Standing Proud by Linda L Martin Artist

 Standing Proud

By Linda L Martin Artist

$55.00 

5” by 7”

Graphite on Canson All Purpose 90lb Paper

Purchase through ETSY using Paypal :
http://www.etsy.com/listing/45451354/beautiful-horse-original-drawing

Ships Globally

As I was working on this project I noticed that the front foot of the Horse was twisted slightly either on purpose or that the horse was about to lift his leg. It reminded me of two things.

~First that you must closely inspect your photography before you start a project to be sure that the animal is standing properly and that the feet are facing the direction they need to be before you begin your layout. In this case I didn’t notice until I had begun to lay in the outline of his front legs.

~Second, this reminded me of a funny thing that happened with my horse, Piper, when we were shoeing him one day.  I had just returned from turning out a horse, and the blacksmith was ready to reset his shoes. He looked at me, then back at Piper. “ Real Conformation horse you have there” He said. That kind of surprised me, then I looked at Piper’s feet. He was standing perfectly balanced except both his front feet were pointing to the right! Piper was being really nonchalant about it. He was just that sort of horse, if he could think up a nice joke, he would do it. The Blacksmith and I both started laughing and Piper squared himself up, enjoying the attention.

Piper had many little humorous moments. But I think they deserve a blog post of their own.

Read more about Linda L Martin Artist and her work on www.LLMartin.com

Newest Drawing! BABY BUNNIES by LindaLMartin Artist

Baby Bunnies

Detail of Original Drawing

By Linda L Martin

$65.00

Originial 5"by7"

Graphite on 90lb Cason All Purpose Paper

NOW AVAILABLE IN MY ETSY STORE

http://www.lindalmartinartist.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/listing/45914876/baby-bunnies-in-graphite-original

Contact me at contact@llmartin.com for more information

My Entry for the Virtual pARTy for April 2010

Number 7's Dance

By Linda L Martin

$ 110.00

8" by 10"

Graphite on 90lb Cason All Purpose Paper

Contact me at  contact@llmartin.com for more information

Original Refrence Photo by Kim Santini

The Virtual pARTy is a loosely associated group of Equine and Animal Artists that gather together online once a month an exicute art from a pre chosen original photograph.  Each ARtist is given no longer than 24 hours to make their original work of art any traditonal medium is allowed.You can read more about the monthly event by connecting through
http://the-virtual-party.blogspot.com/2010/04/april-2010s-virtual-party.html

My Peaceable Kingdom or Gifts on the Deck Rail

So on this bright day I returned home from physical therapy. I was dragging. Yet, I felt like I accomplished something in that modified cycle of exercise. One always feels satisfaction that they overcame the pain and the bumper to bumper traffic as rush hour approached.


And I of course had certain knowledge that I was ahead of the game when I didn’t stop at Burger King for a baby whopper even though it was justified because I didn’t have time to eat all day.

So in that twilight between elation of accomplishment and distracting fatigue, I discovered that someone has left a little gift at the back door.

I suppose since I had not put any food out for the squirrels that they thought I didn’t have any. So they left me a cob of corn with the kernels still attached.

The squirrels know I come from this door to bring the food. On more than one occasion in the winter when I was late filling the feeders, a squirrel would meet me at the rail and peer into the widow of the back door wondering when I was bringing the corn scratch.

It was kind of a nice gesture. And not too surprising. The same squirrels, on occasion, take little tomatoes and leave me walnuts in the summer. Funny, isn’t it.

And such is the Peaceable Kingdom I call home. =0)

I'm Seriously Wondering...

I’ve been questioning a lot of things about my work lately. Reassessment is always good when it moves you forward. I’m firmly convinced that I am one improvement away from actually making a living at what I do. Then I discovered something really disconcerting: not only can paint shop pro take my photography and resize it to print but it can manipulate my photographs so that they are better than anything I could ever paint and in a fraction of the time.

Keep in mind its always relative. 15 years ago I was fuming because these whippier- snapper young graphic designers didn’t know how to hold a paint brush, couldn’t make pencil drawing and thought ink was something you fill the inkjet cartridges with. Programs like Correll

and PSP have revolutionized design /and they are also revolutionizing Art.

Grant-it there are still somethings I can do with a brush that I could never do with PSP, but the truth is for design and lay out, to simply construct specific animals, with consistently challenging color patterns and markings I need to be able to re make a photo that I can draw the lay out from and then transfer that to the medium surface. It becomes more and more unwieldy to draw everything by hand without first constructing a new digital image for reference.

Its been a little humbling to move from traditional ways of doing things to new modern ways of doing things. Including the fact that I have always prided myself in my drawing skills. and my ability to eyeball and really see the subject.

 Well up until this point, that is. I’m seeing  things differently than I did in my 20's. Next month I will be 55. The shape of my eyes have changed, the way I perceive color is different. The steadiness of my hands is also different. These days I have to warm up like an athlete to paint well. That is one reason I work in series; Painting one animal type in different variations so that when I have a commission due I am all warmed up and ready to go.

Adapting is the hallmark of a good artist. I adapt all the time. And in truth my skills improve every day. For the first time in my life, last week someone complimented me on my consistency in painting. I never thought myself consistent so I focused on it a lot. Then gradually

overtime that focusing paid off. In an artist that continuous change and moving forward is the thing that takes them and makes their work last. Adapting to change is the thing that establishes them. I fully expect that my next 20+ years of painting will indeed be the best of the best work I have ever done with or without modern technology.

All of the above images of the original digital photograph snapped by artist LindaLMartin and manipulated by using diferent light and brush techniques on Adobe Paintshop Pro CSC3

.~.~.

The Image below is  the Original Painting

of the Birdbath by Linda L Martin

The Bird Bath

by Linda L Martin

$55.00

Watercolor

5 by 7 Inches