New Year! Welcome 2015!

2014 was a very busy year on a personal level. We welcomed our second daughter into the world on June 26th and needless to say I've been one very busy momma! I mean come on....look at that face! Who can focus on writing a blog when you have that little girl wanting your attention? Yea, not me!

Therefore this blog has not been updated in quite awhile.

2015 is going to change that. I am working on getting my website finalized, (it will be found at ArtisticReflectionsStudio.com when its complete). You will be able to find original paintings and giclee prints (purchasable through the site!) with other potential merchandise in the works. Oh yea, we were talking about the blog and the direction it is going....

Starting in January I have plans to paint one painting per weekday (weekends are for family and school....sorry guys!). Now, I'm not going to just paint all willy nilly, no. Rather I am going to focus on one specific color each month. January is going to be the "color" white (really white is not a color but the lack of color....but we'll get into that later!). So each painting completed in January will focus on the color white and how it works within a composition. Each day will also specialize on a specific theme. What does this mean? Well an example of this is day 4 the theme is "Farm Animals" or day 5 is "western". I am going to post the themes on my website and on my Facebook page so you can all follow along! These themes will fall on the same day each month, so each 4th piece of the month would be "farm animals" and that color of the month. Get it?

There is good reason for this chaotic formula of paintings for the year. Mostly I want to explore colors and push them in directions I haven't before. Yet, I also want to explore different subjects leaving myself options for inspiration to strike! By having themes I have a direction to push my focus without getting bogged down (Farm animals might allow me to play with goats in snow in January and calves in April).

All of these pieces will be listed here as they are completed with a bit of blurb about them. They will also be up for auction within that week on eBay. You'll be able to find them easily with links to the individual auctions at the bottom of each post!

If that is not enough for me to do I will also be looking into various shows and possibly art shows to attend in the next year. 2015 should be a very busy time, though we'd never have it any other way!

Wobbly Legs #2

So, finally back to the series about these little guys. This little one was cute to work with. I loved the different colors I used painting this Paint foal! Have two of these little guys now. Thinking we need to add a mommy and baby painting next.

This winter has been a rough one. Snow, ice, subzero temperatures, more snow, etc. This also the time when little babies like this start appearing beside their mommas. I only hope that this spring is more gentle for these little guys as they take their first steps. Until then I hope they all have nice warm barns to stay in until the grass starts to show again!

Appaloosa divergence

Okay, so this week I was supposed to have another foal done....but....decided to finish this instead! I started this before Christmas and finally decided to finish it up for all the appy fans out there. Appaloosas are not easy horses to paint. The solid blanket appaloosas are much easier, though the spots can show up in strange places regardless of solid coloring. This is what makes them so much harder. The spots can be large dots like on this horse's flank, or they can be blurred and mixed into the body, somewhat like a roan. Though difficult to paint, they are so much fun and so full of character!

Hopefully this gal does the breed justice and makes all those appy lovers out there happy! She was a challenge and fun to paint. I'll definitely be doing more of these colorful horses in the future....think I have a few foals that are appaloosas! Bonus!

The Little Guys

A friend of mine turned me on to this video a few weeks back and I honestly can not get these little guys out of my head. This herd of foals are all foals born to be disposed of. Their mothers are part of programs that require a pregnant mare (such as the birth control drug program that uses their urine) or a nurse mare to take care of more valuable foals. These little guys are taken away from their mother within the first few days and are often killed. Their hides can be used for "pony hide" bags and their meat is often considered a delicacy.

Now, as a horse advocate and lover of all things horsey, this disgusts me greatly. These little guys are just thrown away because their value is perceived to be less than that of money (which it all boils down to). Looking at these little guys in the video there really are some beautiful foals too! Their lives are worth so much more than some capital gain.

The video also brought attention to a place and a girl (now a woman) who are trying to rescue and save these little guys! This is Last Chance Corral in Athens, Ohio and every year around foaling season they purchase and adopt out hundreds of foals. They send them home two at a time so that they always have a buddy, since they don't have their mothers with them. This gives them some security and comfort as they adjust. The other option is to make sure that the foal's new home has at least one other horse (an older gelding or mare) to provide that babysitter.  Their screening process seems sturdy and ideal for the wellbeing of the foal.

Honestly, I look at these little guys and wonder what potential there is within that bunch of horses. There can be grand champion dressage horses amid that group or just some little girl's (or bigger girl's) best friend. I think it is great that there are places and people out there trying to make a difference and help save lives that are truly worth saving. No one (person or animal) should be thrown away, especially days after they are born. There is no telling what the future might hold for those little guys. I only hope it is one of love and greatness, even if that greatness is only within their own backyard!

Check out Last Chance Corral at : http://www.lastchancecorral.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=10

Foal and Mare series: Wobbly Legs 1

New year, new ideas, new direction, and.....new addition to the family!

Yes, we are expecting another little addition to our human family. He or she (we have yet to find out which it will be yet) will be arriving sometime in June. Yes, due date is officially the 25th but we all know how this works in that they show up when they are ready to! Therefore this should be an interesting year!

My life changed dramatically when my daughter showed up to take over our world. I can only anticipate that everything will change once again with her sibling. Therefore my plans will be flexible, yet the business and the artwork will still move forward. In order for growth to continue, I decided to challenge myself to create a solid series of artwork that was special to me.

This leads me to the series of Foals and Mares that I will be working on all year! I have TONS of references to work from and tons of ideas, all full of cuteness. The first part of this series is a set of four little guys on their wobbly legs. The above painting is the first little guy. I believe he/she is a little thoroughbred foal all fuzzy and long-legged.

After much deliberation with myself on what I wanted to do with these foals, I decided on the dark, light intense, chiaroscuro type images. Most foals and mares are seen in the fields, amid green grass and "springtime" images. Yet this does not fit my style nor create the mystery and discovery associated with birth and new life. Instead I wanted to give you glimpses into the dark stalls where these little guys are born. Give you image of the intimate moments between mommy and baby, for though I love showing off my little one, it has always been those early morning, middle of the night, cuddle/feeding sessions that I will cherish the most.

This series is to celebrate our new addition and to give everyone an insight into those special moments that I cherish as a mom that often are left in the dark amid the chaos. Everyone sees parenthood as piles of dirty diapers, messes, toys all over, and cranky crying children. Yet it is those moments of pure bliss, peaceful slumber in the arms of mom or dad, and the little hugs and kisses that make everything all worth it. These I want to share and experience again through the light of these beautiful little foals and their mommas.