Traditions with Equine Art and Lunch!

When you live in one place for a long time you develop traditions with people and places that are sweet and sort of comforting. Since I have been displaced due to caring for sick parents over the past couple of years, most of mine have fallen by the wayside. My best friends have made the effort to keep things rolling so I don't feel too out of touch.

This drawing stems from one of them. Muriel Herrick and Dianne Dervin help organize the Michigan Morgan Futurity Stallion Service Auction every year. Muriel owns Century Oak Farm, home of her ever-youthful grand stallion, Gradell's Wild Magic.

Every year now, one day in January for the past seven or eight years, Muriel and Dianne take me out to lunch! I deliver a piece of art and usually a Clifford book, and we sit and eat and talk. We talk about friends we know in the Morgan world. We talk about dogs. And we talk, talk, talk about horses -- especially Morgan horses.

In my current state of upheaval, with Mom being gone and Dad having been so ill this year, the farm lost and struggling to feed Clifford and Trudy this winter, I find moments of comfort in my friends, and in the things we have always done together. My heart is grateful.

Here's a picture of my donation for this year's Michigan Morgan Futurity Silent Auction: Oil Pencil and Conte, approx 9x12"

Grazing in the Evening Mist

A soothing sight for horse owners, two pasture mates in the field together. Acrylic, 11x15" on canvas.

Morning Oats

Well, what can one say after a long hiatus? I have let my blogspot fall into neglect... Alas... And unfortunately the past year has provided plenty to blog about. Clifford has toured the eastern part of the USA, visiting libraries, pet expos and yes, nursing homes. We are about to embark on hopefully our most exciting journey of all... But it will remain a mystery for now!

I have produced much art, including equine art. I am now immersed in what I call my, "acrylic phase." Here is the newest example, painted yesterday: "Morning Oats".  I will have some more originals for sale as the Christmas season approaches! If I have any excuse for not blogging, it is to say that Facebook took over. I have posted all new art on my facebook page, "Nancy's Art Studio" faithfully. Many of Clifford's adventures are on his Facebook page as well. One thing I realized about Facebook though, is that the archives aren't organized as a blog. You can post lots of photos and albums, but I am fond of the "journaling" aspect that a blog provides. I wish I had kept up on this more faithfully. Oh well... Lots more stories to tell and art work to blog about!

Today's Equine Art

Here's an Andalusian concentrating hard on what is probably a sidepass. I like the colors in this; subtle shades of blue, yellow and rust. Oil pencil and conte on black. I listed it on eBay.

Today's Project - Palomino

Here's a Palomino who's just a tetch excitable. This piece is listed on eBay.

Today's Equine Art

This piece will be framed and sold tonight (hopefully) at the Michigan Morgan Futurity Gala. If it no-sales tonight, it will go up on eBay tomorrow. This is pastel, 10 x 13" on black charcoal paper.

Today's Equine Art - The Color Horse

He started out as a Friesian, but just became more and more colorful the longer I worked on him. Now he resembles a sculpture or carousel horse.

Pastel on black charcoal paper, approx 11 x 15".

Ebay Link