As the weather in the desert now gives subtle hints of cooling down… eventually… I’m getting back into the swing of things at the easel after a long summer that left me  little time doing what I enjoy the most – painting.  Time was not wasted completely over the hottest months.  When I wasn’t able to paint, I focused on planning a number of pieces to start on when I freed up my time.  So I present to you the start of my fall painting frenzy…

This is a painting of a brave and solid horse used for search and rescue. I found something compelling in this horses quiet dignity and had to express that in paint… this is an as yet untitiled 16 x 20 oil on canvas.

The many equine faces of HEART…

In preparation for the upcoming HeARTist’s for Horses Art Show & Sale October 24 (watch for more information here very soon), I have been doing a series of various sized paintings of the horses of HEART of Tucson, a wonderful horse rescue I volunteer with. 

The first in this batch is a painting of a sweet Morab mare named “Britches”.  Her perfect maturity and the softness in her eyes caught my attention and had to be painted.  This is an 11″ x 14″ oil on canvas.

Upcoming Art Shows…

• On Friday, September 10, my painting “Spa Day” will be included in the HIT’s on the Hudson Equestrian Art Exhibition & Auction in Saugerties, New York.
• On October 24 three other artists and myself are hosting a four artist art show to benefit HEART of Tucson.  It will be held in the San Pedro Chapel in Tucson, AZ… watch here for more specifics soon!
• Later in the fall I will have a booth at the St. Phillip’s Outdoor Art Show October 30-31 in Tucson, AZ.
• And next spring, April 8-10 2011, I will have a  booth at the Cattlemen’s Art Show & Sale in Paso Robles, CA.

As the hot desert summer is on the verge of getting even hotter, I was looking through past paintings and found myself drawn to some of my still life’s.  Something about the cool produce in Lemon’s or the open window with an implied cool breeze in Copper Kettle seemed to refresh my mind and soul, if not the actual air around me.  

So as I’m listing prints of more of my work on Etsy, I decided to have a July Still Life Special.  Sure they’re not horses, and don’t get me wrong… I love horses, but sometimes a change of pace rejuvenates the creative juices and remotivates the artist process.  So grab a glass of iced tea or lemonade, turn the fan on yourself and enjoy some simple, old fashioned still lifes!

Blog Feature

I am honored to be featured on a wonderful blog, Shelley McDonald’s Designs!   Being an artist is a very introspective practice, it never fails to surprise me when someone sees my work and loves it… it reminds me why I’m so driven do this, if I just kept my work to myself I don’t know if it would be worth doing!  Also, check out Shelley’s Etsy store, she has some beautiful items… such as one of a kind beaded serving sets, barware, and desk sets for home and office and silver wrapped and beaded necklaces.  Thank you Shelley!

I am now offering the option of prints of some of some of my more popular work. There are three pieces (below) that I’m initially making available on my Etsy store, and soon they will be availble in larger, limited editions along with other pieces I will be adding over the next few weeks and months. 

 Cottontail Sunrise

Hug

 Natural Beauty… this painting recently won an Award of Excellance… visit this link from the Horse HeART Exhibit! 
**A portion of proceeds from prints sold of this painting will go to the rescue this mare is lucky to have been brought to… HEART of Tucson!

If you have another piece that’s a favorite let me know.  If you would like to keep up on new prints offered subscribe to my etsy store, email me with a request to receive emails about blog updates or check back here often!

New Work…

I also have a new piece, based on an old photo.  I found a small pastel I did probably close to 20 years ago, it was from a photo of a warmblood at a local stable that struck me as a good looking gelding. I found both the old, beat up pastel as well as the photo recently, and decided he deserved an updated portrayal.  Since I was so taken with this handsome gentleman (whose name I’ve long since forgotten), I have titled this “Prince Charming”, it’s a 14 x 18 oil on canvas.

 Happy Easter and Happy Spring to everybody!!