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’m not often inspired enough to paint well known, famous horses for many reasons.  For one, I prefer to work from my own photos, and since I don’t encounter many famous horses I don’t have photos of them.  I also like to seek out the hidden gems, the “average” equine; the trail horse, dressage horse, mustang, etc… and find the undiscovered beauty in them.  

But two impressive mares have caught my artistic eye over the past year… Rachel Alexandra, 2009 Horse of the Year and Zenyatta, winner of the 2009 Breeders Cup Classic.  So I’ve decided to paint each of them, and the first is finished…

Rachel Alexandra…

16 x 20 oil on board

I will soon be offering prints of this and Zenyatta’s portrait, check back here or email me to be notified when they are available!  A portion of the proceeds from sales of the prints will be going to the Equine Encore Foundation, a wonderful rescue set in a desert oasis dedicated to providing a safe, healthy retirement for ex-racehorses.

Reduced Shipping on Racing Prints

In the spirit of Triple Crown season, I have a shipping special for the month of May on my racing prints on Etsy, I have ten of my racing pieces listed, sales of which also benefitting the Equine Encore Foundation.  Be sure to browse the rest of my shop, too, you’ll find some of my older originals as well as new prints I am adding regularly!