Wild Horses in America : My thoughts

"Just because no one recognizes you, doesn’t mean you don’t exist."

I don’t understand sometimes, why there is always someone, some place, that wants to wreak things of historic significance and beauty just because they can. Destruction of this type, in my opinion, is nothing but Social Vandalism.

It doesn’t surprise me at all that the same people who want to erase our history want to do away with wild horses on public lands. I’m thinking back to the history I learned in school. About how years before any British, French or other Northern Europeans set foot on North American Soil, the Spanish came and with them brought horses. We are talking at least 100 years before the first boat loads landed in Massachusetts or Virginia. These were Spanish Barb horses with certain genetic markers that can still be traced. And guess what. These same markers can be found in the wild herds of Chincoteague called the Chincoteague Ponies and Nags Head NC, called Banker Ponies.

Most of the descendents of these wild horses were in North America running with herds of buffalo and being used by Native Americans long before any Europeans made a permanent settlement in North America. That means they were here first.

Ok now what are some really good reasons to keep these wild horses, besides the intrinsic value historically and culturally? Well there are some interesting habitat issues that are deliberately being over looked.

First: Horses have some very interesting biological behavior that actually is good for the environment. The first being soil renovation and replanting of seeds. In fact that is exactly what some South American countries are using horses for in their reforestation programs, to rebuild rain forests.

Second: Horses are a good “canary” as to whether there is enough forage and water in isolated areas. A healthy horse population generally means a healthy wildlife population. And a healthy wildlife population means everything is in balance. And since it is, that means the predators ( wolves, coyotes, and brown vultures,  mountain lions, and bears are staying in their range and not on people's farms eating their calves, sheep, and poodles.

Third: About the destruction of habitat. Horses in their natural habitat actually range anywhere from 50 to 100 miles when they aren’t impeded. Their impact on grasses, and water sources is negligible unless they are confined to extremely small areas. Horses in the wild do not over graze an area the way domestic cattle and sheep do. In fact, sheep and cattle tend to graze in one spot until everything eatible is gone, then they move on leaving nothing but weeds. Horses will graze for a day and move on (replanting grasses as they go). It’s a self preservation thing. Keep moving and stay ahead of the predators. Keep moving and stay healthy. A horse’s biology is made to take a bite and take a step.

So what’s the real deal here. If the wild horses are doing no harm why not let them stay where they are and thrive and feed the growing eco-photography tourist industry that leaves no damage to the land? Good question. I have a few theories, but no real concrete proof. Let’s just say that its not surprising that the agency that is targeting horses is also the same agency that caused the debacle with the reservation system. The reservation system after 100+ years is still, I might add, not fixed.

Kind of like the senator that told me a few years back. “I don’t think Indians actually live here anymore.”( about the tribes in Virginia seeking Federal recognition). And yet, I had just gotten off the phone with the chief of one of the tribes he said didn’t exist. That tribe has had a continuously recognized treaty that the Commonwealth of Virginia since the 1600s and could trace their ancestory, unbroken, to Pocohantas and Powhatan on both their mother and their father's sides of the family. Seriously thats about as Native as you can get and be not native. It sure does give one a reason to pause and rethink the legitimacy of all things publicly administered. These same people are now saying that they don’t think there is any such thing as a wild horse left on the range. I.E. If you say it doesn’t exist, it doesn’t exist.

The American and Spanish Mustangs are part of our history and our heritage. They need to be preserved on our National Lands, not exploited. There is an old saying, " You can tell how a man treats his family by the way he treats his animals" If this is how certain people in the government treat animals entrusted to their care, and have a history of treating people in their care the same way, I’m just wondering what they think of us.

You can read more about what is happening with the wild horses on Public Lands by going to:

http://www.thecloudfoundation.org/

Please respect all copyrights on this page.

Thanks to Pam Nicholes for the use of the Photo.

You can see more of her amazing work on facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pam-Nickoles-Photography/

Dont Forget to "Like" her Page =0)

Story: copyright©2010 LindaLMartin All North American, South American World and Electronic Rights Reserved.

Please email for permission before reprinting.

contact@llmartin.com

~ Thanks

Calling Forth The Flood a Prophetic Painting by LindaLMartin (The full length Video)

Well tonight I spent the evening and part of the morning I see learning to edit videos on YouTube. And finally the result was three promotional videos of vaired lenght showing off the painting I finished this week Called: Calling Forth the Flood.

So now its listed on etsy all ready for that most fortunate of collectors to purchase and you can see a very awesome video in the mix. Please feel free to repost this video. You might want one of the shorter versions as the full lenght is 2:30 min. Anyway feed back as aways is appreciated.

Please keep in mind I seriously am just learning and I really dont have any equipment to do this ( I stacked a bunch of books infront of my computer screen and set the camera on the top then using the littlehand I moved the image all around while taping .. unconventional but better than shaky hands! =0o )


To see "Calling Forth the Flood" in my etsy store click this link: http://www.etsy.com/listing/54729508/ffaw-fine-art-original-painting

A Dark Day's Painting.

Studio View: Trying to use the avaiable lighting to 
show off some of the purples and blues

We had a very overcast day today. And one not really suitable to work on the Teens Opposing Poverty Painting. However I did manage to work on the "Calling Forth The Flood" painting. This is the one I posted about last time. In the painting the more I painted the more horses I seemed to find. Well Even more so as I went back into the work and began highlights and details.

I am not quite sure that the painting is finished yet. But I will have to wait until a brighter day to photograph it so that all the colors have a chance to show through. However I did manage to photogaph it so you can see some of the horses.  And there are probably even more that I didnt embelish.

The first photo is of the two paintings side by side in an attempt to get those purples to show up. It didnt work. But you can see  The Teens Opposing Poverty Painting in the background. The darkness of the day really intenisfied the colors in that one too.

The second Photo is so you can see how the horses and the angels first started appearing.

"Calling Forth the Flood"
by Linda L Martin Artist

The last photo is a detail of the painting. You can see the horses running like water. The interesting thing was that at the top their mouths were closed but as they began to show nearer the bottom their mouths opened either in astonishment or agreesion, I cant be certain of either. There are angels in the top left corner blowing trumpets to call forth the flood. You can click on the photo to see the detail better.

The specs on "Calling Forth the Flood" painting are:

 16 by 20 inches

Acrylic on repurposed pre streatched canvas

The sides are painted and it comes unframed

This painting is signed by the artist and a (1) letter of authenticity is avaiable upon request at no extra charge.

The copyright is not sold with the painting.

This painting will be listed for sale on Etsy in my Wild Side Store. 

Expressionsim is always an adventure.

This is actually the first day all summer that I have been able to go outside and paint on my deck. Either the weather has been too hot, or its been too rainy or I’ve simply had too much school work. I still have several weeks to go in my graphic design class. Since I have lived here I usually paint outside where the light is awesome in the morning and evening.

So today when my appointments were finished, I gathered up everything and out to the deck I went. I am trying to increase my inventory for the Holiday Season, like most artists are right now. Our Selling season begins in earnest in the next 4 or 5 weeks. Commissions we get for the Christmas Season will carry most of us through until spring. Its an annual cycle for those of us who make and sell art

Today I was geared up for abstract expressionism. I’m painting on repurposed canvas. These canvases that I had painted on originally but I just didn’t like the way the paintings turned out so I gessoed over them. Both of these are 16 by 20 inches. It’s a refreshing size since I’ve been doing a lot of small format work for months.

Generally, when I paint like this, I simply choose a color scheme and mix the color on the canvas in a wild and free flowing way. I wasn’t really thinking about anything and everything. When I finished the first canvas and set it up to dry I suddenly noticed that there was already a horse or two making its self known. The result was many Impressions in the color.

When I started the second, I suddenly thought of Willem De Kooning’s work. I didn’t realize it but purple horses started appearing all over the palace on the canvas. Again I was mixing the color on the canvas and trying to make it as smooth as possible. When I realized they were already forming I simply began to stroke them in with deliberate moves of my brush.

I have been looking at a lot of horse rescue photography lately. Especially from those trying to preserve the wild horses. Subconsciously and emotionally I think its affecting my work. I can see it. Especially when I’m not controlling what I am doing and I have no plan to work from. Remember this is just the under painting not the finished work. The second horse painting is suppose to be predominantly violet. A color my printer loves to hate, as does my scanner ! Not only did horses show through but I happened to notice when I brought the painting inside that angels were blowing horns in the corner. Ok so now what.

When I started this adventure today, the clouds were to the west and south; generally not where we have storms. However when they come in from the north over the roof of my house I know its time to go in because a storm may be forthcoming.

The clouds were making their way toward me and I didn’t want to chance my work being ruined by the rain, so after 2 hours, a cup of coffee and a liverwurst sandwich, I brought it all inside.

As I write this I have decided to let the paintings determine what happens next. I will bog about that when they are finished.

Alder Hill Farm Equine Rescue: My 2010 Fundraiser Project

Why I  Decided to choose Alder Hill Farm Equine Rescue for my 2010 Animal Chairity Fundraiser

When I first found Alder Hill Equine Rescue on FaceBook at the beginning of the summer I absolutely fell in love with the two miniature horses they rescued. I couldn’t believe it at first. These two adorable creatures that 10 years ago would have cost hundreds of dollars to purchase and keep as pets. These were abandoned neglected and left to die or left to a fate possibly worse: to be sold by the pound for slaughter.

I cannot judge too harshly the previous owners of these animals, because I don’t know what disaster might have befallen them in this economy. Perhaps they had lost everything and were barely able to survive. Except by the grace of God there go any of us. But rather than judge anyone during the evil of the day, I decided that I wanted to help. So I approached Leslie, who is an awesome photographer, in addition to being a horse lover extraordinaire, about using some of her photographs as reference shots for some art I wanted to do this fall.

She said yes and asked that I donate a print or two toward their fundraising efforts. You see she and her husband and a whole network of people raise money and go to stock sales, search want ads and buy up horses to keep them from going to slaughter.  They give them medical care and help them gain weight and condition. They provide those that need it training then they find forever homes for the rescued horses to be adopted into. The thing that makes Alder Hill Farm different is that a number of these horses are loved horses from people that have fallen on hard times. Many of them have never known neglect and hurt. Leslie told me last week that their motto is: “ Rescuing Equines of any color”.  Their facebook page shows  a rainbow of breeds and colors.

So I didn’t just donate a couple of prints. I have designated  50% of the proceeds of the first painting (or everything above the cost of production and sale) toward  Alder  Hill Farm for the next 2 years. This includes the painting and any prints of the painting. This painting is called: The Alder Hill Mini’s and is  a watercolor of Napoleon and Prince. In addition I have donated an oil painting that I will donate 50% of the proceeds too as well.

I hope you will help out with this effort and buy one of these adorable prints. If you would rather donate directly to Alder Hill Farm Equine Rescue you can contact them through their website: http://www.alderhillfarm.com/  If you don’t want to buy a print or donate they have a number of horses ready for adoption.

Buy here on : LindaLMartinArtist.etsy.com   Thank you so much for helping out!

Summer.. I mean its really really summer.

As an Artist I am always trying to observe Nature, as you never know when something interesting might happen. Sometimes trying to find the beauty in everything around you isn't that easy. But as you can see we do have some interesting things happening during our dry spell. And yes we are having some very high temperatures around these parts of the Piedmont of Virginia.

This morning they predicted that the temp was going to be 100f but the guy at the auto shop told me that it was 104f in the shade over in Culpeper. The heat isn't the issue though, its the fact that we haven't had rain for so long. Nearly 5 weeks now with out any.

Thankfully we had all that heavy deep snow  this past winter and fall, so I have it on a good authority that we have plenty of water and the water table for our little town of 630 people is very good and sustained. As a result even though the ground around the trees is very dry we have been able to keep our veggies relatively well watered and a bit of the left overs have gone to the few flowers that can stand the heat.

Everything in my yard seems to be holding its own except the grass under the trees and the aspen tree next to the ramp.(they need flowing water) That is looking a little yellow and dropping some leaves. I do pots for my veggies thanks to my assistant last year. So it is all manageable. The one flower, the day lilies are about half the normal size this year and about two weeks later than everyone else's flowers.

At the end of this week we are suppose to have a chance of thunderstorms. Hopefully we will have nice soaking gentle rain for a few days before the next heat wave. I'm thanking God every day  for that snow last winter. He does make the most awesome provisions!

July 4th Doodle

4th of July Doodle!! Happy Independance Day 2010!!

As many of you may already know I’m so into this 30 days of doodles. It’s really becoming quite fun and a bit challenging. It seems the farther I go into it the more detailed and complicated the doodles become. I haven’t a clue what the psychology is behind that.

But I can tell you what is behind my 4th of July Doodle. When I was living up on a mountain with my family many years ago we had the most amazing 4th of July Celebrations. My dad had a special recipe for hamburgers that melted in your mouth and had all sorts of ingredients from garlic to celery, mushrooms(sometimes) and onions. You never knew what secret ingredient he would put into them next. They were always cooked over an open wood fire from a hand built stone pit from mountain rocks. The wood was always collected for weeks in advance from downed limbs in the surrounding forest.

Other staples were watermelon, beans, waldorf salad, potato chips, occasionally hotdogs, and of course potato salad. And we also always roasted marshmallows. The really cool thing about these July 4th celebrations was that when the sun went down you could see the entire north Shenandoah Valley from Strasburg to Berryville. Of course it depended upon where you stood. So basically we saw fireworks displays sometimes all the way to Winchester. I have to say it was really cool and not nearly as noisy.

My addition to this was always the traditional All American Flower arrangement. I would try to find red white and blue from what was growing up along the driveway. Usually it was Queen Anne’s lace, bachelor’s buttons, red clover. Sometimes there would be daisies or one of grandma’s red roses if the timing was right.

When I was working on a project for my design class the other night I had this idea of putting the statue of liberty on a dark sky in front of a huge flag and then using those three flowers in some way. As I was putting it together I suddenly realized that the flowers looked just like fireworks. How cool is that. So I put together a composite of the photo’s I had collected for the class project and this became the sketch for the doodle I did. So here is my 4th of July doodle. Enjoy!

The Beginnings of 30 days of Doodles And Why I'm dong it.

Doodles As Art

Well, I’m really busy right now trying to finish up my Graphic Design Course. At the End of June I will be a ¾ ‘s the way through it. I am working toward completing it by August 28th. I would like to get it done but I also know that because I lost 6 weeks when I was ill in March and April that I might have to get an extension. I have so much going for the fall I really need to get it done fast.

However, I also haven’t been able to plan out any long term work to paint because of the course and physical Therapy. ( which is on-going.) Then one day I got this idea. One of my friends on Facebook was doing something called zentangles. Well I looked closely at them and realized that they were nothing more than flowing semi-organized doodles like we used to do in the 1970s on road trips. Usually, we could find a pad of paper and a marker or pen then we would just create games to pass the long hours on the road.

Here is the interesting thing; during the 1960s and 70’s a lot of artists were doing these things, as were people in advertising. It’s how their thought processes worked, so they could make “ artist notes” Most of this stuff didn’t survive. Mainly because it was thought of as prep art(aka rough sketches), so it wasn’t really saved for posterity.

When, I decided to do the first one, last Tuesday night, All I could think about was Peter Max and some of the things he did. He simply painted his work with color and patterns most often used for advertising and cartoons published in newspaper.( I know there is a name for those patterns, but it escapes me at the moment)

Get this .. my grandmother doodled a lot. Especially when she was on the phone. I doodled to keep my self alert in History classes. My mom used to doodle as well while waiting for doctor's appointments or talking on the phone.

Well, It seems like a man and wife got together and decided to put the Zen into doodles and use them for meditation. They even assigned parameters and standards to these and prescribed meanings to the basic shapes. I could go on. This isnt really my thing I have to admit.

I suppose you could really use just about anything for meditation. Personally I like to meditate on God’s word. And I especially like to meditate on what it’s like to be in God’s presence.. I mean wow to be in the presence of total all consuming unconditional love with no counterfeits, no manipulation, no demands except just to receive it. I mean wow. Now that is real peace to me.

Doodling to me is just another form of expression. I suppose I could assign some physcological meaning to what I draw but here's the bottom line I am an artist and I like to create art. Especially art that gives people a feeling of joy and happiness. So...

So I’ve decided to doodle my way through the next few weeks of this design course. One doodle a day for at least 30 days. Take a look at some of the doodles I’ve done so far. I' ve peppered them through out this post. I’m about 6 days into this. I have to admit I was going a little crazy not being able to paint. So far some are really good. If you have any ideas of doodles you would like to see let me know.

To see all of my latest art before anyone else  see my facebook page: 30 Doodles in 30 Days Project

Jesus and the Children Painting for TeensOpposingPoverty.org

"The Orchard"

Well the next stage of  the TOP (Teens Opposing Poverty.org) painting is finished. I have about 20 more hours of work to complete on the 24 by 36 inch painting.

The story background is that of how TOP impacts the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Bringing in Teens from all over and teaching them to share compassion for disadvantaged and homeless people one individual at a time.  This original composition actually illustrates several aspects of the worked that TOP does. The first is that they act as emissaries for Christ sharing his compassion with people of all races colors religions and cultures. The children's song Jesus Loves the little children is one of the basis for the Subject matter. Each child is precious in his sight. Not only are they precious but the way that God looks at people as well. I chose Jesus and the Children to illustrate that God expects each of us adults, children, or teens to come with the faith of a little child and that he will not deny any child access to himself or his promises.

Teens Opposing Poverty is a valuable work not only that it helps so many people that are homeless and in crisis through out the Region of Virginia and Washington DC, but it teaches young people that the homeless are individuals with a name, a history, dreams, and hopes just like everyone else. Truely Teens Opposing Poverty isn't just an organization that lets more fortunate kids go out an do something that will make them feel better;  it gives them an opportunity to find out what people want and then learn to meet them at their need. In this way  Teens and Young adults working with Teens Opposing Poverty have an opportunity to learn how to show true compassion while helping meet basic needs, and  treating people with respect and dignity.

Steve Jennings,Executive Director of TOP, messaged me today that the painting will used as greeting cards, and limited edition prints designs to raise money for the organization. And that eventually the painting its self will be offered for sale. The proceeds of this painting will help TOP fund its outreach Programs

To read more about this organization go to http://www.TeensOpposingPoverty.org

You can see all the stages of the painting thus far by going to my website www.LLMartin.com and clicking on the  The Orchard update.

Memorial Day 2010: Remembering the Martin Boys

Rembembering the Martin Boys

Sometimes, when you examine the lives of those who have gone before you, it is hard to believe that they were just a whisper in the wind. Yet, they make a huge impact either for the good or the bad on all they touch. The Martin Boys where just such a group of young men. Born of Irish/English watermen stock in Tidewater, Virginia they lived through depression, the death of their father and a World War in which two of them served at the end. They were stubborn and brilliant, filled with honor, valor, and a greater sense of duty than most young people could hope to conceive of. My father, the youngest, of the four knew in addition the true definition of sacrifice.

While their greatest accomplishments were done outside of their service, this time impacted their lives and helped built a foundation for the measure of success they all accomplished. While not all flew they surely know what it meant to soar with the eagles.

~James Joseph Martin Jr. Was a journalist and Newspaper man in Hampton, Virginia

~Fred William Martin was key in the developing of the wind tunnel for NASA. He went on to head the Aero-Space Department at Auburn University in Alabama.

~John Hope Martin excelled in engineering and taught at Virginia Tech when it was still VPI. Later after early retirement due to a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis he, always the scientist, conducted research on the effects of Barometric Pressure on arthritis.

~Robert Andrew Martin became a pastor and spent his life comforting people and helping those in need. He was in addition an Educator, Social Reformer Artist and Puppeteer

In addition to their achievements each of the 4 brothers had eye troubles that made reading and writing incredibly difficult. Uncle James was blinded at a young age by the MS that eventually took his life. Each of the other three had varying levels of what we now know as amblyopia, dyslexia, and astigmatism. In addition my father overcame a speech impediment and partial deafness to become a public speaker, as well as a pastor.

To my uncles and my father, Yes, We remember! Thank- you All!

(click on the photo to see it larger)

Happy Memorial Day 2010

The Garden Ponies Collection ( The Back Story)

Whew what a day! Ive been actually vacillating between doing a collection of prints and art cards with the crazy horses for several weeks now. But I would get all excited about it then .. just hit a motivational wall. It does happen from time to time. I wonder if it might have something to do with the fact that Im really into this garden direction. So this morning I didn't actually plan out my day I just thought well I will start the process of working on The Garden Ponies. I had been planning their collection for a while, besides everyone really loves the painting that sees it.

The Garden Ponies is strictly the creative response to a lawn guy who didn't show up for 6 weeks in the middle of the rainiest spring we had had for about 5 years. The outcome of that was .. yes, a Hayfield in my backyard. In fact I was surprised we didn't get cited for it by the town. Yes, it was real hay. Orchard Grass to be exact, with what ever the birds brought in over the years. I suppose at one time this was a pasture or farm land or something prior to 1950 when the house was built. When I saw that hay waving in the breeze, well I just let my mind run wild as if .. what would happen if there was a little pony paddock back there. And one of them had figured out how to knock the poles down across the gap in the fence( we had a pony who used to do that) , then off they would go checking out the flowers, drinking from the birdbath and perhaps even peering into the windows while we ate breakfast.

As soon as I began working on the layouts and prepping the photography for the note cards, I knew I had made the right project choice. And I was able to give my first three chapters in my graphic design course a practical workout.  What I learned about Photoshop really came in handy with these little printed bits. I haven't laid out the larger prints yet. But all of the Cards are done. Tomorrow or Friday I shall have the entire collection up and running... well online.


You can see the first of the collection now up on Etsy in my LindaLMartinArtist Store.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LindaLMartinArtist?section_id=6218964

Some Photography Tips for Commissioned Pet and Equine Portraits by LindaLMartinArtist

Last month I had the coolest thing happen to me. One of my clients wanted a specific color scheme in a painting of her dog. She sent me a designer’s sample of the color she wanted. All I had to do with one of the background elements was to match it to the sample.

One of the hardest things for an artist, especially for us who sell commissioned work online is to get the color correct. Sometimes the computer monitors are set slightly more intense or provide more contrast so we don’t always see what you see as the client.

Sometimes the photo you send us doesn’t show slight variations in color. Such as the little mare I painted last winter. On the photography I was sent on the computer made the mare look black instead of chocolate brown, which was her color.

As an artist I have learned to ask questions if something looks off. But it’s not always possible to determine the right questions to ask. Anything you can do, as the client to help us see what you envision, is more likely to produce that product you really want and the quality you expect.

Another problem is that sometimes clients expect very refined details or dramatic whimsy however the photographs are sent with back lighting that puts the pet in shadows that distort color and make details impossible to see. Fig.1 is an old photo of my cat Nikki. It is back lit and so its hard to tell that his color is really gray and not black. Also you cant actually tell what color his eyes are. Although it’s a dramatic photo with a lot of fond memories it is not a helpful photo in making a portrait of the cat.

Fig. 2 Is from an old photo taken about the same time. But this time the light is from the side so that it casts a complimentary and contrasting shadow. Nikki’s true color which is gray can been seen. And His eye color, which is pale green can also be seen. Although the photo is a little washed out there is enough contrast and drama in the photo to paint a nice color rendering of Nikki.

Fig. 5 Is a more recent photo of Nikki. It is a much better shot as far as documenting his personality and his true coloring. The shot still has a nice cast shadow and side lighting with just enough shading and texture in the background to make it interesting.

Fig. 4 is a photo of my old horse Piper. This one was taken about two years before he died. He was 39 here. Piper was actually a silky deep black all over. However, if he stayed out in the sun, his hair would burn and lighten to almost a dark bay(this is why you keep show horses in during the day). This is an old photo too, and as you can tell ,well loved. However, even this scanned photo, though not sharp gives strong contrast. The sun was at just the right angle to brighten his face and cast a shadow on his neck.

Although, the detail in his shaded eye was not good, in fig.3 I lightened the image with photoshop. Not only did the eye details show up, so did the gray on his muzzle and face, which was more in keeping with his actual age at the time.

In a painting like this, it would be client’s choice to paint the horse with or with out the gray and to paint the horse with black or darkbrown.  I would need  the client to tell me or point out what was not obvious to me on the photo, especially regarding gray areas that sometimes appear as highlights. Not easy to tell in the image.

I often have to paint from photographs like this. Sometimes because a pet has died or at the time of the pet’s life there wasn’t enough money to commission a painting so all that remains to work from is a family snapshot, taken years earlier.

One of the most challenging paintings I ever painted was of a mixed breed dog that had a brindled and spotted coat and had died. The dog was also an amputee. My job was to take all the reference photography and paint the dog as he was before he lost his leg. It was a very challenging painting simply because of the coat color, but more so in painting the dog’s missing leg. The reference photographs didn’t show the side of the missing leg in the direction it need to be painted.

It is at times like this that we artists need a huge imagination, a lot of prayer and clients who are willing to communicate.

The outcome was worth it. The client’s father had owned the dog for many years and wanted to remember him as he was when he was young. That was how I painted the dog. The note of appreciation I received was worth all the effort.

Just to review: the better the photo the better able we artists are able to give you what you want in a cherished memory of a special animal friend. I want nothing better than to have you be blessed by the outcome of all our efforts.
 
If you are intereseted in a pet protraits please contact me at contact@llmartin.com or LLMartisticservices@yahoo.com

How Artists Pass the Time

Every year  in Virginia we have to have our cars inspected. Not really a big thing. And really a good thing for road safety.  So today early, I had to grab a shower and a cuppa coffee and head to the local Mechanics shop. I arrived at 8am and was out before 10:00. Power steering issues. So what does one do with 2 hours to kill.

Well the first thing I did was catch up on the week's local news papers. Our county publication is one of the few locals left in the country that still covers major horse racing, shows and events. That's because a third of the major Steeplechase Stakes Races held in Virginia are held in this county including one of only 4 Graded Stakes Timber races in the United States. The Virginia Gold Cup and The International  Gold Cup. And two of the oldest Horse Shows are held here too.  Its been 10 years since I graced a Virginia style race course. I am still very interested in returning some day. I love steeplechasing best. Always have.

As I was flipping through the pages, I came across some of the pre-coverage for the Gold Cup just held last weekend ( they used to simulcast the Derby  when it was held earlier in the day.) There was a wonderful photo by Eclipse Award Winning Photographer Doug Lees. It reminded me of a painting I saw just this weekend  by Equine Artist Linda Shantz.  Well I'm not about to copy someone elses hard earned work, but I did use Doug's photos as a reference to study the lights and darks of horses side by side and over lapping. My Three ponies doesn't do his work justice, however, it was fun playing with ear direction, expression and contrast. I completed the study in  a little over an hour then shared the results with the billing receptionist. She was very excited. And  she gave me a lead I hope to follow up on in a few weeks.

Here is the result of my time in the waiting room. Thanks to Linda and Doug for the challenge.

"Three Ponies"

by Linda L Martin, Artist

$45.00

Graphite on Strathmore Sketch Paper

5.5 by 5 inches

Purchase Online in My Etsy Shop

For more information info about me go to www.LLMartin.com

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 :
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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

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

Contact me at contact@llmartin.com for more information