The debut of the first Southern Arizona Horse Expo this past weekend was a success!  They had a great crowd turn out to enjoy some very informative presentations and get a chance to meet some solid local rescue organizations.  

Thanks to everyone who came by my booth to chat… it was wonderful talking to old friends and meeting so many new friends from various facets of the local horse community…  I’m really looking forward to seeing everybody at next years event – check back for info about it at clayharperhorsemanship!

For fun, this is a piece I worked on at the Expo, it’s mostly done, just has some finishing to do with the background.  This is an oil on 16 x 20.

The Empire 100 Art Show and Sale
I was also thrilled to have a painting accepted into this years Empire 100 Sh0w! The painting is “Makin’ Fast Work” (16 x 20 oil on canvas – below).  The show runs through March 12 at the Northern Trust Bank at 3450 E. Sunrise Dr. in Tucson – it’s open 8:30 to 4 pm Monday through Friday – Empire 100 Art Show and Sale. 

Makin' Fast Work

I had the extreme pleasure of visiting “the Great Race Place”, Santa Anita Park, about a week before the Breeders Cup, and was able to spend a great morning watching workouts and enjoying a delicious breakfast at Clockers Corner, and also got to spend part of the afternoon enjoying the races.  I had the pleasure of meeting Marcie, a freind who’s a fan of racing and a fellow artist, and Mary Forney who has a wonderful blog that features a fun inside peek into racing in California.  You can bet I was honored to be featured on her blog today… Mary Forney’s Blog.

I don’t think I’ve ever left a place as inspired as I left this beautiful track.  So with almost 2400 pics to wade through, I narrowed them down about 400 as painting material.  Then I picked a couple and started painting.   One is still in progress, but here’s the first one finished, I wish I knew who this horse was, but what a lovely subject!  It’s 20″ x 20″ oil on canvas…

Untitled

Before going to California I was already feelin’ the need for speed, at least painting it! I did this piece as an homage to pure sprinting.. the raw power of speed!  It’s called, simply enough, “The Sprinter” and is a 24 x 30 oil on canvas…

The Sprinter

For those that are or will be in Tucson on November 28, I’m going to have a small booth at the Tack Sale to benefit HEART of Tucson… a wonderful equine rescue that I have been doing some volunteering for!   Here’s a flyer with more information, I’d love to see anybody who’s able to come by!

I also have started a donation plan for the two rescues I work with. Starting now if either of the rescues are mentioned I will give 10% off a painting, commission, or print and donate 10% of the pre-discount price to either of the rescues!  

These are the two rescues:

Equine Encore Foundation:  Retiring racehorses to a long life of great care and a chance to “be a horse”. Started by a Tucson based trainer, Patti Shirley, it’s her passion to provide a forever safe haven to racehorses that have given the racing world their all.  I have personally spent time with Patti at her ranch, and I think the racing world needs more of her!

HEART of Tucson:  I’ve mentioned them before, but they are endlessly saving horses of all types from neglect, abuse and slaughter.  They have done amazing things with horses that looked like they had no hope, getting horses from the direst of striaghts to happily in a home full of love!  I also have spent a lot of time with this rescue and am thrilled with their enthusiaism and drive, and their success with saving so many!

Support these rescues in any way you can, there’s such a need and both are bending over backwards to do everything they can!

I was very pleased to get the news recently that one of my pieces has been accepted into the 40th Annual Mountian Oyster Club Contemprary Western Art Show & Sale. 

Dun Talkin', 16 x 20 oil on canvas.

Dun Talkin’ (above) will be making it’s debut for me at the prestigeous western art show which is located right here in Tucson from November 22 through January 2.  For more information about the show go to their website – Mountain Oyster Club.

It’s continued to be an uphill battle finding painting time, but there’s finally some consistent production at my easel!  I have been spending more time visiting Heart of Tucson where I get a lot of photos of the rescued horses. They’re doing amazing things at HOT, saving many horses from the brink of slaughter, caring for them and rehoming them… it has surprised me that so many are mares and foals.   With all these cute babies, some were bound to end up on canvas!  This is the start of my Heart of Tucson series of paintings which I hope to make available to sell as prints for the rescue’s benefit in the near future.

“Dinnertime for Domino” 16″ x 20″ oil on canvas 

“Sandbox Jollies”  12″ x 24″ oil on canvas

Because I’ve been so limited in my productivity, I’ve been working on this one at a snails pace since July, so as a bonus for following along with my slow summer, I’m posting this as a work in progress… albeit sloooow progress.  It’s a racing scene with some nice dynamic action, something I hope to do more of.  I’m just crossing my fingers in hopes that I can finish it before October!  Enjoy a sneek peek…

untitled  15″ x 30″ oil on canvas

I am always thrilled to be accepted into any juried show, art is a lot like the Kentucky Derby… anything can happen so I never assume anything.  As I do every year, I entered the prestigeous American Academy of Equine Art Fall show with hopes of getting one in for the third year in a row… and to my complete surprise all three pieces entered got in!  The exhibit will be at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky from September 26-November 8, and while I won’t be able to attend this year, I will be there in spirit, and in paint!  Here are the three pieces accepted:

Dreams of Glory, 16 x 20 oil on canvas:

 Spa Day, 16 x 20 acrylic on canvas:

 In Good Hands, 18 x 18 acrylic on paper: 

I do have more new work to post soon, coming off a busy July into an only slightly less busy August I am finally reclaiming some momentum at the easel!

Thanks,
Carole

A New Piece…
July was a brutal month at my day job, I barely had the time or energy to paint.  I did get one eeked out, though, finishing it the other day.  This is from a lovely ranch in the Tanque Verde Valley here in Tucson, called Rancho Bosque.  This is their Brangus bull named Junior, painted on an 18″ x 36″ canvas in oil – thanks again to the Hamilton’s for letting me paint from their beautiful place!  If you look in my equine gallery you can see a painting of their Lipizzan stallion, Romeo (Pluto Gisella II)!

… and Streakin’ Kitty, a stakes winner abandoned in the desert!
One thing I have been doing is finding a new purpose with a nearby horse rescue – Heart of Tucson - check out their site.  I was drawn in by the plight of this mare, Streakin Kitty, a 6 yr stakes winning TB with earnings of $28,000, a good paycheck in this circuit!  She was abandoned in the desert in June, with a severely injured left knee and of course problems with the other leg as a result of overcompensating. While at first they were expecting to have to euthanize, she showed a true will to live and has been showing amazing improvement ever since.  She’s a sweet and extremely patient mare who I believe has what it takes to survive, even thrive.

I hope to do a painting of Kitty soon, maybe a few, and will use a good chunk of the procedes of any art sales of these pieces and any reproductions to support this rescue.  They also have a new case with a mare and foal just rescued from the kill buyers, I just took pictures for them today… visit their site for updates.

There are new paintings in the works, some partly done, so there should be more frequent updates in August!

Thanks,
Carole

Landscapes take a lot more out of me, which is why a lot of my horses have simple backgrounds.  All the foliage, rolling hills, and/or majestic mountains leave little energy to dedicate to the part I care the most about – the horse.   But I am trying to change that… one sage brush at a time, so to speak.  I tried to pace myself on this one, crafting the background thoughtfully so that it could theoretically stand on it’s own, yet with a couple of carefully planned horses waiting off stage to take their cue.  If all has gone according to my master plan, this should have a decent balance of subject and background.  

Without further ado… ”Buddy System”, 22″ x 28″ oil on canvas.

There’s nothing quite so refreshing as painting horses at liberty just being horses, and I had a nice one to work on this week.  This is called “Heated Exchange”, and is a 20 x 24 oil on canvas.

Of course I enjoy painting more than just horses, and while this isn’t exactly a stretch it was a fun change of pace – not just in subject but size and support (painting surface) as well.  It was a blast working on such a different texture.  “Calf” 8 x 10 oil on masonite.

There’s something about a horse in action, and I’ve always been fascinated with the intensity of expression in a horses face while running, cutting, roping, jumping, even dressage.  This is one of those moments.  I’m not sure if it’s finished.  It may be, but I have to spend some time staring at it because there might be a couple areas I need to tinker with.

Untitled, 16 x 20 oil on canvas