ORIGINAL PAINTING LANDSCAPE TRAIL RIDE HORSES AND RIDERS

 

Hey Friends,  Something a bit different every now and again is the spice of life!  I enjoyed this one a lot.  It's been a long time since I rode trail horses.

 

When I was a young teenager, we would go to Mr. Taliaferro's farm to play and hope he would let us ride his horses.  He was an important man in the Calvary I was told.

 

He was a stern old fella and seemed a bit gruff.  He was probably just set in "His Ways" as some of the older folks say.  But he insisted that if we rode the horses we had to get them ready to ride!  We put the pads and saddles and all that stuff on them.  And when we got back we had to brush them and feed and water, etc.

 

Well, my horse was pregnant.  And I did not know she liked to swell her belly way out so her baby wouldn't get squashed.  I thought the cinch was good and tight.  But besides her trying to scrap me off at every tree she saw, when she relaxed or sucked her belly in, I sort of did one of those circus moves, where you go under the belly still clinging to the saddle.!  It was funny.

 

And I was mad at the same time.'cuz everyone laughed at me.

 

Some memories are worth sharing.

This is available at Second Helpings Gallery in Roanoke.

 

Hope your Trails are Happy.

NOW I CAN SHOW YOU THE COMMISSION I'VE BEEN WORKING ON

 

Hey Friends,  Happy I can now show you ONE of the commissions I've been working on.  Installed it yesterday.  When you get to the end of this post It should make a little more sense.

 

The very first sketch.  Looking for the perspective of the figures.  Made lots more sketches but don't want to bore you to tears.

 

This shows a paper doll type cut out of the star taped to board.  Looking for the correct size.

Notice the first little color sketch to the right.

 

Here it is on the easel.  Can you make out the star?

 

The close up. Getting to the figures next !

 

A close up of the girl.  I love the high lights on both heads of hair.

 

Close up of the bling on the stars.  If you click on any image it will be enlarged.  The glitter stuff actually can be seen with the lights above .

 

Close up of the wild flowers and bees.  These little flowers made a big difference overall.

 

Here it is installed.  Isn't that the greatest idea.?!  A window left as is on the interior.  It used to have a view before the remodel.  The owner wanted it to stay and had this vision of the faux view.

I think it is one of the most unique paintings I've ever done.  LOVE IT.

Of course it looks better in person.  My camera does a poor job.

And did you notice the two spot lights at the top that catches the sparkly stars?

 

On the wall opposite the star is this Bumble Bee she bought several years ago.  You can't tell the scale but it's large and looks great with the room.

 

 

This was another commission for the same wonderful couple.  Made for the bathroom at their lake home.  Another one of her imaginative dreams.  The bubbles were so much fun.

I believe in a former life she was an artist herself.

 

The end of a very long post.  Hope you enjoyed this short little journey through a few weeks of my life.  All of these images help make winter more bearable.

 

I do thank you Lord for couples like this pair.

 

Happy Trails

Walking Max

 

Hey Friends,  Some new work.  I took photos a few months ago of my niece and gran babe walking MAX all around the yard.  The sun was going down and glowing through this large bush.  I think it was called "Broom".  Very pretty but a little difficult to capture in paint.  It is on Ebay HERE.

 

Here is another from our trip to Douthat State Park.  This was actually a full sized road but I like it better as a path.  Really enjoyed that park.

Click HERE for Ebay.

 

I'm working on a commission and keep forgetting to get some progress photos .  But I've got my camera in hand now.  So back out to the studio I go.

 

Happy Trails

WINDY DAY

Hey Friends, I'm listing this painting in my Etsy. Again this is acrylic on MASA Rice Paper. I would love to know what you think of this technique or this effect. I'm crazy about it but I'm known to love stuff nobody else likes. BTW-this rice paper makes beautiful lamp shades.

Now I think I'll spend a few minutes figuring out how to post someone else's work here on my blog. It may never see the light of day but I really want to show you some of the work my Team members from Virginia do. I'm talking about Design Style Guide.

Happy Trails.

STUDY #1 FOR JOHN DEERE WARRANTY

I have two little studies that were created to get a feel for a large commissioned piece. I think the two studys stand on their own. Each is an experiment is colors and composition and what to leave in and what to take out. In the end I left out the kids and added the dog! The white shepard (her name is Angel) is getting pretty old and may not be here for the next painting. These wonderful folks want two more paintings!! Anyway, Thanks for stopping in long enough to look at my latest creations. CLICK HERE to bid on ebay.

STUDY #2 FOR JOHN DEERE WARRANTY

This image does not look square but it is 10"x10". My scanner is high quality but only 8.5 inches wide. Anyway, I was playing with the colors and composition in this piece. I loved it, but the client had something else in mind, as you will see if you scroll down further. If you would like to own this piece, CLICK HERE to go to ebay. THANKS FOR STOPPING IN. SOLD

JOHN DEERE WARRANTY

Here is the final product! The previous paintings were done to get a feel for the subject. The client was very happy with my work and anxious to get their remodeling finished so they could hang it! In case you might be wondering, this is oil on a 30"x40" gallery-wrap canvas. SOLD