Clifford's Audition for "Late Night"

Clifford's Late Night Audition from Nancy Bailey on Vimeo.

On Nov 14, 2009, my horse Clifford auditioned for Late Night's "Stupid Pet Tricks" by painting a portrait of Dave. Clifford is an abstract artist specializing in watercolor. The casting agency did send the portrait to the the Late Night studio. If nothing else, we hope Dave was flattered by Clifford's vision of him... Even if Clifford doesn't think he is funny.

Cliffy's Audition on the News from Nancy Bailey on Vimeo.

Clifford auditioned for "Stupid Pet Tricks" and Channel 6 sent me the news clip. When I approached the casting agent after the audition, I held up the portrait Clifford had painted, and asked, "Do you think Dave would want this?" She said they would send it to his studio along with the tapes. The guy who chewed the top off of the aluminum can overheard this. He came over, held up the mangled can, and asked, "Do you think Dave would want this?" She said, "No, I don't think so."

Clifford's In the Lansing State Journal!

Cliffy and his "Late Night" audition made it into today's Lansing State Journal. They published this photo of us!

Clifford Auditions for David Letterman's "Stupid Pet Tricks"

Aunt Vickie found out that Channel 6 in Lansing was holding auditions for "Late Night With David Letterman". We immediately realized that as a budding artist, Clifford needed to try out by painting Dave's portrait. We hauled him back downstate yesterday and today, we gave him a bath, with the help of Vickie's niece, Ellie. Ellie washed his feet, and he obligingly lifted his tootsies so she could get the bottoms too.

After his bath, Aunt Vickie boosted Ellie aboard for a photo opp...

"Cliffy's Angels"

Brushing out his tail was a group effort.

When we arrived at the auditions, I spent a little time warming Clifford up. He was acting like he didn't really feel like painting. I urged him to find his muse.

I decided to put him to work, making him concentrate on other things besides his art. We did some walking in the parking lot and even some longeing.

He was earning some clicks and apples but his efforts were pretty half-hearted.

He just wasn't into his tricks like he normally is. I was a little worried that he might not paint at all.

Then, just before we were to go on, I realized what was missing: He wanted praise! I started scratching him and hugging him and telling him how great he was, and he perked right up. Then he really got into it.

We had set up the table with Dave's portrait in a frame. When the crew started filming, Clifford marched right over to the table with me, grabbed the sponges and did a quick painting of Dave.

He painted a blue circle, then a red stripe for the tie. Then he did a fleshy spot in the circle for the face. He finished it off with some grey hair at the top.

This is the photo he worked from.

Quite a striking likeness! We wonder if Dave will call.

New Equine Art Calendar for 2010

I designed this 15 month calendar today, thinking there was no way I'd have enough art to fill it. I surprised myself! I was able to crop a lot of my vertical designs to make them fit into a horizontal format. The resulting effect was actually kind of cool. Some of my favorite paintings are in this one, including a drawing of Clifford that I love, and the cover Percheron.

CH Lynn-Lee's Christmas Pepper

Nearly seventeen years ago I was adopted by a very special red Somali girl. Pepper went on to be the calmest and most reliable of all show cats. My little sister Amanda handled her. I remember one occasion where, on the way up to a ring, Amanda dropped her. She just stood there, until I scooped her up (I was carrying another cat, probably Etee) and plunked her back into Amanda's arms. Pepper just wasn't rattled by anything.

She was an excellent mother. Her own mother was named, "Lynn-Lee's Thanksgiving Parade", and Pepper continued the holiday tradition. Her daughter, Foxbrush Holiday Rush, now lives with my friend Kari Selinger, and her granddaughter, Foxbrush Lacy Valentine, lives with my friend Cindy.

The cat showing and breeding world was an interesting one. It was really the only common interest shared by my ex husband, and I stayed with it a lot longer than I wanted to, for his sake. A good thing did come out of it though, in the way of a book called, "My Best Cat." It's disguised as, "A Furry Murder Mystery", but is really a character study on the personalities that frequent cat shows.

Pepper died today as she had lived, peacefully and with great dignity. She is the last of my cats, and her passing marks the end of an era. She will be missed.

Clifford's New Watercolors - More Real "Equine Art"!

It took some coaxing to get him to work today. He just didn't have the muse. I think it was due in part to the humongous new round bale he has had his head jammed in since last night.

The textures on this one are from a new type of sponge, which Cliffy didn't seem to fancy. He did better when we reverted to the old, smaller square type. Anyway, I think this one looks rather springlike.

"Bear Foot" -- this is one of my favs.

This is the first and only painting (so far) where Clifford has used his hoof to move paint. Part of this was done with a sponge, but you can see the swipe marks from his hoof. I was going to offer this one for sale, but Dad pointed out that this looks like a horse! I can clearly see the head profile and flowing mane. So now, I have to keep it.

Clifford and the Haunting of Wellington

Clifford and I were asked to play the Headless Horseman for The Haunting of Wellington Park in Grayling. Aunt Vickie dressed me up in a black leather coat and ski mask and gloves. Clifford was waiting very impatiently tied to the trailer, and I came out in my Horseman garb, jumping around, shaking my fists at him and trying to look like the boogeyman. He wasn't scared. He was, however, interested and thinking something exciting was about to happen.

When we arrived at Wellington he remembered the place from last summer. He was feeling so good he even did his nice collected canter. He used to be able to canter almost in place, springing off his hindquarters like an upper level dressage horse. However, he has not been doing that over the past few years due to his knee problems.

I wasn't sure how I was going to carry a pumpkin successfully, as I have enough trouble just staying on. Anyway, Clifford as usual served up a couple of his vintage surprises, including rolling a Jack-O-Lantern. He was clearly having the time of his life. The Haunting didn't begin until nightfall. We had one small section of road to blast along and try to scare people who were walking through the woods.


To my surprise, once it got dark, Clifford refused to run at top speed. There were deep water puddles in the road, and it was overcast and dark, and I couldn't see. I knew he could. However, for once in his eighteen years, pragmatism took over and he just decided that it was safer to stay at a nice steady trot, despite my hysterical laughter and yelling like a banshee. With various groups of families coming toward us including little kids, I have to admit he was right.

Today's Project - Keeshonden

These lovely dogs were quite a pair. They belong to a friend of mine, Laurie, who also has Morgans. She wasn't sure about this photo as something to work from, but I just loved it. It is very natural and so unlike the "posed" photos so often used.

This is pastel, conte and oil pencil, 11 x 15", on black charcoal paper.

Today's Project - Bald Eagle

Bald eagle in pastel; this is also available as a giclee print in my online gallery.