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!

Focused Friesian Done

"Focused Friesian"      Mixed Media                 12 x 12"         copyright 2011

I am enjoying working on Ampersand clayboard......a very interesting substrate to work on. This painting is actually a drawing that grew into a painting. I like the small note of color in this very graphically designed depiction of this handsome mare. This mare from Tanbark Acres Farm has been the subject of my work before. And hopefully again.........
It is available on my website.

Painting On Copper, Drawing On Claybord

The Spruce wood lot at the end of our field.

It has been a bitter cold week, topped off with yet a new blanket of snow to cover the farm. I did have time to get some work done in the studio, but when we are hit with such mean weather, it also means more work caring for the horses, shoveling snow etc etc.......Today we have a break in the cold, but skies have darkened, warning of the coming of a new snow storm. I will take what ever reprieve nature blesses us with. I cannot help but marvel at the beauty of this season and the woods surrounding our cottage. I look out at the distant stand of spruce, all dressed in their lace shawls of snow....even on this gray day, they look lovely.

I have finished the 8 x 10" oil painting on copper substrate. I call it "Angels and Horses" and it is available on my website.

"Angels and Horses"       oil on copper panel          8  x 10"       copyright 2011

I also have been working on a mixed media peice, on a 12 x 12" Ampersand claybord panel.This piece depicts a Freisian .....driving....through the woods. This work will also be available on my website when it is finished, but this is where it stands at this point. It is done in graphite...but there is more to do........with paint.

"Focused Friesian"      mixed media      12 x 12"       copyright 2011

With what is left of the day, I am heading back down to the studio.....'make hay while the sun shines'...........on this cold gray winter's day in Maine.

Friesian Drill Team

This scene, depicting the Northeast Friesian Horse Club drill team practising at the Post's farm in New Hampshire, reminded me so much of Lucy Kemp Welch's painting of women exercising the horses [titled "The Straw Ride: Russley Park,Depot, Wiltshire"]. This casein on board is sized at 8 x 16". The Northeast Friesian team was photographed back it 2004. It has taken me this long to get this painting done. But I guess life does sometimes get in the way.

Today the farrier comes to trim the horses..........my afternoon will be spent with him and the horses. Our hay man is starting to put hay into the barn..........I am happy about that! It always makes me nervous when the hay isn't all tucked away for the winter. I think it makes the horses happy too to know their hay is stashed before the snow comes!!!

And then the lawn needs mowing...........and the fields need bush-hogging.......yep, life gets in the way!!!

Published?

Some news about what has been happening career -wise for me while I have been 'playing' in my gardens.....

I have had two artworks chosen to be featured in a new book By Vicky Moon, titled “Equestrian Style -Home Design, Couture, and Collections from the Eclectic to the Elegant “ to be coming out next month. [July 2008] It is published by Clarkson Potter. The book captures the equestrian way of life with an unprecedented peek into several dozen stunning residences…. a French-accented mansion decorated with contemporary horse art; an equestrian resort on 395 acres—complete with cottages for owners to rent and a large private collection of carriages; a spa with a swimming pool for horses; and a working barn that Kathryn Ireland decorated to do double duty as a home for a professional horseman, riding instructor, and model, and whose students included Jackie Kennedy Onassis.

“Rhapsody In Blue”, a casein painting of A Friesian under saddle and “Acadian Four”, a cut paper drawing of a coaching scene at Acadia, were picked to illustrate equestrian actives for select chapters of the book. “Equestrian Style” is certain to be a good read for horse lovers everywhere.

These two artworks will be exhibited at Gallery B in Lexington, KY at several book signings for Ms Moon's Equestrian Style" new publication held at the Gallery.

Looking to the Future

This little lady, who is named 'Tara', is a 'little one' no more......Friesian fillies grow up to be rather big ladies. This is a watercolor that I finished just last week and finally the snow stopped enough for me to be able to get a photo of it. The work is too big to scan with the scanner, and had to be digitally shot. The filly depicted is one of several handsome foals that I have painted from Tanbark Acres. This watercolor is available for purchase.

Between shoveling snow, shoveling horse stalls and walking the dog..... I have been getting works packaged and sent out to a new Gallery that I am with in Lexington , KY. Gallery B is having a benefit show called "It's Raining Cats and Dogs" and I have several works that will be included in the show.

I also will be having other works in two National Invitational art shows this spring... this giving me more exposure....the future is looking good.