Spirit: The Mustang Art by LindaLMartin, Artist



"Spirit"
Abstract Expressionsist Originial
by Linda L Martin
Acrylic on Canvas
5" by 7"
$265.00 on Etsy

 My new painting is called “ Spirit”


I had never seen the Nature programs about the wild mustang Cloud. Yesterday, I found them on the Nature website and watched all three of them in reverse order. It was both inspiring and validating.

There is this posturing that goes on when stallions meet. Or when a stallion wants to court a mare. My painting depicts this in an expressionist style. Meaning, I don’t copy a photo or use a reference I paint from my feelings right on the canvas. This painting is executed in earth tones and white. A limited pallet of raw umber, raw sienna, burnt umber and white. I used a tiny bit of burnt sienna to accent the areas that needed red. This painting is now available for sale in my Etsy Wild Side Store.

It is a 5” by 7” acrylic on canvas and is signed in pencil on the back with a signature in paint on the front.

It sells for $265.00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60048008/mustang-art-5-x-7-acrylic-ooak-painting

Nika and Me in the Studio



She is a sweetie but hates the flash

  Nika, as you know is my rescue cat. She turned 6 in may. Hard to believe its been that long. Nika has her own line of note cards and prints on etsy. Everything I sell goes directly to her and my other companinon animal's up keep. She is my rescue baby. I havent taken any photo's of Nika for a while and my friend Charlotte gave me a wonderful plum sweat shirt when I was visiting mom last time so I thought why not. Nika and Me in the studio in my plum sweat shirt. (not only is that shirt very warm but its the same color as my car LOL)


Just a cuddle


 My Studio is about  16 by 12 feet not a bad size. On Saturdays I clean it up and we hold house churh here. The studio allows for 4 total and the cats usually attend.  It also gives me a good reason to clean up every week.

Just one note about Nika. I dont think anyone in my family but my mom has seen her in over 3 years because she is so shy. So here is proof sisters  and niece that she really does exist. =0)) 



You will notice my antique
Western Saddle in the background.
I havent ridden for 20 years
but the saddle gives me hope
 that one day again I will.



"Photo shoot over mom.
I need to get back to my sleeping."

You can see some of Nika's line of art on Etsy in My LindaLMartin Artist shop at this link:

http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=llmartin+nika&search_type=handmade

To see all my items from both of my stores search LLMartin in http://www.etsy.com/  under Handmade search

Stink Bug Invasion.. they have sent out the scouts and they are in my freezer!!

When trying to capture and eradicate a pest one must first study their behavior. This works in all sorts of warfare especially against those who are unaware of your purpose or intent. In my case it is in the sudden invasion of scout stink bugs.

Yes they send out scouts. These little buggers first come in one at a time in small numbers you can manage then next time out bring more of their friends. Once they inhabit an area they return year after year. According to the garden guy on WTOP radio in DC, Mr Mike McGrath, the best way to get rid of them is to capture them and put them in the freezer then flush them.

So when I managed to get the first three at the door or in one case the window( that was the Fabreez experiment) I wasn’t too surprised when last night in my mostly darkened house one swooped down on my desk light. And the game was on!

The first rule of stink bug warfare is insecticides doesn’t kill them and  and the Second rule is: to crush them releases a toxic stench that will permeate the house with their most delicate of pheromones, which is like a huge invitation to other stink bugs that “THE PARTY IS ON FOLKS! COME ON DOWN”

My first thought was Mason jar. That being unavailable I made a paper cone. It was just a matter of getting that puppy to walk ( or tumble ) into the cone without agitating him into fumigation. Then once into the cone, tape up all the edges, fold down the wide mouth top and pop it into the freezer.

Ok, now Mr. McGrath didn’t exactly tell me how long the little gray, potentially smelly bug had to stay in the deep freeze, so I figure if I leave him for 24 hours or so, then flush him that at least one potential wave of stink bugs I will not have to deal with… at least this year.

One word of warning. When dealing with stink bugs any act of aggression can back fire, especially the aerosol versions.. when you spray these puppies its like they know that you are down wind.. one of their tactics. Thus if you spray them with bug spray you are either going to end up with it all over yourself or your act of aggression will make them spray your air like the little insect skunks they are.

The Art Center in Orange, VA: They now carry my Blank Note Art Cards

The front of the Art Center

On  East Main Street across from the Train Station



What an awesome trip to Orange yesterday morning. Its begining to become very beautiful out there. All the trees are kissed with color but its not quite here yet. I visited the Art Center in Orange last week and they were interested in my art after seeing my portfolio. Since they have some space limits they were very interested in my Blank Note Cards. I have some of the Christmas  and Holiday cards in stock so I delivered  them this morning for a try out on consignment. It will be intersting to see how they do. I hope they have a lot of traffic this week and that people just love my paintings! 



I love this beautiful Gallery Space.

The current exhibit has 72 paintings
by artist  Laura Edwards Wooten.

The show of her works runs through October 31, 2010







Winter Fox Blank Note Card

8pck with 8 envelopes

$12.50 plus S&H



 My Winter Scenes Blank Note Cards
8 pk with 8 envelopes
4 Designes
$12.50 plus S&H



 My Fall Fox Blank Note Cards
8pk with 8 envelopes
$12.50 plus S&H

In additon to Gallery Space for Exhibits and Shows. The Art Center in Orange also has two huge studio spaces for classes in everything from jewerly making to pottery, to painting and drawing. They also rent out studio space to artists. Other activities include lectures and an gallery openings. There is also a nice space for gifts and paintings. To read more about  The Art Center in Orange, Virginia  you can go to their website: http://artscenterinorange.wordpress.com/ 

Mom's Birthday and the Green Valley Book Fair

     It seems like I was on the road for more hours than I was awake on Sunday October 10th. Yet it was such an amazing day. My mom's 80th birthday. She wanted to share it with her church friends in the morning and then my sisters and I, at the Green Valley Book Fair, just south of Harrisonburg, Va, in the afternoon.

My haul from the Green Valley Book Fair near Harrisonburg Va.

    I arrived at the church a little before 10am and had coffee while I waited for everyone to come down stairs from the second service. We had brunch and the huge chocolate cake my sisters had bought. Then after mom's second Sunday School Class ( where they sang happy birthday to her for the third time) We all met at the car and took off for our road trip.

     3 hours later we were down a long country road surrounded by cows and corn and in the middle of it was a huge ware house with over 500,000 brand new and some out of print discounted books. It was like a country festival. They had food vendors set up for the lunch crowd, hundreds of people in the middle of no where all looking at the books!

    Well I only got to the first floor. So, I actually only saw one book that had anything to do with horses or horse sports. It was a huge coffee table book by a woman who had compiled years of equine sports photography, a lot of it licensed images, and much of it in very poor resolution for the size of the book. They wanted $5 for it. I had to pass. I already had most of the images in other books I’ve collected over the years.

     Yet I was on a quest and never realized it. I began to notice piles of books under the tables and that is where I found the first book: Crafts and Craft Shows and How to make money. This book's second edition was published in 2007. I’m thinking well I don’t really do shows anymore but I sure could run my online things as shows. So for $5 I think I got a great deal. Later while waiting for the rest of the family I read the first chapter. The book already paid for its self. And I can’t wait to try out some of the things they suggest this week.

    The second book I found was also under the table. People from Art Show Judges to my DRS worker have been telling me for years that I should become an illustrator. Sooo in honor of them and to prove I am listening ( grin) I picked up a copy of the 21st edition of the Children's writer's and Illustrator’s Market. I haven’t looked at it yet. The paperback was $5.

     Then the last book I found was actually out in the open. Crisis Control in the new millennium by Larry Burkett. 20 years ago I used to listen to his radio show. He founded Christian Financial Concepts. He was one of the first people to warn of the economic crisis how to protect ourselves and how Americans could prosper and not be harmed from it. Every debt consultant out there now uses his basic principles for paying down debt.

Crisis Control in the new Millennium was priced at $2.99 . It was published in 1999

     It was a fun and exhausting day. Good time with my sisters and my mom. We were actually all were so tired at the end of the day that we crashed at about 8pm. I cant remember the last time I went to bed that early. LOL.

You can find out more about the book fair which runs through October 23rd and then the Christmas book fair from Nov 25 through December 17th  at http://www.gobookfair.com/