Today's Equine Art - Sport Morgan

Morgans are great sport horses, known for their versatility. Plus, they are pretty! Here's Silly, a dressage star. This is oil pencil with conte, 8 x 10" on green charcoal paper.

Today's Equine Art - Morgan and Welsh Cob

A couple of young bachelors square off in a friendly sparring match. This piece is a mix of oil pencil, pastel and conte crayon, size 18 x 24" on pastel board. A Christmas commission. Shhhhh........

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 Equine Art - Laddie the Morgan

This is Laddie, a Morgan gelding with a fun personality. I took photos as this piece progressed so you can watch it grow.

Today's Equine Art - Buckskin

I'd been hanging out with Rex Peterson near Nashville, while he trains a whole string of Secretariats for the upcoming Disney movie. The head wrangler, Rusty Hendrickson is a big gruff mountain man from Montana, and a veteran of many films including Seabiscuit. He showed up with this cute buckskin named Top, to play Secretariat's lead pony. Top was learning how to bow.

Rusty now has this painting, which is 11 x 15", oil pencil and conte.

Today's Project - Morgan Horse

A Morgan horse in saddle seat garb. This piece is oil pencil and conte, about 8 x 10" on black charcoal paper. It's another project to benefit Forever Morgans Rescue.

Here's the eBay link.

Today's Project - Forever Morgans

This is a fundraiser for Forever Morgans, a rescue group that is trying to save some Morgan/Part Morgan horses from going to slaughter. This piece is about 8 x 10" on black pastel board. It's oil pencil/pastel and conte. Below are the eBay links:

*http://tinyurl.com/7kcjoe
*(For those that prefer the eBay item number instead of a link:
180315450915 )

Today's Project

"Cruiser" is a German shepherd bred by my friend Susan Sanchez, Sander-Haus German Shepherds in Virginia. Susan raises beautiful dogs from imported German bloodlines.

This piece is pastel and conte, about 9 x 12".

International Equine Art Competition

I was surprised to receive notification today that my pastel drawing of Sophie, a Morgan mare, won eighth place in the Ex Arte Equinus International Competition. The drawing will be published in the Ex Arte Equinus II Book, which will be available this coming January.

Boy, when I see some of the work that was entered, I feel really honored!

Today's Project - German Shepherd

This is Killian, a sable male who unfortunately died this year. His portrait is done on black in oil pencil and conte. This is about 12 x 18".

Today's Project - Barn Owl

This is about 7 x 9", conte and oil pencil on black charcoal paper. It's a donation for Sarvey Wildlife Center.

Today's Equine Art - Percheron

I was inspired by this guy's dapples. This is oil pencil and conte on black charcoal paper. It's about 12 x 16". This image was taken with my digital camera but I can't get colors to match the original. It's a lot softer than it appears here.

It's listed on eBay at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180261101091

Today's Project - Palomino Mare with Foal

I decided this piece needed something so I added the baby. This is conte with oil pencil on black charcoal paper, about 8 1/2 x 11". It's listed on eBay.

Today's Project - Greyhound

Actually this was done a couple of weeks ago. My friend Ellen took it to a GEM event for rescue greyhounds. This is pastel and conte on black charcoal paper, about 9 x 12".

Today's Project - You Know Who

The funny thing is, even with having him for 15 years, I have never painted Clifford. The only renderings I've done of him (or Tude for that matter) are the black and white drawings for the book illustrations. Why is this? I'm not sure. Maybe they are too intimate and I'm afraid I can't capture them.

Anyway, this is the first color portrait I've ever done of Cliffy. It's conte and oil pencil, on black pastel board. It's taken from one of my favorite photos of him. He was actually running for his life in the picture. We had turned him out with my cousin's big bully Arabians up on Drummond. While the herd embraces Trudy, they run Clifford off. This day, he was galloping full blast straight toward me, with them in hot pursuit. Though he was pretty freaked out, it made a nice photo!

Today I took him for a walk, a couple of miles along the road. It was sunny and warm. He was pretty content to walk along with me and didn't do any limping. I am trying a new product on his arthritis and waiting for results. Will write about it if things work out well.

Today's Project - Buckskin Morgan

This is Primavera Brio, a buckskin stallion. This is done in conte crayon on black charcoal paper, about 8 x 10". Brio lives at Gab Creek Farm.

Today's Project - Palomino Morgan

"Dapples", a Morgan mare. This is oil pencil and conte on black, about 11 x 6".

This is on eBay.

Today's Project - Sophie

A chestnut Morgan mare owned and loved by Lori Lambie. This is primarily conte crayon (with a bit of oil pencil) on black paper, approx. 9 x 12".