It's Been An Amazing Year... Already!

What a great year so far... I am now a part of Studio 9, 9 SW Ft. King Street, Ocala. I have joined Jessi Miller sharing a space downtown for a studio/gallery retail space. My traveling has delayed me concentrating on opening the Gallery - but we will have a grand opening on April 1st, which is also the First Friday Art Walk, so that should be a fun and exciting day! As the day gets closer, look out for more news and promotions - I hope all my friends can make it.

Besides the gathering steam of the Gallery, I will continue to travel to horse shows for portrait work. Planned in the near future is Tryon, NC, Charleston, SC and Taylor, TX. Please join my mailing list if you are interested in meeting with me. I always e-mail out my schedule before the shows and I am always accepting commissioned work.

Here are some of my latest commission work:

"The Dunlap Animal Family"

30" x 40" Oil on linen

Commission

"Marley"

11" x 14" Pastel

Commission

"Jersey Boy and Jennifer Alfano"

16" x 20" Pastel

Commission

What a Great Time to be an Artist

I am so excited about my career as a fine artist. Although the past few years have been more of a struggle than I would like them to be, they have allowed me time to experiment, be more creative and mostly to plan out my future and where I want to be in the next 5, 10 and even 20 years. Believe it or not, I find that tough times are when you can expand and build the foundation for the future. I'm feeling pretty good right now about the future. I see signs of recovery and because of the lack of conventional jobs or employers, I have found that really solid individuals are willing to share your vision and invest some of their own hard work in order for both parties to benefit later down the road when things do turn around.

That brings me back to the new business venture I had referred to an my earlier posts. I have developed a line of humorous cartoons based on horses, ponies and dogs that I will be promoting and selling. Throughout my life I have at least 5 full sketch books of line drawings, funny sayings, ideas on top of new work that I do while watching TV, down time on the road or at a show. I have always wanted to promote these and I think now is the time. So I will be posting my new line of tee-shirts, clothing, gifts, dishes, etc. Look out for my Etsy shop next year and more on-line promoting. Exciting!

With the help of Bob, ever supporting husband, we have secured an outside sales representative who is helping us establish sales of my Giclee's of both horse paintings and landscape paintings. I have no intention of slowing down on continuing my trek to shows for commissioned paintings and portraits. My first few months are very busy, I will be in Jacksonville for two weeks, Wellington, Ocala HITS, and Gulfport for two weeks. After that, I'll see how much work I have before announcing any other shows.

But with the holidays approaching and reflecting on last years events. Some profitable, more not, I am more optimistic than I have been in a long time. I love my life as a fine artist and am so grateful that I have such an amazing husband and kids.

Here are some of my latest landscape paintings in case you're still looking for that perfect unique gift.

Hay Bales
8"x8" • Original Oil on Canvas • Framed
$75.00

Ocala Oaks
6"x6" • Original Oil on Canvas • Framed
$50.00

Red Barn
4"x4" • Original Oil on Canvas • Framed
$45.00

Northern River
4"x4" • Original Oil on Canvas • Framed
$45.00

Florida Coast
6"x6" • Original Oil on Canvas • Framed
$50.00

Clouds Over Sunset
5"x7" • Original Oil on Canvas • Framed
$50.00

November's First Friday Art Walk

This Friday I will be participating in the Downtown Ocala's "First Friday Art Walk". I will be in front of Starbucks, which is my official office when I'm not at home. I look forward to seeing everyone and now that the holidays are right around the corner, there is no better gift than a portrait of your loved one, pet or even your house! I also have a selection of beautiful small paintings that will be available for purchase "cash and carry".

Below "Late in the day" is an oil on linen 8"x8" is $125

If you can't make it by, but have an interest in the gift of art - let me know. I am happy to meet anytime.

On top of my landscapes, I am really excited about getting started on a painting I'm doing for the Fat Tire Festival, a mountain bike benefit ride to be held in the Spring. My other passion is cycling and I'm thrilled to be involved with the "Fat Tire Festival", as well as "Cycling for Success" a benefit ride for Marion County Schools. I donated the logo for the promotional materials.

I've also donated a logo for my son's soccer High School team this year. Kayleb is a senior this year, and has been a member of the soccer team since his freshman year. I can't wait to watch him, I know Belleview Varsity Soccer will have a great year!

The Hampton Classic

Last January, while at the Jacksonville spring show series, I took a walk around with my camera, as I often do at horseshows. Jamie Gibson was on her way back from a jumper class late in the afternoon on her white mare, Ginger. Ginger was prancing and the dramatic shadows and amazing reds and yellows made me stop and start to shoot a series of photos all the way from the ring to the barn. As it turns out, the very last shot I took was so exciting to me, I decided to make this into a stock painting with the intent on submitting it to The Hampton Classic for their annual poster. For me, being awarded the poster artist for The Hampton Classic has been a goal and a dream from the day I began my portrait/painting career.

In March, I received the email that began with "Thank you for your submission" which at that point I almost stopped reading, but as I continued, I learned that they had selected my piece as 2010's poster image! A great honor and a very prestigious accomplishment.

Here is a sample of the finished poster for The 2010 Hampton Classic.

So I decided that this would be a good opportunity for me to introduce my work to a larger clientele and in August I attended my first Hampton Classic. It was a great experience, held in a beautiful facility on Long Island. The crowds and famous people came to see, participate and shop. Although I had hoped for more commissions than I received, I can't complain about the crowds and the local support for the show.

Here is my booth while working on a commission.

Of course, as luck would have it, we had that pesky little storm come our way which did close the show for Friday afternoon and many barns did decide to leave. I look forward to next year without a storm and hoping for even better recognition in a new market.

An early New Years resolution

I made an early New Years resolution, that was to contribute to my blog more than I have this year. Which shouldn't be difficult, seeing that this is only my second entry this year. Blogging to me has been one of those things I just never made time for, but I think there may be an audience out there, as my career expands, that may be interested to know some of the things I'm working on.

This was actually a better year than I gave it credit for. Sometimes I feel that portraits are the first to go in a bad economy, I have been blessed with some really amazing clients who have kept me going this year, I've done some work I'm really proud of, made some major accomplishes and am working on a completely new body of work for my mobile gallery. So I have some exciting things already in the works for next year. In between painting and drawing, I am investigating a new business - yes... you heard it right. This is something I have thought about for many years, I think I am going to make a go for it and as it develops, you will be the first to know. Of course it has something to do with art, what a silly question!

I have always loved to graphite drawings, and as I have some extra time, I am working on some samples so customers have a better idea of what you can expect with a beautiful black and white drawing. This is a 16"x20" graphite pencil.

Christmas Portraits

Towards the end of last year, November, I set up my mobile gallery at the Atlanta fall show and picked up these two portraits that were due for Christmas presents. I was a little nervous, seeing that I still had several other paintings to do for Christmas, but in the end, I finished these in plenty of time and my collectors were extremely happy.

This painting is an 18" x 24" oil on fine linen. This is the first time I used this fine linen and have instantly fallen in love with this canvas. It allowed me to get amazing detail and really held the paint better than any canvas/linen or panel I have ever used.

This second painting is also a 18" x 24" oil painting, as it turned out, this was a really cute candid shot of the son and his best friend. The original photo had the boy in a purple shirt and some logos that were very distracting. I changed the color of his shirt to pick up the beautiful blue eyes of the young man.

In between Paintings

Many of you already know my other obsession is cycling. As much as I would love to race again to prove "I've still got it", the truth is I've lost my courage. I've hit the pavement too many times and live in pain from it everyday. But I still love to train and ride. There is still risk in training, but much less.

We've recently gained a new bike shop in downtown Ocala, Brick City Bicycles. They have training rides on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It's a great shop and Mark Yeager, owner, is a beast on the bike. So our training rides have really improved since the bike shop opened. It's really a blast!

I bring my bike on all my art trips, I actually have several groups that I ride with in Atlanta and North Carolina. It's great fun and a great way to stay in shape.

This painting is one of my latest paintings that I've done "for fun". This is a nice break from a commissioned piece and will be shown in the OoHA "HUGS" Ocala show November 1 - 15. Opening reception is November 6, 5:30 - 8:30 pm. If you are in Ocala, please stop by to support MCA Brick City Center for the Arts, OoHA Artists (Sharon Crute, Lorna Effler, Moe Hahn, Nancy Moskovitz, Jacquelyn Schindehette, Mary Verrandeaux and Margaret Watts) and H.U.G.S. Charities, Inc.

Finished Portraits

Here are some of my latest finished commissions.

The very top painting is only an 11" x 14" oil on canvas. This was a fun painting, the little girl was actually holding someone else's pony and Mom loved the pose, the "look" and the emotional feeling the photo gave. So I took some photos of her pony and made a switch, painting her pony in.

Next is a friend of mine who rode the Tour De France with me in 1985. Helen is her daughter with her jumper. This painting is 24" x 30", oil on canvas.

The last two portraits are ponies who are now forever remembered. Both these paintings are 18" x 24" pastels.

Lisa & Peter

A recently completed pastel commission is on it's way to it's rightful owner. This is Lisa and Peter, who I think are an adorable pair. I met them up in Tryon when Lisa pointed out that she had a little Yorkie, like my Max painting, and decided to have a painting done for her husband's birthday.

I'm really happy with this commission and I'm hoping it will lead to more work in that area. Tyron is a beautiful county town in North Carolina. It's a very "horsey" area and it's very close to where my sister lives in Rutherfordton, NC. It's a great place to ride bikes, matter-of-fact, on July 4th I did a century ride (100 miles or 100 kilometers for a metric century) with 8,000 ft. of climbing! Yes, I finished and I was worn out after that ride. But the weather was in the mid 70's and crystal clear - just a beautiful ride.

White Pony

While hanging out at the horse shows, I try to bring something to work on in between working with clients or waiting for someone to venture into my little trailer. This painting is a result of a late afternoon photo shoot with my two new lawn ornaments ho came my way from my Mom, who has Alzheimer's and can no longer take care of them.

This is Beanie. Beanie is an older pony, I don't know how old - but I know Mom has had him for at least ten years. When he came to us, well... he looked pretty bad. Terribly under weight and not too people friendly. After a few months, I'm happy to report, he looks like a fat happy old pony. Beanie has always been a spooky pony, and that hasn't changed. But he has a wonderful face and I've always wanted to do some paintings of him. The sun was setting and the colors were really incredible.

This painting is 30"x40".

Guilty

Okay, I admit it. I have totally neglected my blog for way too long. Well, the truth is that I have been traveling, picking up commissions here and there and finally have enough to do to stay home for a while.

Here are six very small commissions. The horses are all jumpers, most of them retired now and the paintings are only 8"x10" and the dog is a 5"x7". I love these small paintings, I think it's a great example that a portrait doesn't have to cost a fortune and can be very successful, even small.

Latest Commission

While I was in Gulfport, I picked up this commission. This is a 20" x 26" pastel painting. The weather wasn't the best and Olga (the horse), was a little nervous when we did the photo shoot, so I was surprised to discover that we had many really good shots to choose from. It was a tough decision, and I believe it took everyone's vote, but this was the pose they decided on. 

Alexis (the rider), is just a naturally beautiful girl. I think thats why it was so hard to choose from. 

Last weekend I sat out at the Florida Horse Park and had a great show. I didn't really know what to expect, I've never participated in a 3-day event. But even though the economy is still on the skids and crowds were thin, I had one good sale that made my week end. I hope to pick up some commissions along the way, as well.

Charleston Summer Classics Show Cover

The Charleston Summer Classics Horseshow was looking for something a little different for their cover this year. This is a quick sketch in oil on masonite that I'll be painting as a demo for the Ocala Art Group in the public library. My goal is to actually finish the painting in a matter of a few hours. I really like the looseness of this sketch and I want to maintain that only a little bit, well, a lot larger. The actual painting is roughly 16"x20". I had originally thought I would work on canvas, but I like the sketch so much that I decided to do the final on the masonite board as well. I'll publish the final painting after the demo.

Here is another pastel portrait just completed for one of my most favorite customers. This is Elton. The final size of this piece is 16"x20".

And finally - here is Dakota. This is an 8"x10" oil on panel.

Mobile Gallery In Use

With being the Official Artist of 2009 HITS Ocala, I was fortunent to get a week in "vendor row" to set up a booth and try to drum up some commissions. In the years past, the weather has been anything from too hot, too cold, too windy and almost always, too rainy. This past week we had everything, but the too hot. I remember one year when the VIP tent by the Grand Prix ring came crashing down from one of Florida's famous winter/spring storms. So with all that in mind, I took the opportunity to deck out my utility trailer and make it a mobile gallery. On Monday, I emptied it out and painted the walls. Tuesday I laid the carpet, packed it back up and set up for the week ahead. With a little music from my ipod, furniture made for small spaces and paintings hung on the wall, I felt very secure and "out of the elements" painting away in my new mobile gallery.

I have to admit, this was better than sitting at a weekend art show waiting for someone to come in my booth to buy a painting. First of all, I know so many people on the show grounds, I felt like I was home. And even in the middle of the day, when riders and trainers were at the ring, there was a lot going on to keep me entertained while I finished a portrait and almost finished a landscape. Out of the wind, the sun and on Sunday, the rain.

I had a really incredible show. And I have to admit, I love my little trailer.

Goals, goals, goals

It may seem a little late to some of you to be working on the new year's resolutions, which I like to refer to as goals. I tend to take them more seriously and they are work in progress. Goals change and can be updated throughout the year. Personally, I believe 2009 will be another tough year as far as the economy goes, but I believe that all the marketing and hard work I've been doing for the last three years will start to pay off big in 2010. So with that said, I am looking for two very strong galleries, one I believe I have found in Orlando. Until the final details have been completed, I'll keep the gallery to myself. I am reducing the number of outdoor artshows I'll be doing. Although, I will do them every year. So you can count on seeing me there. And this year, I will be marketing heavily online. I've heard a lot of nay-sayers "you can't sell art over the internet", I disagree. So I will be working as much as time allows to expand my collector base and following through the internet. We'll see if I can or can't sell artwork over the internet.

I am very excited about this year.

So far, here are the shows I will be doing this year. I may be adding a few more or deleting one, so sign up for my newsletter on my website to keep totally up-to-date.

Winter Equestrian Festival, Wellington Florida: 1-28 - 2-1

HITS Ocala, Ocala Florida: 2-4 - 2-15

Gulf Coast Winter Classic, Gulfport Mississippi: 2-25 - 3-1

Santa Fe Spring Arts Festival, Gainesville Florida: 3-28 - 3-29

Celebration Arts Festival, Celebration Florida: 4-4 - 4-5

Pony Finals, Lexington Kentucky: 8-5 - 8-9

Ocala Arts Festival, Ocala Florida: 10-24 - 10-25

Disney Festival of the Masters, Downtown Disney Florida: 11-6 - 11-8

This year flew!

I can hardly believe it is the end of the year already. This year really flew by. I will be posting some finished commissioned pieces that has been keeping me so busy. I was so fortunate to have been invited to the Buffalo International Horse Show in September in Buffalo, N.Y. where I picked up about 12 commissions, mostly Christmas gifts.

Amazingly, I have had a blast doing these portraits. I say that since a few years ago, I found myself wanting to paint other things, such as landscapes. I still love painting landscapes, but for some reason, I have a real thirst for portrait work all of a sudden.

Since the economy is so slow, I have found that my portrait work has provided a much needed income. I have plans to continue to pursue portrait work and landscapes. I will be actively looking for gallery representation next year for my work.

Here are several of my most recent finished portraits.

Linda's Dogs

Here is a larger commission that I'm working on. This is starting out as an 11" x 14" oil sketch on Masonite, which is my preliminary work for the final painting which will be 18" x 24" on canvas. This really helps me decide values, colors, composition of the final painting. It also gives the client a good idea on what the finished piece will look like so there's no surprises on either end.

I'm really excited about this piece for several reasons. I love the warmth of the colors, the setting is just so beautiful, and who doesn't love these beautiful Basset Hounds?

Yes, I still do portraits!

I have clients that I have had the pleasure to work with for almost ten years now, painting their horses, kids, and dogs. It is work that can be demanding, but I really get a lot of satisfaction out of delivering a piece and having the recipient so happy they end up in tears. It also happens to be a refreshing change from painting and hoping someone will buy it. Here are some of the portraits I've recently finished, most of these are pastels.

Second Stage of "Downtown Palm"

Here is the second stage of my "Downtown Palm". I needed to add some highlights so I knew where I was on the value scale. I've had many people, including other artists, think that I work in acrylics, I guess because I tend to be more graphic these days. But these are oils, I just prefer the feel and end result in oils than acrylics.

I also prefer to have about three paintings going at once and rotate until all three are complete. It keeps me fresh and while one painting is drying, I can work on the others. I do use mediums, either Liquin or I've been using a new medium, Rapidry. Rapidry is very much like Liquin, only less thick, which I like better. This allows me to keep working on these paintings and can get them finished quickly.

New Painting

I have been captivated by shadows lately, and this painting is exciting to me because of the colors in the highlights and the shadow and how the shapes work. I really love Palm trees for their natural graphic shapes and wonderful colors. This painting is now "blocked in". Meaning the first layer of paint is on the canvas. This took me three days to do, that includes the drawing. This is a 30" x 40" painting, which is the size of my Grand Palm.

I have 4 commissions left to do. My goal was to finish 6 of the 7 that I have right now by the end of May. I believe I may finish 2 more by next week, my Celebration painting took a little bit longer than I had anticipated. But I'm really happy with the outcome, so it was well worth it.

This will have to fit in between the other paying paintings, as many of these have deadlines. But I'll just keep plugging away.