Tuesday, December 31, 2013

"Cowboy Cadence"




"Cowboy Cadence" 
12" x 18" 
Watercolor, 2013


This is the last painting I made this year of 2013. 
I used a photo I took at Fiesta as reference. There are many little details that you can get lost in, such as the countless spots of the Appaloosa, the horsehairs springing everywhere from the horsehair reins, and the pattern on the saddle blanket.

What do you think of it?

Friday, December 13, 2013

Christmas Ornaments Commission - Wildlife

I've been really busy these couple weeks leading up to Christmas (that's why I haven't posted on my blog in forever!). I've already shipped off two graphite drawings that will be Christmas presents, filled an order for 2 dozen shatterproof 3.25" ornaments decorated with 6 each of dogs, cats, birds, and horse, plus I just finished up a watercolor painting and I will be helping with the framing, AND I was contacted tonight about one of my western watercolors and they bought it for a Christmas present. After Christmas I will definitely post all the wonderful things I've been selling and shipping (across the world!).

So, here's something I can share! These wonderful mini 2" glass ornaments were commissioned by one of my old friends who worked at the same camp together (Camp Baldwin). I'm packaging these up tonight so that I can ship them on Monday and they will arrive in plenty of time before Christmas so that he can put them on his Christmas tree.

What do you think of these little guys? 
On the back side of each ornament is my signature and the year.







Wednesday, November 27, 2013

"Cowboy Mark and Doc" Commissioned Paintings


"Cowboy Mark" 
5" x 7" watercolor



"Cowboy Mark and Doc" 
5" x 7" watercolor


Recently I finished these two paintings of a man who worked at Philmont in the early 1980's. I really enjoyed painting these for him. We even worked at the same back country camps, Clark's Fork and Ponil  (only 28 years apart! hahaha).

What do you think of these two?

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Mini Christmas Ornaments

I'm doing Christmas ornaments this year!
Here are some images of one ornament being created on a 2" mini glass ornament. If you're interested in buying an ornament for yourself or as a gift, please contact me. Plus you can have your favorite horse or dog on an ornament for only $6 (plus shipping)!

Enjoy!







Monday, November 11, 2013

To honor and serve ...


Today is a day to honor all the men, women, canines, and equines who have, had, and will serve their country to keep it the home of the brave and land of the free. Thank you.

Pictured is Sargent Reckless. If you haven't heard about this mare you should look her up.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

"A Willing Heart"




"A Willing Heart" 
8" x 10" 
2013 Watercolor

This is a horse that was at summer camp many years ago. Then he was a young gelding, mostly grey in color and he had the longest ears! They were pretty much mule-like! A couple years later he's a handsome dapple grey learning the ropes as a ranch horse. I took the photo I used as reference at Fiesta back in September.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

5 years later ...




These are two acrylic paintings of a 1955 Austin Healey 100 Sports Car owned by one of my father's coworkers. After I painted these in 2008 I was told he would take me for a ride in the car.

Flash forward 5 ½ years later …


Note: windshield in normal position.

Note: windshield in RACING position!









I finally got to go for a ride in it!

Monday, October 28, 2013

"As the Moon, She Watches"




"As the Moon, She Watches" 
5" x 7" 
2013 Watercolor


What's in a name? Well, the title of this painting has a special meaning. This is IO (pronounced "eye-O") which is Greek for Moon. When she was a couple days old there was a spot on her neck that looked exactly like a crescent moon, thus IO. 
And now she's a very useful cow dog for her cowboy owner.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

"Time to Play with the Big Boys"



"Time to Play with the Big Boys"
11" x 14"
Watercolor, 2013



You can see some in progress photos of this painting and the reference photo here.
This little gem will be included in my solo art show in February 2014 at Mount Hood Community College's Fireplace Gallery.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

In Progress - "Time to Play with the Big Boys"

The photo I'm using for this painting is from one of the many I took at Fiesta in the beginning of September. 



Enjoy these in progress photos!







Soon I will post the completed painting! Stay tuned. :-)

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

8" x 10" Giclée Fine Art Prints


Howdy everyone! I now have a smaller size of giclée fine art prints! They make my art very affordable. All of these prints will fit inside a precut 8" x 10" mat and 11" x 14" frame and will look stunning!
Just click on the image and you will be redirected to my Etsy listing for that print.

Enjoy!






Friday, August 30, 2013

"Breitenbush VIII"

Last weekend I went out to the Breitenbush River again with my husband, but this time we went up the river further than usual - through a forest road that's not even on Topo Maps.  I set up my easel for a little while and painted this 8" x 10" watercolor of some trees that had fallen across the river.






"Breitenbush VIII"
8" x 10"
Watercolor

"Riding the Line - Rod and Lucky"

It was the night of wrangler roping in 2010 and I was borrowing Cougar's fancy/nice camera, Rod (one of the four bosses for wranglers) was warming up his buckskin gelding, Lucky, and his roping arm. I snapped a couple photos of the duo in the large dirt arena. A couple weeks ago I decided to use one of the photos I'd taken and use a different photo for the background, which is of a nearby pasture at the base of the Tooth of Time at Philmont.





"Riding the Line - Rod and Lucky"
11" x 14"
Watercolor

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Changes ...

Well, you might be noticing that I'm not cranking out a ton of paintings lately. I am changing my pace nowadays. A couple weeks ago I would come home from work and just sit and paint, and paint, and paint. For the past couple weeks I've come home from work and cooked dinner, tidy up the apartment, spend 30 minutes to an hour painting, go for a 2 ½ mile walk, and do stretches before bed. With so many more things to do each day, I have less concentrated time to work on paintings. So, I will be working on longer, more detailed paintings (with plans to have them available in greeting cards and giclée fine art prints) and I also have some commissions lined out for the next month or so.

With my regiment to walking 5 days a week and eating wisely (I started my first ever real diet - the Atkins Diet), I feel energized during my walk and I love walking around the dirt track/trail I found nearby at a elementary school. This commitment to my walks really helps with over 8 hours of office work and then on top of that sitting and painting, I need to be active again. Plus, I'm almost finished with all my therapy appointments I've been attending from when my car was rear ended in March, so all this exercise is helping with my recover - strengthening my muscles. :-) 

Here's to health and art!

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Throwback Thursday - "Weekend Retreat"

My first Throwback Thursday! And this is the first (I think) painting I did from my adventures at Philmont Scout Ranch. This is of my Cavalcade Horseman, Cougar (don't worry it's just a nickname), and he was riding Gunner and Sidewinder (the palomino) was one of the two pack horses we used for the smaller crew on cav. This image doesn't do the painting justice … I'm happy to say that the parents of Coug bought this painting!

I believe I painted this in 2010 or 2011; at any rate, it was before I was married. :-)
Enjoy, an oldie …





"Weekend Retreat"
11" x 14"