting is going on here. I think I have a tiger by the tail! Tune in tomorrow to see what happens next.

Bareback 3

Here is the next step. I see problems with it and need to figure out what corrections to make without starting over. Each painting is such a learning opportunity. For the sake of modesty, do you think the girl should have breeches, boots and a hunt cap on? I'd like to leave it the way it is, but if I use this piece in an ad, will it offend people? Thanks for your input. You can email me at corgis3@bellsouth.net. I will still leave her "bareback", however.

Bareback 2

Here is the next step with Bareback. See what I meant when I said this was going to be fun?

I have been dying strips of old stable towels for The Dancing Tree, and, in the meantime, I've started Bareback. This is going to be fun! It's for a show here in Aiken called Women On Women, it's an oil pastel on gesso board, 18"x 24", and will be for sale. Also, a reminder that most of my paintings are now available as giclee prints, slightly smaller than original size and they are $85 each. Just send me an email if you would like to make a purchase.

The Dancing Tree 1

Here, as promised, is the next step on The Dancing Tree. I'm following a suggestion to give it color, so here goes. There are many layers to be added, and this piece will be substantial...as in weighty! All the texture comes from pulling threads out of an old stable towel, laying them down with acrylic medium, bit by bit, and giving that old towel new life as a work of art. The frolicing rabbits are there on the left and they will be joined by maybe an owl in the hole in the tree, all in sculptural relief. This is an arduous and lengthy process, so I'll be working on another piece at the same time as a break. The Dancing Tree will be strong and very touchable, so I'm hoping that even sight impaired viewers will have the fun of finally being encouraged to feel the art!

One more thing...The Offering has been featured on the cover of Sidelines magazine and you can see it by going to http://www.sidelinesnews.com/. They also did a very nice writeup about moi...gee, shucks. You're an insider because you got to watch as this painting came to life, step by step. The original is for sale ($2450) and prints are available ($85 plus tax and shipping).

See you next time!

Home again

Hello again. I'm back from the carriage driving competition, The Laurels near Unionville, PA, in one piece. The weather was windy, winter coat cold, and rain blowing sideways. Many vendor booths had rivers of water flowing through them. We had to move several items away from the tent leaks and rain blowing in, but we managed. I had, fortuitously and by chance, taken a large box of yellow rubber ducks with me which we gave out to everyone in honor of the weather. We also were very popular because we had a bowl of chocolates for visitors! We featured a beautiful 1905 English antique carriage that everyone enjoyed. There was a slide show going on at the front so visitors could see works that were not present in the booth. So, now I'm back in the studio, preparing new works for a show this winter. The Dancing Tree has been brought out to be finished and I will post a photo of it tomorrow. Many thanks!

Preparing for The Laurels

I've taken the plunge and purchased a professional booth setup for my vendor space. This booth will last a very long time, I hope. We put it together for a trial run last night and it's a good thing we did! It was tough and I'm glad we had a contractor friend as captain of the project. But now it's done, and my sales partner, Sarah, and I won't be struggling to set it up at the last minute at the show. I'll put a picture of it on the blog when we get set up for real. I have also gotten very nice giclee prints made of many of the images, and they are for sale as well. Until next time...

Update

Hello, again. I worked on the polo painting in a previous entry to take it to The Laurels. I came to the conclusion that it was not up to my archival standards, meaning it's longevity was in question concerning the stability of the experimental materials used. So, after taking a nice long look at it, I destroyed it. I had to make that decision for the protection of a future collector and to maintain my reputation as a reputable artist. Did it hurt to tear it up into tiny pieces? Yes! But it had to be done. Then I went to The Wheelers and determined the same thing, as similar products were used in that piece. Yes, that one is gone too. Two paintings destroyed in one day, but my conscience is clear that a collector has my word that a painting of mine will retain its integrity and value. On to the next project...

Hi, Everyone,

Sorry for the silence. I went to the NC mountains for a week of guitar camp at the John C. Campbell Folk School...lots of fun and I learned so much. I am preparing to leave for The Laurels Driving competition in Unionville, PA in about a week to set up a vendor booth where I will display and sell my paintings. Here are final photos of Barnyard Mayhem and In Bernie's Dreams. The colors are much brighter in person than in these photos. I hope they make you smile!

In Bernie's Dreams

It's almost finished and shortly it will leave to be photographed and framed. It's final title is "In Bernie's Dreams". The whiskers and claws are on, some mouse details and clouds...I'll take a few minutes to give it the last tweak and off we go. A much better photo of it will be available in the Gallery on the website. On to the next one!

Cat on catnip 6

My deadline is tomorrow! I think I can make it! I'll finish the details tomorrow...one more set of whiskers, a few more clouds, a few surprise flecks of color. The title will change...will sleep on it tonight. This piece has been a major challenge and I have learned so much by doing it. And, yes, Bernie the cat really is that fat with a head that is dwarfed by his "ample physique"! I imagine that Bernie, who is about 15 years old by now, dreams of a flying mouse fest of days gone by. Happy dreaming, Bernie!

Cat on catnip 5

Here is the surprise of the mice cavorting around the cat! The sky has its first layer. I have two days to finish this painting and get it to the photographer and framer. This is going to be tight...there is much left to be done!

Cat on catnip 4

My deadline to get this finished is approaching fast! But it's coming along nicely. I'm really trying to get the likeness of the cat, and put him in the sky cavorting and feeling frisky. Almost time for the surprise!

Cat on catnip 3

Again, I apologize for the photography and lack of white lighting, but you can see the progress on this piece. It's coming along well and I'm happy and grateful to have had this challenge. This kitty is named Bernie, and he is flying and frolicking. The background really is white, so I hope to show you the true colors later in better light.

Cat on catnip 2

Sorry for the bad lighting on this painting...but maybe you can see the progress made on the bottom right cat anyway. I think some of the postures will be changed a bit to improve the composition, but we'll see. I love the flexibility of oil pastel on generously applied acrylic medium on board. Double edged sword, however, as the painting smears easily and never dries. That's why these artworks have to be framed with a spacer under glass or Plexi...to protect the surface from being bumped and smeared. That's also why I always wear old clothes while painting..otherwise all my clothes would be stained. It's a messy medium!

Cat On Catnip 1

Barnyard Mayhem needs to rest a bit to let the paint set, so here's the beginning of the kitty I mentioned earlier. It's called Cat On Catnip and there will be a surprise addition at the end to make this painting even more fun. This is a big painting...32" x 40" on heavily prepared foam board. This is a huge undertaking for me with three kitties on one surface, but it's a good challenge and I hope it will complete the way I see it in my mind. Can you tell that I have a whopping good time making these creations? Silliness is one of my essential life elements!

Barnyard Mayhem 5

Well, the surprise is appearing! This pony is feeling his oats and is racing around the barnyard scattering the chickens every which way. These are the base coats. I hope to finish this piece tomorrow and see what colors pop up!

Barnyard Mayhem 4

I took a gamble on the background color, but now I think it's perfect as a contrast to the Welsh Cob pony. Pretty soon the "surprise" will appear!

Barnyard Mayhem 3

Layer after layer...it gets a little scary to me sometimes, too. I'm always juggling and balancing color and value, lights and darks, cools and warms. This is a large painting, 30" x 40", for my little studio! Can't wait to get to the "surprise" that will appear last in the bottom right corner!

Barnyard Mayhem 2

Here we go again with the laying down of some very strange colors, but it will all make sense later. I took a few days off to hostess my mother for a visit and her 92nd birthday. At the party, the ponies performed their circus tricks for everyone. I think there should be a painting in my future of circus ponies...using home talent!

Barnyard Mayhem

This piece is 30" x 40" on illustration board. It has three layers of gesso and four layers of gel medium to seal the board, as well as sealing on the edges. Oil pastel can get into the fibers of an illustration board, so the multiple sealings keep everything where it should be. The background is acrylic around the drawing. This one will have a surprise in the bottom right corner, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, there is a very special cat that is waiting to appear on the next piece, and as a message to his loving caregivers, his board is 30" x 42" and is getting the multiple sealings, as well. This process can take up to a week as each layer must dry thoroughly before the next layer can be applied.

So very much fun!

Vigilance

It's finished and will go to the photographer tomorrow. Yippee!

Polo 5

I'm in the final stages on this one. One more post to show the finished piece coming right up!

Polo 4

This piece is progressing slowly but it's coming along. Getting the details is important, but hard. I need to be true to my impressionistic style... but you can't fool horse people and they will know immediately if an artist doesn't know the subject!

Polo 3

Progress is being made on this polo piece. I've been working on several small works at the same time and I'll post those later, as well. They are definitely not serious pieces!

Rooster 1

Goodness! Look who's popped in to join us! You know I just can't keep the barnyard out of my studio. This piece is in progress, and it's about 4" x 6", mixed media...hand painted paper, gel pens, crayons, markers, and whatever strikes my fancy at any given moment.

Polo 2

Can you see what's happening now? The story will unfold bit by bit.

Polo

Here is the new one just started. It is on heavy watercolor paper, gessoed and painted with red acrylic. I am using oil pastel again. Polo is so popular here in Aiken, and, as of last count, there are forty eight public and private polo fields in the area. Stay tuned to see this one evolve.

Trot Out 3

The Trot Out is just about finished. Did I leave anything out? Should I take out, or put in, anything? This will go to the photographer tomorrow and then to the framer. As with the painting before, you get a discount for watching the blog and the price to you is $500. The website price will be $700. On to the next one!