Driving Through Flowers

"Driving Through Flowers"  casein    24 x 12"

Yesterday I finished this casein on board.....Another painting inspired by the beautiful Friesian mares of Tanbark Acres Farm in Cana, Virginia. They are in the middle of foaling season on their farm now.....I am hoping for more beautiful Friesians to paint from their bevy of beauties!
Thank you, Tanbark Acres!  The painting is available and can be seen on my website.

Part of being an artist is making decisions. Decisions on what to paint?,,,what medium to use?..what format to do?...how to start and when to finish each painting.??  And then what paintings should go to what galleries?..... what invitational shows?.... even what to blog about? [ If one chooses to blog...another choice! ]  I am very bad at making decisions.....and that is how my day started today....What to eat for breakfast? One or two cups of coffee? Stay in my pj's to paint? or actually get dressed in jeans? ......I am tired already.

But I need to feed the horses hay again and do barn chores..........so, I think I will stay in my pj's under my snow pants, bundle myself into my down coat and head to the barn. All those other decisions can be decided on later.....as we say in Italy.."Domani Domani!!

Our Cobs mares.... waiting for hay!

A Turkey For Every Pot

We have turkeys everywhere. They are in my gardens, under the bird feeders, kicking up the snow and leaving their calling cards splattered behind them. As much as I do enjoy hearing their chatter in the distance,and see in them  as they cross our fields... THIS is too much ,thank you! I was working in my studio, when I heard them outside my door where they declared their joy as they cleaned up the bits of seeds left by the song birds. I grabbed my camera and shot a few. [ I don't have a gun.] Some of the photos I took were shot through the screens that are still up on the windows, but I still was able to get some fairly good shots of the marauders! I am thinking that the soup kitchens should come to my garden and harvest the bounty of Ben Franklin's "national bird"! 

I have been working on a 12 x 24" casein painting of a driven Freisian horse, forward moving and trotting out!  I thought I might show you the work in progress. The painting is on a gessoed board.

The first layer of paint is where the highlights and shadows are done with a watery watercolor affect. At this point, I have used Payne's Gray,Yellow Ochre,Terra Verte, Purple, Ultramarine Blue, Naples Yellow and Titanium White.The gesso soaks up the watery paint.

Now I have started going in with a thicker mix of casein paint with less water,more pigment. This is where it is today. I am letting it dry while I varnished some new caseins, and ship off some work.

I even went for a walk down to the barn with Nellie. She sat and waited while I fed out hay to the horses.....I am sure she was calculating how long it will take for our snow-pile by the barn ,to melt.

while looking for turkeys!

Nellie and one of our many  driveway snow piles!

All We Need Is Love

Nellie wishes everyone Happy St.Valentine's Day!

And we have lots of it here at Cob Cottage! ...hugs and kisses from dog,cat,horses,even hubby!

We are in the middle of February and today it feels a bit warm at 44 degrees F. The snow and ice built up upon our roof is melting, making riverlets producing icicles that hang like swords along the front of our house. Rites of spring. It must be getting near!!

I have painted two small works.....casein on board.....a Jack Russell in snow is one......"Follow The Path".....a quick depiction of our Nell .

"Follow The Path"        Casein    6 x 6"         copyright 2011

And the second painting is of a handsome rooster gent who I met a while ago on a local farm where they raise organic eggs and goat cheese. He was a handsome rooster and he knew it!  I hope I did him justice!

"Randy Rooster"     casein        6x6"          copyright 2011

I titled  this rooster portait "Randy Rooster"....I don't know if this strutting guy had a name, [Randolph maybe?]....but he fits that name, I think!!  Both these small paintings are available om my website.

It is time for our afternoon walk..... Nell and I wish you a day with Love......!!!!

One Big Painting Done & One Sold

"A Pair And A Spare"         casein on canvas       30 x 40"        copyright 2011

Three horses, who stood feeding at their hay rack,  provided me with their power house posteriors as inspiration. Thus this painting came into being! The back-end of horses has always been a hallmark of my equine work.....I continue the subject in this 30 x 40" casein on canvas. For now "A Pair And A Spare"  will hang in my studio and it is available on my website.

I do like painting big works on occasion and was so elated when I was invited to take part in a exhibit and be included in a Maine Arts Commission  grant in 2009. My painting "Freeport Heroes"  was part of the Freeport Creative Arts group show  "Experiencing Freeport - Showing Our Town Through Art". You can see more about that show in my Sunday, August 23, 2009 blogpost. I was honored to have been chosen as one of the Maine artists to be part of that undertaking. My painting has been exhibited in Freeport since .....and recently sold! 

"Freeport Heroes"     casein on canvas      48 x 48"

I am enoying the sunfilled day. Winter in Maine at it's best. Nellie sleeps on the bed! 

 

Back Into 'A Pair & A Spare'

"A Pair and a Spare" A work in progress. copyright 2011

With days of snow, snow, snow..and then more snow.....I have had time to get back into a large canvas I started some time ago. I am easily distracted....and some smaller works have been started and finished since I began this casein painting. BUT,  it is moving along famously now....I can see the light at the end of the tunnel with this piece. That always excites me!

I have gone back into the painting with more detail work and worked on shadows and highlights on the horses and  the spilling over hayrack. With only a bit more to do on this painting, I am heading to the studio now.

Details added but a bit more to go! The canvas is 30 x 40"

Nellie is telling me I need to take her on a walk first.....Today we are blessed with abundant sun and temperatures up into the mid 40's. It would be a shame to miss some of the sunshine....so off we go! The painting can wait a bit more.............

February sunshine- Winter snow

And Yet It Snows



"February Chill"             casein on board               6 x 6"                   copyright 2011

It snowed yesterday. It is snowing today. As I write, the gray skies are spilling white onto our farm, covering the woods and fields with another blanket of white. The horses are settled in their stalls after having a morning turnout while their stalls were cleaned. Nell has played in the barn, moused and inspected the stalls for treasures. Now we wait, cozy in our cottage, for the storm to end......then we can continue the endless shoveling. I think of Italy a lot in the winter!!!!

I did the small casein painting, pictured above, after watching Duster [my 23 year old Tennessee Walker gelding ] as he ate his hay that was spread over a snow mound. The day was cold and white. The days have been that way a lot lately!

The painting is available purchase on my website.....along with many other works!

My work is being featured in the art show "All Creatures Large and Small", that has it's opening reception February 3 , 2011 at Gallery B in Lexington, Kentucky. It is a fun show where a portion of the profits from the sales go to benefit the Lexington Humane Society. So I am hoping my Kentucky friends and clients can make that show and help the Humane Society ......it is all about the animals.

The snow is falling harder now.....Nell is so glad she has a cozy house.....she is one of the lucky beasts!!



Cozy Nell