Deborah Bollman Fine Art

My Favorite Brush

2011-02-10T13:29:00.001-05:00

I had mentioned a few weeks ago on my Face Book page that I had bought a new brush and I received a flurry of emails in reference to what exactly it is, could I post a photo, where did I get it and why do I like it. So I thought a perfect subject for today would be about my favorite brush. I am primarily a watercolorist and I adore my brushes. I have only a few that I use regularly. As you may know any good quality natural hair brush is very expensive but well worth the investment. My most used brushes are my Rekab Kazan 320S Pointed Squirrel Mops. I use the #4 and the # 8 most often and an Escoda Tajmyr Sable in a #8. For today I am going to talk about the Rekab Mops.

Rekab Kazan Squirrel 320S Pointed Mop

The Rekab brushes are superbly made and are surprisingly affordable considering the quality. These brushes have a quill ferrule wrapped four times with brass wire and short black handles. You can paint all day without having to recharge the brush.They come to a very sharp point and you can paint the tiniest of details with them or do large juicy washes. Unlike other squirrel mops that I have tried they are not a floppy brush. I have an Isebey Squirrel Quill that I like but for my purposes this brush outperforms the Isabey every time. I did bring these to an Alvaro Castagnet workshop I attended and he said these were very, very nice brushes.
The only place I know to purchase these is through Armadillo Arts . You need to send them a request for prices on these brushes. To give you an idea I paid $24 + shipping for the #4.

Happy painting!
Deborah

Back To Regular Blog Updates

2011-02-01T19:47:00.004-05:00

   As many of you have noticed I have a name change now. Due to divorce I have decided to change back to my maiden name which is Bollman. So my new business name is Deborah Bollman Fine Art.
After a very productive holiday season painting lots of portrait commissions I took January off from my regular blog updates. Now that all of my portraits are completed and gift certificates redeemed I can turn my attention back to my watercolor. Once I get through the holiday commissions my attention for a good portion of the winter turns to working/improving on technique, studying color theory and implementing my new business plan for the year and marketing.

      I am starting the year with a nice line-up of events including two solo exhibits, a return to the Maplebrook School Art Show in May and a 3 day watercolor workshop with renowned watercolorist, David Taylor. I have a few other irons in the fire and will update you as information becomes available. So bookmark or subscribe to my newsletter if you would like updates. To subscribe.. Deborah Bollman Fine Art Newsletter.

   In addition, I am teaching a bi-monthly Artist Marketing Salon for local artists based on Alyson B. Stanfield's book, I'd Rather be in the Studio. Our first meeting was last Friday and we had a really great turnout of wonderful local artists and artisans. I will be highlighting each of them in my upcoming blog posts.

Watercolor classes are back in action. Classes are Tuesday evening at the Front Street Gallery in Patterson, NY . They run from 6:30 - 9:30. Drops ins are welcome. Contact me for more info at Deborah@DeborahBollman.com

Snowy Barn, © D.Bollman, Watercolor, 7 x 9

A Good Scratch, ©D.Bollman, Acrylic, 8 x 10, SOLD

Watercolor Classes

2010-11-22T19:15:00.000-05:00

Watercolor Classes For Adults

Artist Deborah Bollman-O’Sullivan and Front Street Gallery are pleased to present a watercolor painting course for adults. We will cover basic techniques such as getting to know our materials, wet on wet, wet on dry, finding basic shapes, basic color mixing and color value. We will then jump in and explore the wonderful world of watercolor.

Students will work from still life and photographic reference material.

Come and join us for a fun, creative evening in a relaxing environment. All levels welcome.

Classes are taught by professional painter Deborah Bollman-O'Sullivan.

Classes will run for 4 weeks. Tuesday evenings from 6:30 -9:30. Classes start Tuesday, November 23.

4– 3 hour classes- $175
Drop in fee- $38.75

Art supplies provided by student. Materials list available upon sign-up


©Deborah Bollman-O'Sullivan

Watercolor, Available

Studio News and a Poll

2010-10-12T23:29:00.000-04:00

Art Exibition and Studio Tour

     I have quite a bit going going these days. I am getting several paintings completed for the Friends of the Great Swamp Art Celebration in Pawling, NY on Saturday, October 23 and Sunday, October 24th. The event culminates with an art auction on Sunday. The FROGS Art exhibit is part of The Arteast Open Studio Tour in Dutchess County, NY. It is a beautiful time of year to get in the car and do the tour while Mother Nature still has on her finest colors!

New Name and a Poll

As many of you know I have been working hard a making a new life for myself as a single, working mom (an oxymoron) and I have made the decision to go back to using my maiden name. I have spent a lot of time and effort branding myself with my married name. Now I need to re-brand myself and my art swith my new (old) name. have already started using my maiden name, which is Bollman, in the middle and in a year I will drop the O'Sullivan. Not a drop of Irish in me! Italian (raised Italian) and German all the way. -) So in the spirit of fresh starts and new beginnings I need to come up with a new name for my business. So here is where I could use your help. I set up a poll for you guys to help me decide what name to go with. I am thinking that by using a studio name I can make this more seamless.
One of the names a particularly like is Aquarelle Studio-

Webster defines Aquarelle as...

~French, from obsolete Italian acquarella (now acquerello), from acqua water, from Latin aqua
(pronounced "ak-we-rell") - transparent watercolour.

The poll is over there on top right hand side of this blog. So, please, take a second and vote for your favorite name.

    I have finally gotten through having a nasty cold and have just about gotten back into my regular late night groove again. I thought I would post this work in progress of a Dressage horse. The reference photo is courtesy of one of my collectors, Kathy. Thank you for use of your fabulous photos! The subject of this painting is of black horse. Always a tough color to paint without making things dull and too dark. I choose to run with the violet and blue highlights on this gorgeous horse.

The initial sketch

Medium values


Almost completed. I need to come in with the final darks and detail.

Stay posted for the final on this one and don't forget to vote in my poll! Thanks! Til next time!

Enjoy!
Deborah

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Border Collie Sketch

2010-10-05T22:43:00.001-04:00

Today's painting is a small 5 x5 inch watercolor painting of a Border Collie. I have been down and out with a cold but I managed to get this done. Painted on heavy 300 lb Arches Hot Press paper this little gem will be available to go home with it's new owner for $55 which includes free Priority Mail shipping to thh U.S. Email me for more info Deborah@DeborahOSullivan.com or click to purchase.

My website- DeborahOSullivan.com

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Showjumper Painting Is Completed!

2010-09-13T09:58:00.001-04:00

The showjumper painting is completed.! The title is Jump. (Thank you to Nilesh for the name!)I am really please with how this one came out.I chose not to get too fussy with the details. The colors in real life are more saturated than what you see here. The equine painting is a very large watercolor measuring 22 x 30 (unmatted, unframed size), and is painted on a full sheet of Arches 300 lb Hot Press paper. Arches is one of the finest papers available and this is a very heavy weight substrate. I am selling this unframed. It will require matting, framing and glazing (glass or plexiglass).

Jumper has a ton of impact and captures a horse at the top of an oxer. It would look super in your living room, tack room or farm office!I have detailed photos for anyone interested in investing in this piece. Email me for info Deborah@DeborahOSullivan.com $1400 includes shipping and insurance or Click to purchase

Jump!

Children's Art Classes & Showjumper WIP 5

2010-09-06T18:07:00.001-04:00

I have been preparing for the See/Hear Virtual Art Exhibit that will be held at the John Kane House on E. Main Street, Pawling, New York on September 18th. See/Hear, a virtual gallery where artists digitally display and discuss their artwork in a fun and fast paced slide show format.
At the end of our presentation there will be a question and answer session with the artists. Refreshments will be catered by Chef Paul Rubin of Dutch Oven.
Feel free to share with family and friends! The Showjumping WIP that I have been posting here and on Facebook will be part of my presentation and the actual painting, beautifully matted and framed, will be available for viewing.

Here is the latest update on the Showjumper. The background is not blue it is actually white. I am just about finished with this. I added some more glazes to the eye and started the bridle. The bridle is simply a sweep of the brush. I did a bit of lifting and a few more light glazes of color. The last step is finishing up the eye and around the ears, paintings the boots, hooves and jump standards and then of course I will add my drips and dribbles of paint! :-) Getting into the final details is probably my favorite part of painting.
Showjumper is still untitled. Name suggestions are welcome! Just leave your idea in the comments section!

Children's Art Classes Forming in Patterson, NY

Classes are now forming for children's art classes at the Front Street Gallery in Patterson, NY. For more information, please, add your name to the mailing list below or contact the gallery directly at (845) 490-4542

Have a great day!

Deborah

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Deborah O'Sullivan Art
Epona Studio
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Showjumper WIP #4

2010-08-31T18:47:00.001-04:00

I headed out of dodge with my dog for a few hours today to recharge my batteries. We went for a hike to a favorite spot where I never run into anybody. I've been feeling a bit burned out the past few days with so much going on with my studio, my son and summer activities. Then it was back to the studio and I had several uninterrupted hours of painting.
So here is where I left off. After this dries I'll put more time into this later this evening. This painting is a watercolor and the support is a full sheet of Arches Hot Press 300lb paper. For those of you who missed the previous posts see my earlier blog posts for photos of the progression of this piece. I am really getting in there with the darks. I am using a really strong mix of alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue and burnt sienna. The pigments are not thoroughly mixed on the palette . Instead I charge a large squirrel mop and really load the brush so the colors can mingle on the paper. This prevents the darks from becoming flat and dull.
I am really careful to keep a lot of soft edges at this point by wetting and softening with a brush any hard lines that appear. I save most of the hard edges for the final details or any place I want to place emphasis.

The eye is now getting it's initial glazes. I start by working wet on wet. This keeps soft edges as I start to describe the shape of the eye and ears and find the expression. In addition the values around the muzzle and nostril have been increased. As I push the darks the initial lightest glazes start to take on a very cool glow. This is the part I love about watercolor.

Stay tuned! This is coming down to the finish! You can click on any of these mages to get an enlarged view.

Deborah O'Sullivan Art
Epona Studio
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Showjumper WIP #3 & Children's Art Classes

2010-08-28T23:15:00.006-04:00

Showjumper WIP #3

Today's post is the latest update on the Showjumper WIP (Work In Progress) . I have to admit I approached this last night with a LOT of trepidation! I am liking it so far and watercolor is not very forgiving. I got into the zone working n this stage where I just lost track of time. I love it when that happens

My original plan had been to do the eye and get rid of the creepy-mask-horse and just get some life into the piece. I can paint eyes in my sleep. But... because I was afraid to get in there with some darks I knew that THAT was where I needed to start. I got a lot further then I had planned and when I took a break a breathed a sigh of relief! I haven't killed it yet!

When I lay down the glazes in a piece by looking for different shapes I can get away from fussy details because the viewers eye fills in the rest of the information. I do like to use unorthodox colors in my horses and even though I ramp up the saturation in the initial glazes I will go over all of it with a light uniform glaze of ,say, Burnt Umber to pull it all together.

You can get a larger view of the image by clicking on it.

Watercolor Classes For Kids

My children's watercolor art classes are a go! Starting in September I will be teaching art classes at the Front Street Gallery in Patterson, NY. I will offering 6 week courses for homeschoolers during the school day and after school classes for children attending public school

We will cover basic techniques, such as getting to know our materials, wet on wet, wet on dry, finding basic shapes, basic color mixing and color value. We will then jump in and explore the fun world of watercolor. Students will work from still life and photograph reference material.

If you have an interest or would like to sign up , please, add your name to the mailing list for information and updates.

Jumper WIP - Continued

2010-08-25T19:36:00.000-04:00

I hope today's blog post finds everyone well.I have been doing great. Things are moving along smoothly and after quite a few setbacks I am onto Plan B. It is all good.

I have been getting quite a lot of painting done these days. The previously posted jumper WIP has been coming along nicely. At this stage I am continuing to add glazes to the horse, finding the shapes of the light and shadow. I started adding darks to the rider. Painting people is my nemesis and watercolor is very unforgiving. If you mess up ....well...oh well. Do over. So with that thought in mind I am getting the worst of the rider over with.

Now I am adding some darker values to the horse. This really brings out the light. Adding darks is one of my favorite parts of working with watercolor. It is the opposite of working with acrylics where you save the lights for the end.
The eye still has that mask like quality to it. So my next step is to go in and get some life into the painting and detail the eye. The horse is really looking like it is emerging from the page now.

I have some decisions to make at this point. #1 is the background. I usually have a pretty well thought out plan of what I am going to do relative to a background when working this large in watercolor. But not this time. I seem to enjoy flying by the seat of my pants these days. :) There is a wing of a jump on the bottom right corner and I may let the paints fly and run and do it's watercolor thing to keep it loose on that section. But the rest? I am kind of liking the white but we'll see how it goes.

On other studio news. I am once again a participating artist at the Sea/Hear (aka Slide Slam) that will be held September 18 at the Kane House on E. Main Street in Pawling, NY. The exhibition will provide a unique opportunity to hear directly from the artist, their thought process, motivation, experience and influences. My next blog post will provide more information on this fun event.
See/Hear

Til next time!

Deborah

Watercolor Jumper WIP

2010-08-20T14:39:00.000-04:00

After working with acrylics for the past week I find I must get back to the watercolors. It is my favorite medium. I am once again working large and this painting measures in at 22 x 30. This is a full sheet of Arches 300 lb Hot Press paper. Which is my favorite support and is a super heavyweight, archival, smooth paper. It is really fun to push the colors around on the paper. If I dampen the paper first and drop in pigment the colors will mix and mingle on their own creating wonderful effects.

I always think it is kind of cool in watercolors how my horses start to appear out of the paper! :-) This first step is the intial glazes of color. Just trying to find the light. I went ahead and added the darks of the riders helmet because I had such a nice mix of colors left on my palette. I don't know how I made that one..a lttle of this...a little of that. I believe the primary colors are burnt sienna, alizarin crimson and Ultramarine blue but then I dropped in some partially mixed violet and let it mingle on the page.

Untitled, watercolor 22 x 30 WIP 2

In watercolors I work from light to dark. I rely on the white of the paper for the white as opposed to acrylics where you mix with white paint. I use mostly transparent pigment. I do sometimes use some of the cadmiums at the very end of a painting when I am adding the details. The transparency of watercolor paint is what gives a painting such a beautiful glow.

This horse has the scarey mask thing going on because I haven't addressed the eye yet. Once I have all of the lightest values completed I will move right in on the eye to give it some life. Then next comes the middle values then the darkest values and the fine detail. Not sure about the background yet...I am playing with idea of leaving it white or perhaps just the lightest hint of color..

    Going backwards here. This next image is the initial sketch. The rainbow of color here is due to upping the saturation in Photoshop so that you can actually see the sketch. The paper is white. I do a pretty light sketch first with wc.

I am going to need a title for this piece so suggestions are welcome. All of these images are clickable so that you see a larger version. Til next time- Have a great day!

Deborah

Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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Victory Gallop

2010-08-18T16:15:00.006-04:00

     I mentioned in a previous post that the model for the painting Victory Gallop was a horse that I used to have named Henry. I received several emails from you readers asking to know more about him. SO here goes.
      Henry was 1/2 Irish Draft and 1/2 Selle Francais. He was imported from Ireland when he was just turning 4. He did not show much talent as a jumper so he was brought here as a Dressage prospect because he had 3 really nice gaits. It was love at first sight. I adored this horse. He was tempermental, funny, sensitive, smart and so willing to try anything that I asked him to do.
     For the first few weeks after he got there he was uncatchable when turned out. He had been rushed as a youngster and was overfaced with big jumps so being ridden was not something he enjoyed.
     I started out by bringing him lots of treats and I would just sit with him in his paddock. He got to the point, eventually, where he would come galloping flat out to me whenever I called and he would come to a sliding stop just inches in front me. He would follow me around like a puppy. I let him just be a horse for the first few months and developed a really good relationship with him on the ground before I even attempted to ride him.
The first few rides were rocky at best, He had not been started well and instead of being taught what was expected of him he had been forced. So he just didn't understand basic aids. When he didn't understand something he would stop toss him head up and down several times and stomp his right front foot. A lot of trainers might want to smack him forward and get on with it. But I felt that this horse had been frightened with that kind of riding and needed patience and a chance to work things out with a calm, patient no-rush attitude. I would let him get over his little tantrum drop the reins and just ask him to walk on. Then I would back up a step and ask him to something really simple that I knew he could do well. By using this approach he learned to trust me. When he "got" something you could see how pleased he would be with himself when he got praised.
     When he progressed through the levels in dressage if something was a little challenging he still would do his little head toss and foot stomp. I used to joke that the tempermental side of him was his French side coming out and at those times he was known as Henri (pronounced with a Fren.ch accent).:)
     He eventually showed great talent as a jumper and we would play over the jumps but I decided that we could continue down the path with him as my Dressage partner. He was a BIG boy 17.1 hands and was just a late bloomer. One day he started having trouble getting his 3 tempis. For you non-Dresaage folks ..three tempis are multiple flying changes of lead every three strides at collected canter.It requires a lot of strength and precision from the horse to do them. Henry started have trouble with them one day. He had spectacular flyng changes and would really jump through them. But now he felt funny like he couldn't organize his hind end to even do one. Over the next few days he started to resist work and he seemed afraid to even go forward under saddle. He, also, got very clingy to me on the ground.

     It was eventually determined that he had EPM which is a protozoa that attacks the nervous system. I miss him terribly.... He was such a great horse.

   I think one of the reasons I got out of riding was that I went through a string of loosing my own personal horses to a variety of illnesses and freak accidents. I get too emotionally attached and it just got too hard having to make the decisions to put the horses down or to give them up. I needed a break. I continued teaching for a while but then moved on to painting them.

     This is photo of Henry right after he arrived from quarantine. He is just shy of 4 years old (he had tiny little M & M teeth!), already 16.3 hands. I always seemed to end up with BIG horses. He has the big head that so many Irish horses have. Once he developed a good topline everything came into proportion. Oh, and he was not over in the knee..he is just standing funny in this photo.


Henry

Last evening I worked on Victory Gallop for a few hours. I think that I have just about completed this painting. I need to let this sit for a bit in a spot where I can see it for a few days so I can decide what needs a bit of tweaking. The area to the left of the eye appears be a little flat and dead to me so I may do a little something there.I tried to get a better photo but this still has some glare on it. Victory Gallop is 24 x 20, acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas. That means the canvas wraps around the sides of the wooden stretcher bars and the staples are on the back. I paint the sides so framing is not necessary but it would look gorgeous in a wide barn board or gold Plein air style frame. This is available for purchase. Email me if you are interested in giving it a home.

Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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Victory Gallop WIP (Work In Progress)

2010-08-17T17:38:00.000-04:00

Victory Gallop-

It is back to the acrylics and going large again. After painting so many small pieces last year I am feeling the need to break free and paint bigger. I love doing these very close-up compositions on large canvases. Victory Gallop is an acrylic and is a 24 x 20 canvas. I used a reference photo of a horse that I used to have named Henry. I lost him to EPM.

The first photo is the initial sketch done with a Sharpie marker. When working in acrylic I have pretty much unlimited freedom to move things around and experiment because I can go over things. If this was a watercolor this would be a pretty detailed pencil sketch. Watercolor is not very forgiving, you pretty much have the one go to get it right. With acrylics I really enjoy "drawing" with the paint.

Next image I have layed down mostly medium values. The main idea being to cover the white of the canvas. There is nothing worse than I white canvas staring you down. *shiver* This is the stage now where I get to make decisions on where I am going with this.

This piece is tightening up pretty quickly. I put a long night into this and needed to wait for the glazes to dry. I defined the musculature and found most of my darks here. I am thinking the markings on the horse's face are competing with some of the elements of the composition. You can see in the next image how I have changed some things around. The joy of acrylics!

The glare is awful here but you can get a good idea. I created a blaze instead of the star and snip that Henry had. I think it works better. I will be mixing my whites to warm up his face as right now the blaze appears to stark to my eye. The rider is pretty much completed. I need to loosen up the color on the lapel. I left things very painterly with energetic brush strokes to convey the motion.

Writing about my art while I am creating it is an odd process for me because I don't really think when I paint. I tend to just throw color here and there and then all of a sudden the painting is just done! I should have this completed this evening and will post the final.

Til next time,

Deborah

Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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Good Tutors and Good Students -Guest Blogger Charles Sluga

2010-08-10T16:28:00.003-04:00


Fetch,-5x7 acrylic on cradled panel- SOLD

I am delighted to be able to present guest blogger Australian artist Charles Sluga. Charles is a wonderfully accomplished watercolorist and teacher. So without further ado....

Good Tutors and Good Students

I have been prompted to give my opinion because I conduct a lot of workshops both in Australia and overseas and have been teaching watercolour painting for many years. I have a number of pupils that have attended many of my workshops and continue to do so. Recently these people have been criticised or mocked because they choose to continue to come to my workshops. Mocked by students that seem to change their tutors as often as the wind changes.

So the question is - Should a student go to many different tutors to learn or should they stick to one? I think I have already indicated what I think, but let me expand on this.

Well from my experience and observation over twenty years of teaching I strongly recommend choosing one, but it is conditional. The student must try different classes until they find a tutor that they are happy with. A tutor than has the pupils best interest in mind and will push the student and point them in the right direction for them to discover their own way of expression...kind of like a guiding hand. A tutor that does not let his or her ego get in the way!

I think as a student if you find that your work merely looks like a second rate copy of the tutors work then I would suggest you find another tutor. It is not the tutors job to produce 'parrots" that mimic what they do. It is all about pushing, questioning and getting the students to explore possibilities until they start to discover themselves. If you can find a tutor that can do that then stick with them.

For those of you out there who criticise these students and call them
groupies, fans or try to convince them that they should go to someone
else, then I would say to you..."continue to go to your dozen tutors in
a dozen workshops and continue to produce inferior copies with no self
expression....you have missed the whole point of being an artist and
the journey that it involves".

Having said that, if that is what you want to do...go ahead ....it obviously satisfies some need, but be aware that others may wish to go further and demand more of themselves.

So in summary:
A good tutor:

Someone who pushes you to question everything!
Someone who does not paint by formula.
Someone who will not spoon feed you.
Someone who recognises your contribution.
Someone who is not there to boost there own ego.
Someone who takes there work seriously.
Someone who plans lessons well.
Someone who will give you time.
Someone who believes they are still learning.
Someone who doesn't want you to merely be a "parrot"

A good pupil:

Someone who will work hard.
Someone who will take risks.
Someone who will work in between workshops
Someone who will ask questions.
Someone who will not only be interested in the final result.
Someone who is persistent.
Someone who is open minded.
Someone who is not there to boost their own ego!
Someone with a sense of humour.
Someone who has a love of Art.

So these are just 10 points I consider important for both tutor and student (there are more!)

In closing I would like to congratulate Sharon...one of these so called "groupies" of mine who entered her first exhibition recently and won the award for best watercolour. The wonderful thing about that is that I had not input or influence over that painting. She did the whole thing on her own and it was her own expression in paint! Well done!
I also congratulate these group of students that do continue to come to my workshops and tours...I am looking forward to continuing the journey with you....you have become not just students but friends! So let us all ignore the comments from others and continue to do what we do best...work together and move forward!

By the way, just to make it clear - I don't mind who people go to! I am not saying it has to be me (because even though I am good :), my style of teaching may not suit everyone ). It is not about me...it is about you...the student!
See you at the next workshop :)
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This article is reproduced with permission.
Copyright 2010 - Charles Sluga

For more on Charles and to view or purchase artwork visit.....
Charles Sluga Website
Charles Sluga Blog

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Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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Life Goes On

2010-07-29T09:38:00.000-04:00

I have been getting emails from so many of you these past few months and I just want to express how much I appreciate the support from each and every one of you. It means a lot to to me to know that there are so many people sending me good mojo! I am doing really well. This divorce has been coming on for a long time and I am in that place now where I am n ot even looking back. No regrets, no sorrow. I don't feel anything anymore. It is not numb. Already went there. Not anger. Already did that. I am not.....well.......anything. I believe the word I am looking for is apathetic. Let me put on my Google fingers and look that up.... yup ...indifference. The opposite of love... for me.. would be indifference. It is a great place for me to be with this. I am happy and I have an incredible sense of relief and freedom.
My little boy is having a harder time of it lately and he so anxious to move to our new place. So keep sending him those virtual hugs.

Our moving date is coming up quickly and I am still looking for other sources of income. My art is selling well but I can't live soley on my art income yet. "Yet" being the operative word. I'll get there! I do have a few really good possibilities in the works. I think I would also like to teach some riding lessons again. So all of my horsey friends..if you know of anything...Please, send it my way! But I am open to any and all offers of any kind either locally or online. If you know of anything email me deborah@deborahosullivan.com I want to be able to completely support myself and my son asap.

So what does this have to do with art, horses or dogs? Well, my state of being has everything to do with what I create My art is becoming more spontaneous. I am having having fun painting again. My art is one of the ways I express myself and in that way my art helps define who I am. You can always tell what kind of mood Deborah is in by what flies off the brush! I am increasing drawn to just working in watercolors now and painting the light. That elusive search for the light! It is so beautiful when you get it right.

This quick, little sketch is titled Pat's Rooster. Watercolor, 5 x 5 on Arches 30 lb Hot Press paper. This painting is heading off tomorrow to it's new home. Til next time ..have a great one!

Deborah

Bear Mountain and Framed Prints

2010-07-25T01:45:00.001-04:00

A view from the tower

It has been a couple of days since my last post so I thought I'd post a quick update before I go to bed. It is 1:30 a.m. and I am tired. I need to shift my days around and see if I can actually paint early in the morning. I have so much on my plate these days- between being a mom, painting, marketing, networking, packing for my move....there just does not seem to be enough hours in the day.

I headed out with my dog, Tess, to Bear Mountain today thinking it would be a fine day for plein air painting. Boy, was I wrong. I need to pay closer attention to the weather forecast. What was I thinking? My brushstrokes were drying as fast as I layed them down. I did take some nice photos so I may try a studio painting. Thankfully, I had brought a picnic, a blanket, lots of water and a good book and I just settled myself under a tree and had a really nice few hours! Even Tess wanted to just chill out. I did climb the tower and the views were just incredible. Plus, it was nice and cool in there.


Bear Mountain Tower

I have two framed prints that are looking for walls to hang on! The first print image is a reproduction of a Bullmastiff watercolor titled - Waiting. The original is sold. This image measures
5 x 7 and is matted and framed with a black enameled metal frame. $30 includes shipping to the US.
If you would to purchase or see more photos email me!


Waiting

The second reproduction is one of my best selling giclee dog reproductions. The unframed watercolor original is available here. The painting is titled A Matter of Trust. This is an archival 10 x 8 reproduction printed on acid free paper with archival inks and is framed, matted and signed. $50 includes shipping. For more photos or to purchase drop me an email,


A Matter of Trust

I am really off to bed now. Very sleepy! Good night!

All the best,
Deborah

www.DeborahOSullivan.com
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Leaving Things Incomplete

2010-07-15T14:00:00.025-04:00

Today's post is from Robert Genn's Twice A Week Newsletter. If you don't already subscribe, I highly recommend that you do. Click To Subscribe . I love what he has to say about leaving paintings incomplete. Enjoy!!

Leaving Things Incomplete

July 13, 2010

Dear Deborah,

These days I've been rededicating myself to less overworking and more understatement. In other words, trying to leave my work fresher, even at the expense of being incomplete. I believe it's an idea that a lot of us could profit by.

We all know the danger of keeping on going--adding detail or complexity when the idea we started out with is well enough expressed without the fiddling. In our innate human desire for perfection we can forget the hand of the artist, even the struggling hand, and the poetic justice of paucity. These elements have value for the second half of the creative partnership--the eyes of the viewer.

Here in Japan it's the principle of "Mujo" (moo-joh). It stems from the ancient Zen concept of transience and uncertainty. A related Japanese word is Mikansei (me-kahn-say-ee) which means "the state of being incomplete." In many ways, the western convention of abstract art fills this bill. In abstraction, you can't always tell exactly what it is you are looking at, and there lies its charm. Mystery builds viewer interest.

The Japanese are not always prepared to go that far. The suggestion of a waterfall or a few cursory brushstrokes indicating a tree or a flower may suffice to communicate a motif.

Here's how to put Mujo to work for yourself: Before starting in with the "busyness" of working, stop to think of the simplest and freshest way a passage might be conceived and executed. Very often a move up to a larger brush, together with a careful mixing of the desired colour, and an elegant, well-contemplated stroke or two can carry the day. Leaving a little primer showing through, or a slight error, a slub or a bump--so what. Even an inadvertent dribble-down or an indecisive painterly scrabble gives life where dullness might otherwise prevail.

We sometimes hear the argument that this sort of incompleteness or roughness only appeals to other artists. I don't think so. I find our world to be loaded and cocked with creator wannabees. We artists represent the last bastion of the hand of man. For others to see art in its freshness, failings and incompleteness may be the greater part of our winning hand.

Best regards,

Robert

PS: "The power of the mujo principle lies in quietly, serenely letting the viewer participate in the representation." (Boye Lafayette De Mente, from his excellent overview "Elements of Japanese Design")

Esoterica: Today I attended a show that included traditional flower arrangement (ikebana). Unlike the western burst of saturated colour and riots of variety--the whole garden in your face--Japanese floral designs tend to be sparse, subtle and simple. A single, tall orchid of an incredible, delicate colour set off by a few dry sticks that twist and struggle alongside, all set, off center, in a delicate and unobtrusive earthen vase. Such is the nature of understatement--an opportunity for the viewer to slow down, take part in, and love.
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Every day there are new features going into The Painter's Post. This online arts aggregator has links to art info, ideas, inspiration and unmitigated creative fun.

If a friend is trying to subscribe to the Twice-Weekly Letter via Constant Contact, please let them know that as well as subscribing they must confirm their subscription.

You can also follow Robert's valuable insights and see further feedback on Facebook and Twitter.

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Posted painting for the day. A super quick "incomplete" sketch from my Alvaro Castagnet workshop. This a watercolor using 3 colors...Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, Alizarin Crimson.

Rapture.. The Latest Painting by Deborah O'Sullivan

2010-07-13T16:47:00.055-04:00

     This gorgeous weather has found me outside the studio working on my plein air skills. It has become quite an addiction! I adore getting out there with the watercolors and seeking out great painting spots.
     I always have two or three pieces going in the studio and I thoroughly enjoy working late into night with my music and Border Collie to keep me company. I have always been a bit of a night owl and find it easier to just get in the zone at night.
     I started on this latest painting a while back and just hit a wall as to where I was going with it. So I let it sit in a spot where I could constantly just look at it to see what I could come up with. A few nights ago I just popped it onto the easel and literally with no plan just started throwing paint at it. Literally! I LOVE the drips on the bottom right and the way the rider just fades away. The horse is my focal point and I just wanted her to pop and not compete with the rider.
     This is much larger than I usually work. Almost a full sheet of Arches Hot Press 140lb paper. Available for sale unframed. The price will go up when I have it framed. MUCH more affordable to ship unframed! $850 includes shipping and insurance. If you would like to give Rapture a home or would like more photos drop me an email! email I will be happy to give you the details.Or click here to purchase

Rapture

All the best,

Deborah

Painting From the Heart

2010-07-11T19:04:00.002-04:00

I am aware that I known for my soulful paintings of dogs and horses that make you connect twith the subject at some level. When artwork connects with you it is tapping into an emotion that you can relate to. To me a painting is successful when I can convey my own emotion for the subject.

On another level, as an artist, the physical act of painting has been very cathartic hin helping me to express what is going on inside me. I paint from the heart which is why I think my horse and dog paintings connect with so many people.

As I travel on my journey I was finding myself blocked as an artist. i just could not paint. I was so used to having my own voice silenced that I had no words for what I was feeling. I was thoroughly blocked. I found myself drawn to a book that was written for blocked creatives titled The Artist’s Way by Julie Cameron and set about doing the exersizes as if my life depended on it. I did my morning pages and tasks and started to find glimpses of me again. Then I decided to take the advice from the book and just show up. Just show up at the easel and pick up a brush and see what comes up. This is the result of the first day. This is from a few months ago.

Totally unlike anything that I do. Yet so healing. This painting started out expressing feelings for which there are no words. My son said when he looks at this painting it makes him feel anger, betrayal and so sad. Well, I think the that it was a success!
So what makes you connect to a painting? Do you like "pretty pictures"? Color? Or do you like pictures that convey something. At what level is there a connection? I find myself increasingly interested in this question. Thoughts?

As time has gone by the light has started to return to these cathartic pieces. Light, hope and now excitement for my new life. I still don’t understand why yet or have closure but I am confident it will come with time. I am so excited for my new life. Add I am really happy!

I had a lovely morning out painting last week. I got up early and headed for a local park to capture the morning light. I battled a bit of a breeze that knocked my easel over twice. There are elements of this that I really like and some perspective issues that I don't care for. The house on the right is too narrow. But this is a quick painting and I am pretty satified with the outcome. I may just work this up as a studio painting.

I have two small ACEO that I have recentlycompleted. ACEO stands for Art Cards and Originals. These are tiny original works of art. They measure 3.5 x 2.5 inches. These are available for $15 a piece and includes First Class Mail. They are watercolor painted on 140lb Arches Hot Press Paper. Each little painting is signed by me on the back and comes in an acid free cello sleeve. If you would like to own these send inquiries to me...Deborah's Email
These are a lot of fun to paint and fun to collect. I have a few more that I am working on and will post them as I get photos of them.

Bay Horse ACEO

Grey Horse ACEO

So until next time. Stay cool! Keep painting!

Namaste,
Deborah

100 Degrees and Reworking Paintings

2010-07-07T18:36:00.000-04:00

Here in the NorthEast we are experiencing the mother of all heat waves.To borrow a line fro the movie Biloxie Blues..this is like Africa hot! One hundred degrees is just...well... unnecessary. What do people do down south who have to endure this kind of weather on a more regular basis?

I am definitely a cool weather person. Love my sweaters.

So what are all of you doing to keep cool? I took my son to a movie, went to a support group meeting and am planning to pull an all nighter in the studio. Okay..maybe a half nighter. I have an acrylic painting of a horse in half pass that I have been staring at for the past few weeks trying to decide what to do with it. I love the horse but the backgrounds just irks me. So I am planning on reworking this one. I like the arena but the rest has to go. I will post the results as soon as I finish it! Oh , that is if I can figure out how to post photos from my iphone! :)

Now for my question of the day. Does anyone know if you can post photos to Blogger from your iphone? I can't seem to find any info online on how to do this. Anyone?

Now I know I said I would be posting details from the Alvaro Castagnet workshop but I have lots of images that I would like to include. makes for a more interesting blog post. Don't you agree?

Stay cool! :)
Deborah

Life Transitions and Finding a New Groove

2010-07-04T16:01:00.003-04:00

I’m ba-a-aa—ck! I have been out of action as far as my blog and social media lately due to lack of a computer. My ever faithful Powerbook G4 met it’s demise at the hands of a person with unscrupulous actions. So my new wish list includes a new MacBook Pro 13 inch laptop.

My life has been in a major upheaval these past months as I have been in the process of getting divorced after 16 years of marriage. I so appreciate all the kind words and support from everyone. It has been very difficult with roadblocks thrown at me in every direction. I will get through this with lots of faith and hard work. It is incredible how you can be in something for so long and not see it for what it is. My biggest lesson in all of this and I speak to all of you women out there....

* Do not ever give away your power. *

The ironic part in all of this for me is as I have been becoming empowered again over the past few years developing my business, networking and finding my voice my world changed in ways that I could not have ever imagined. The happier and more grounded I became the worse things got at home. Go figure! But no more. Life is all about finding the joy in the little things and appreciating what you have. You just have now. And right now everything is great!

My first order of business is I must get myself and my son out of this house and into our own home. To do this I must get this art business jump started to the next level. I am looking at life as a single mom now and I intend to fully support myself with my art. I will also need to subsidize my income with other work. Preferably work online so that I can stay home with my son. So if anyone has any leads let me know! I am a hard worker and extremely motivated!

Any other single moms out there working as at your at full time? I would LOVE to hear from you!

Last year I added so many new collectors and sold out most of everything that I had in my inventory! There are a few pieces still available looking for new homes! I am offering these to new collectors a 10% discount and repeat customers 20% discount. So help me clean out my studio, add to your art collection and help me move into my new apartment! Everyone benefits! I am also available for commissioned portraits of that most favorite horse or dog!

Checkout my website here...DeborahOSullivan.com

All sizes and price ranges! So drop me an email and we can discuss your needs.

Dress Blues, Watercolor on paper, 14 x 11, unframed

To Purchase

If you have an intent to purchase drop me an email and I will send you an invoice with the reflected discount.

I have well over 30 new paintings to list on my website- everything from horse to dogs to landscapes.. As well as all of my daily paintings! Yes, I have been painting every single day! Even if is just a quick sketch out of the car window. I have gotten so god at whipping out my little Winsor & Newton watercolor field kit and my Moleskine watercolor sketchbook and knocking out sketches. I am trying to do a sky a day. And it is simply amazing how your work can evolve with just a few minutes of work a day. Still trying to figure out how to do that with no computer. J One of the things that I have found as I go through the process of separation is how this emotional upheaval has impacted my work. To borrow words from a fellow artist//friend…My art has helped me to express feelings for which there are no words. This expression is incredibly healing for me. I will post some of these emotionally charged paintings as soon as I can get them scanned. Just a bit more patience!

Hoof Pick 2, Acrylic on panel, Daily Painting

Click to Purchase

I have so much news to catch up with. One of which is the week long workshop I attended with master watercolorist Alvaro Castagnet. That is the topic for my next blog. I am off to do some plein air painting on this gorgeous Fourth of July! Enjoy the holiday!

All the best,

Deborah

Winter Studio Sale!

2010-02-14T17:28:00.001-05:00

Winter Studio Sale

It's that time of year again! I got bit by the spring cleaning bug and have been cleaning out my studio. This means I have a few offerings for an Ebay sale. I have listed my newest giclee reproduction of the watercolor original Power & Lightness. This is my newest Dressage reproduction. I have 3 listed with bidding starting at only $15!

I have also listed a couple of Daily Riding Essential Paintings, an original Viszla and an ORIGINAL 10 x 8 acrylic painting. I will be popping a few other items on during the week. So be sure to visit my listing page!

Click here to go to Ebay auction

Other Studio News

Artist Retreat

On another note I am super excited to be attending an artist retreat in May. A will be spending a whole week in the beautiful Catskill Mountains working with master watercolorist Alvaro Castagnet. I am looking forward to immersing myself in this wonderful opportunity to learn from such a wonderful painter. If you are not familiar with his work and are curious to know (and see) more visit his website here.

Dressage Horse WIP 2

2010-02-05T16:21:00.000-05:00

I worked a bit more on this last night. It is starting to throw a bit of a shape now. Originally I was thinking of making this a grey horse but things change! :) I wanted it to pop more so I changed to a more vibrant palette. At this point I am working wet on wet. I wet the areas I want to add color to, drop in the pigments and turn the paper on end letting the colors mix on paper. I keep an eye on maintaining the correct musculature when wetting the paper. Wherever the paper is wet the pigment goes. The dry paper acts like a brake and stops the pigment from going any further by beading up.. This is super fun and I never know what I am going to end up with at this point but the paintings always seem to work out! Here is an example of where I am going with this from my website. Connection

Have a great day!

Deborah

Dressage Horse Watercolor, Dogs & Landscapes

2010-02-02T12:35:00.002-05:00

I have to apologize for my blogging lapses. My little Apple laptop is not recovering from it's kernal panic attacks. I loose everything that I am working on when it crashes. There will be a new laptop in my future.
Art show deadlines have been keeping me busy and I have several pieces that I am completing. I have about 6 paintings I am working on plus a daily plein air. So I am busy, busy, busy again. I am going to be doing a little studio sale on Ebay in the next week so keep an eye out. I'll post info here and I will send out the info in a newsletter. You can have the latest info delivered right to your mailbox. Sign up here... Newsletter
The above image is a fun piece that I am working on. I am playing with this one and seeing where the water and pigment takes me when I push it around the paper. The eyes are in the initial glazing stage so they have a scarey mask-like appearance. It still amazes me how these paintings develop with each glaze. Sometimes I think they will never work out and then all of a sudden they start to throw a shape. This is painted on a quarter sheet (14 x 10 1/2) on Arches 300 lb, hot press paper. This is a super heavy, thick paper with a lovely smooth feel. Just wonderful for pushing paint around.

Still on the easel in my Newfoundland puppy. Starting to push those darks now. She is in the very blue stage! Many of my black dogs start out this way! Getting there!

Since the computer seems to be cooperating I will go ahead and post 2 plein airs that I did. En Plein Air means that they were painted on the spot and not from photos.
The first is a painting of our barn done from the driveway from our house. It was SUPER cold out and the painting water was icing up! But I did get to use my new Cheap Joe's Field Easel! This is a 7 x 10.

This second one is quite large. It meaures 14 x 12 (or there about) and was painted during a break when we had torrential rains that washed away the snow! This is a tree that sits next to my driveway. There is something about this one that I really like.

I don't want to push my luck and have a computer melt down! So signing off here! As always your comments are always appreciated! Have a great day!

Deborah

New Daily Riding Essentials

2010-01-17T21:28:00.000-05:00

The holiday portraits are for completed so I have been playing around with some daily paintings. Back by popular request are the Daily Riding Essentials! How fun are these? This is another hoof pick brush – very similar to the one I did last year. Hoof Pick 2 measures 6 x 8 and is acrylic on canvas panel.

The second image, titled Show Sheen, is of a very popular equine coat polish. I love it for keeping tails silky and tangle free. I really like this one! Measuring 8 x 6 it is acrylic on canvas panel.

These paintings make really cute groupings in a barn office or tack room. If you have any requests pop me an email and let me know! These are $50 each + $4.95 for Priority Mail Shipping and can be purchased through my website here
Click to purchase Show Sheen
Click to purchase Hoof Pick2

If you are interested in more than one let me know and I will generate an invoice to combine the shipping cost. deborah@deborahosullivan.com. Remember to bookmark and check back throughout the week for new Daily Riding Essentials.

Acrylic Draft Cross Portrait

2010-01-12T19:08:00.001-05:00

Today's painting is a 14 x 11 acrylic portrait of a draft cross mare named Bonnie. She is a draft cross and this piece was a Christmas surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed doing this even though it was a real challenge getting it right without her owner's input! My final result brought tears of joy and a "it is perfect!" response from the recipient. That always brings me tremendous satisfaction.
On another note, I am having computer woes with my 7 year old Powerbook. It has been having kernal panics and apparently does not like my new Airport Extreme WiFi base. So I have a new Mac Pro laptop at the top of my 2010 wishl ist. If anyone has any suggestions on what I can do to help this one bring it on! :)

Hope everyone is keeping warm!

Deborah

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Deborah O'Sullivan Website
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Book Review..Memoirs of a Bathtub Psychic

2010-01-06T17:38:00.052-05:00

Today's post is a review of a super book. Okay, now I know it is not art but the author is an artist and the book is about dogs! I will get back to the art tomorrow. This book touched me on so many levels that I just had to share. I picked up this book called Memoirs of a Bathtub Psychic by Bethanne Elion and I could not put it down. I read it in two evenings and loved it. This book is a memoir of how the author got started on her holistic journey to save her dogs and how she has come to terms with her psychic abilities. I have posted a full synopsis of the book below which explains the book better than I can. I am after all a painter not a writer. :) This book is very informative and a real eye opener for anyone who manages their dogs conventionally.....ie kibble, full vaccinations, etc. You will laugh and cry as you read about her journey. A real page turner! If anyone is looking for a great read to cozy up with I highly recommend this one! You can get started by reading Chapter One at her website.
Chapter One

Enjoy!

Memoirs of
the Bathtub Psychic
The True Story of a Clairvoyant and Her Dogs
by Bethanne Elion

SYNOPSIS:

This debut memoir is the heartwarming true story of a woman’s relationship with her Newfoundland dogs, Sophie, Emma and Cubby. These “barking bears” teach her to trust her natural psychic ability, which leads to the discovery of a talent for animal communication and healing.

Afraid to acknowledge her instincts due to negative experiences as a child, a deep love for her dogs motivates Bethanne to open her mind and take unusual steps to improve their lives when they fall ill.

She begins to suspect that some conventional veterinary practices, especially vaccinations, may have actually caused her pets’ serious health problems. Following her intuition and signals provided by her dogs and the Universe, she starts down the path toward holistic medicine.

By opening the channel to psychic communication, Bethanne receives information about her previous incarnations and the lessons she must learn in her current lifetime. An enlightening relationship develops with her spirit guide (and love from a past life), a Native American entity named Gray Wolf who offers wisdom at key moments. She does psychic readings for farmers and pet owners while relaxing in the bathtub, when her third eye is open and important clues for her clients’ healing are revealed.

A compelling read for all animal lovers, this book will be of special interest to pet owners interested in holistic health, organic raw food canine nutrition, and critics of excessive vaccination. It is written in a dynamic, poetic voice and has been well-received by holistic veterinarians and professional psychics alike.

About the Author

Bethanne Elion has a BFA in writing and literature from Emerson College, in Boston. She was born in Danbury, Connecticut, and has lived in New Jersey, Massachusetts and California. Settled in Vermont since 1999, she shares a house and ten acres with her Newfoundland dog, yellow Labrador and three cats.

Bethanne has been deeply involved in animal communication and holistic healing for many years. She works as a nutrition consultant for private clients and for Volhard Nutrition, makers of natural diet and other whole health balancing products for dogs.

As a psychic medium, she incorporates her knowledge of the influences of health and nutrition on behavior in her intuitive pet consultations. Her clients include organic dairy farms, ill and recovering dogs, pets with behavior issues and their owners.

Bethanne is currently at work on her second book, the sequel to Memoirs of the Bathtub Psychic.

Bethanne's Website

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Deborah O'Sullivan
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Cheap Joe's Signature Field Easel

2010-01-05T14:43:00.002-05:00

Today I will be reviewing the Cheap Joe's Signature Field Easel. As soon as I saw this easel I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. Those who know me know that I love pochade boxes. I have my little Guerilla Thumbox and my Alla Prima Bitteroot boxes. Both are great for acrylics or oils but were lacking for me for watercolor. It says on the CJ's website that this easel was designed with the watercolorist in mind. This looks very much like the easel that master watercolorist Joseph Zbukvic uses. I love this easel. It is super easy to set up and take down and it has plenty of workspace in all of the right places. The mast portion has a landscape orientation which I really like. You do need to tape your work to a board or use blocks. It can be set upright and flat as well. The legs are fully adjustable and super easy to fold up. The box also came with a free DVD that has set up instructions and a nice watercolor tutorial on painting trees. This is a great box for other medium as well but it may lack the storage space required for acrylic and oil. It is available in cherry or black and right now it is on sale for only $169. Cheap Joe's also often has great prices on shipping. I only paid $4.95 to have this UPSed to my home. Follow them on Twitter for some good coupon codes and art deals.

I originally bought this as an extra work station for my studio but I will definitely be taking this one outside to do plein air work. Overall- a super box for a super great price! I have a lot of photos below. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

The folded up box

Have a wonderful day!

Deborah

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Deborah O'Sullivan Website
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Happy New Year! Newf watercolor and Dressage Painting

2010-01-04T20:45:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! Now it is back to our regularly scheduled programmimg! :) I took a holiday break and now I am back to work in the studio.
I have some interesting blog posts coming up.. so stay tuned!
I've got a wonderful new easel...The Cheap Joe's Signature Field Easel which I will review here with photos. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this easel
I will review a book that a wonderful author/friend wrote. The book is titled Memoirs of a Bathtub Psychic by Bethanne Elion. I know it is not about art (although she is an artist, too) but this book is a wonderful read.
I will be posting more about the painting process itself. Lots of WIPS and commentary on techniique and answers to some of my most frequently asked questions.

I am looking forward to creating some wonderful new art this year. Here is the start of a new dressage horse and rider work in progress. This is very large 30 x 22 (full sheet) watercolor. This is the initial stages of glazes ...lots more work to be done on this. After doing so many smaller pieces last year I have been wanting go larger!

I also have a couple of pieces that I had started that got put aside as commissions and pressing commitments came in. One of them is Newfoundland pup that has been haunting me. I started the painting.. early last year (I think) and as I was organizing the studio it's cute little eyes (which I had almost finished painting) were peering at me over a stack of canvases. This one I will finish this week. I got a huge chunk completed last night.

The eyes are almost completed here. This painting will require a lot of glazing. This is my typical portrait style watercolor . I thoroughly enjoy doing these and I haven't done many of late because of my many acrylic painting commitments. I need to take my time at this point to lay done the initial washes of color. This will help to creath depth as the painting progresses and the values deepen. So does anyone recognize WHO this little Newf pup is?

Enjoying the process!

Deborah

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Deborah O'Sullivan
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Happy Holidays Everyone!

2009-12-23T20:34:00.001-05:00

Wishing everyone a joyous and safe holiday season!

A HORSE(WO)MAN’S CHRISTMAS by horse trainer Doris Eraldi
It’s the night before Christmas, we’re out in the barn
Blanketing horses to keep them all warm
They’re eating their dinners, tucked in cozy stalls
Not aware that it’s Christmas or any special day at all

They can dream of spring pastures from their pine-scented beds
No visions of sugarplums dance in their heads
But we people are thinking of merry parties and such
Maybe feeling a little sad at missing so much

This season is special but the horses don’t know
We’ve got work to do before we can go
We finish the chores and head on inside
To get ready for dinner and our own yuletide

It’s nearly midnight, the carols are sung
I remember a story I was told when I was young
How at midnight on Christmas Eve
The creatures of the barnyard can speak to us with ease

I am called to the barn, I wade through the rain
I know I must go, I can’t really explain
I slide open the door, pause for a while
Then slowly walk down that dully lit aisle

A nicker from Casey, a wink from JD
Sleepy old Alibi waking to see
Tucker rustling his bedding, a snort soft and light
Each horse gave a greeting as I walked through the night

I thought about parties bright lit and warm
The ones we don’t go to ’cause we have the barn
And vacations and holidays that we don’t get
When we’re working long hours for bills to be met

Walking all the way to the end of the aisle
I stop to stroke Bonnie, it brings me a smile
She snuffles my face, hot breath on my skin
It starts me to thinking about my horses, my kin

I could be at parties with laughter and mirth
But where I am right now is the best place on Earth.

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THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS
'Tis the day before Christmas and all through the house
The puppies are squeaking an old rubber mouse.
The wreath which had merrily hung on the door
Is scattered in pieces all over the floor.
The stockings that hung in a neat little row
Now boast a hole in each one of the toes.
The tree was subjected to bright-eyed whims
And now, although splendid, it's missing some limbs.
I catch them and hold them, be good I insist
They lick me, then turn off to see what they've missed.
And now as I watch them, the thought comes to me
That theirs is the spirit that Christmas should be.
Should children and puppies yet show us the way
And teach us the joy that should come with this day?
Could they bring the message that's written above
And tell us that, most of all, Christmas is love!
~ Author Unknown ~

Warmest regards,
Deborah

Quiet Before the Storm

2009-12-18T17:26:00.001-05:00

We are battening down the hatches and getting ready to be blasted by a major snowstorm. Winter has come early or so it seems. The Christmas lights look so lovely in the snow. On that note, I thought I would post a photo of my tree! I have all the gifts wrapped, the cookies are baked and house decorated.
I am looking forward to going back into the studio and hit the watercolors. I had my new paper delivered from Cheap Joe's today. Lovely 300 lb Saunders Rough Press and Arches 300lb Hot Press paper. I do love the HP paper for my more detailed paintings. In my next update I will post some photos of a new work that is waiting to be completed.

Stay warm and safe! Enjoy the season!

Deborah

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Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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Last Commission Completed!

2009-12-15T19:43:00.001-05:00

I have been so busy painting, packing and delivering artwork that my blog writing has suffered terribly. I have finally finished my last commissioned holiday gift. This should reach it's destination before Christmas. I cannot post images of the latest portraits just yet. Don't want to ruin any surprises! After I deliver several packages to the post office I can take a deep breath and take some time to enjoy the holidays! I am also looking forward to hitting my watercolors again. All of the portraits have been done in acrylics. While I certainly do enjoy this medium I have to say that watercolors are my favorite!

On that note I have some plans for some wonderful new horse art. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter for updates! Newsletter

I need to build up my inventory again as I have sold most of my original equine paintings over the past three months. I want to welcome my new patrons! I am delighted that my work has touched you all.....

Reproductions are still available of my most popular images. I have had many, many requests for large format reproductions of Collection and Connection. I have set up an account with Imagekind to pruce these for me. You can order straight through them. I recommend you select the Ultrasmooth Fine Art Paper or the Somersett Velvet. You can select the paper by clicking on Customize rather than Add to cart. These two images have a lot of impact! So here you go guys! Enjoy! To order go to to http://Aquarelle.imagekind.com/

Collection

Connection

It certainly feels like winter has arrived in this part of the country. Sunday we got caught in what looked like some innocent light rain when the streets became glazed with ice. We (my husband, son and I) ended up sitting on the road along with hundreds of others motorists for several hours. The salters and sanders couldn't even get anywhere! It was wild. But we came through it fine.

Yesterday we headed over the border into Connecticut to pick up our raw milk. I feel like a smuggler with contraband. Apparently it illegal to buy raw milk in New York. Anyway we stopped at a lovely park that has some gorgeous waterfalls for a nice walk. The falls are starting to freeze since the temps have been so low. So I took a photo for you guys to enjoy. This is my son giving the thumbs up!

Kent Falls

Hoping everyone is enjoying the Season!

Deborah

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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Wish - SOLD

2009-12-07T17:31:00.000-05:00

This must be a record. This little painting sold with 24 hours with several requests. Thanks so much for the interest. I 'll be posting some more smaller works this weeks in between my holiday painting commission work. So stay tuned! :)

All the best,
Deborah

This Weeks Little Painting ~ Holiday Wish

2009-12-06T17:10:00.002-05:00

My Epona Studio holiday cards are completed. This image depicts a baroque horse in the snow. I painted this on 6 x 8 cradles hardboard. and had it made into greeting cards.It is wired and ready for hanging. Inquiries to deborah@deborahosullivan.com The original is available for $50 plus $5 for Priority Mail shipping. The original DOES NOT contain the words WISH!

We had a nice snowfall in the North East yesterday. It really helps puts you in the holiday mood. I am about finished decorating and I will post photos when I am through! Hope everyone is having a lovely holiday season!

Warm regards,
Deborah

Dress Blues Revisited and FREE Golden Open Paint!

2009-12-02T12:28:00.003-05:00

This painting has been haunting me. It has had no less then 5 inquiries from collectors wanting to purchase it yet here it sits in my studio. I keep looking at the painting and the horse's expression and eye have really been bothering me. So last night I sat down with my little Arches #1 Sable and got to work on the eye. Ten minutes later...voila! I now have a painting that I love.

Older version- I am known for the expression that I can create in the eye and this just was not cutting it for me. Eye too dull and flat..

New and improved version of Dress Blues- 11 x 14 Watercolor on Arches 140# Hot Press paper. This is much improved. Don't you think?
Now and I would be delighted to send this off to new home! To purchase click

Who wants some free Golden Open paints? :)

I have tried these Open Golden paints and just don't like them They stay open too long for my liking . I will stick with my M Grahams which stay open just long enough for my style of painting. But I do know that many of you fellow artist's do like them. So on that note I will be happy to give away one 4 oz jar of Golden Open Ultramarine Blue (retails for $10) and one 4 oz jar of Golden Open Burnt Umber (retails for $9) to the first artist who says they want them! You can comment below or send me and email. Just pay for the shipping! Specify how you want them shipped and I will find out the cost.They are almost completely full. Consider this my Christmas gift to one of my lucky artist readers! :)

Have a happy day!

Deborah

Border Collie Joy wins the CAG Helping Paws People's Choice Award!

2009-12-01T17:01:00.002-05:00

So much news this week. I have just about resolved my internet issues. YAY! I have switched dsl companies so hopefully I will now have consistant dsl connection. I get hooked up tomorrow!

Border Collie Joy Wins the Canine Art Guild's Helping Paws People's Choice Award!

First, I want to thank each and everyone of you who voted for Border Collie Joy which is in the Canine Art Guild's 2nd Annual Helping Paws Online Exhibit. The painting Border Collie Joy connected with the most viewers and earned the First Place People's Choice Award! The dog in the painting is named Luke and he was the founder's of GHF first BC Rescue. He inspired them to go on a make it a life's mission to rescue these wonderful dogs.Glen Highland Farm will get a nice donation of $100! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote!! This means so much to me!

Border Collie Joy

Watercolor

Canine Art Guild's Helping Paw Online Exhibit

First Place People's Choice Award

To Benefit Glen Highland Farm Border Collie Rescue

Sunsoaked! Sold

This week I sent off Sunsoaked to it's new home. I do love this piece and I have to say iit is one of my favorites. It is in the running for the HITS (Horse Show in the Sun) 2010 Winter Program Covers for Ocala, Florida and Thermal , Ca. I hope it gives as much pleasure to it's new owner as has to me in it's creation.

Sunsoaked!

16 x 20 Acrylic

I have so much more to report but I will save it for another blog post! I need to get up to speed and get my posts more regular again! So check back tomorrow!

Have a great evening!

Deborah

Holiday Shopping!

2009-11-18T17:41:00.001-05:00

I have been working at updating my various shops for holiday shopping. Etsy has a variety of artwork and reproductions and I am continuing to add items. And my gift shop has everything from holiday ornaments, T shirts and home accessories. I am continuing to add new images daily.
Etsy
Epona Studio Gift Shop
You are sure to find something for the horse and dog on your gift lover.

Deborah

Jumper Painting

2009-11-17T12:16:00.002-05:00

I haven't completed a large horse painting in quite a while so last night I hit the canvas and came up with this. The color was literally flying off my brushes. I had a lot of fun with this. I have been doing a lot of dog commissions this holiday season...it's funny last year was mostly horses..this year it's dogs. And I have also been immersed in watercolor landscapes. So it was about time to get back to the horses. Anyway, this is titled Sunsoaked! It is acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas and measures 16 x 20. I have an agenda for this one but it is also offered sale. Inquiries will have to come to me for now as it won't go up on my website until I have a better photo. I fired these off what my iphone! :)
So if you would like to see this hanging on your wall or would like to give it as a gift email me! deborah@deborahosullivan.com

I sent off my Fall Newsletter by snail mail this morning. If you would like to receive a copy drop me an email with your mailing info and I will get one in the mail to you or you can sign up for the electronic version of the newsletter by going here.

I am off to go have a nice mocha latte now.... my on true vice in life! Have yourself a great day!

Deborah

Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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Happy Customers and Kittens....

2009-11-07T12:15:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I delivered the Border Collie portrait to it's new home and it was thrilling to see the reaction to it first hand. Most of my paintings go to their new homes via U.S. Priority Mail so it was wonderful to see first hand what the initial reaction to the painting would be. She was thrilled to say the least..there was even some delighted jumping up and down! and oh the smiles :) It felt really, really good. And it is one of the most enjoyable aspects of doing portraits of pets. II love my job! realized that I inadvertently did not post the correct version of the painting in my last post. So sorry about that! I need to check things a bit more thoroughly when I blog. So here is the completed portrait. No really! This time I double checked! :)

I do have a few spots open for portraits for holiday gift giving so in an effort to avoid the holiday rush (that I always seem to get in December) I am offering a special on portraits if you reserve your spot BEFORE November 20. Drop me an email and I will fire you back the details in a flier.
Now about the kitten. I have received quite a few emails from you guys telling to keep the kitty. Come on ...you were supposed help convince me to give the kitty up for adoption so that I could foster another. So I guess you guys win. Geri stays and he is now my official studio cat.
;l

Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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On Foster Kittens and Dog Portraits

2009-11-04T11:17:00.001-05:00

So I agreed to foster a kitten for my wonderful friend Lisa who has Purrfect Companions cat rescue here in NY. Did I say foster? Well, Geri (mistake #1..he is named) came to my house 2 weeks ago as a very frightened, feral, hissing and spitting little 6 or 7 week old kitten. Now he is a total lovebug who loves to cuddle and I am supposed to be giving him up soon. Yeah right! His ad runs this week. I do NOT need another animal! Tell me the kitty has to go...the kitty has to go... repeat.....

Geri

On another note.. My BC portrait is finished and is heading off to it's new home tomorrow. I get such satisfaction with completing these commissions. Don't forget to book your portrait spot soon if you are planning on giving a holiday portrait this year! Send me an email for more info! deborah@deborahosullivan.com

Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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Border Collie WIP 2

2009-10-29T14:36:00.001-04:00

Second update on the Border Collie WIP (Work In Progress). Not too much more last night but I did a bit on the eye (still more to do) and background. I am quite satified with this so far and got a nod of delighted approval from his owner when she had a look at the portrait's progress.
I am trying some Golden Open Paints on this and I am not sure I like them. They stay...well..open too long for my liking. I use M Graham acrylics and they have a fairly long open time which is just enough for the way I work. This painting measures 11 x 14 and is on gallery wrapped canvas.

Drop me an email if you are interested in reserving a spot for a holiday portrait.

Gift Certificates available in all price ranges!

deborah@deborahosullivan.com

Deborah O'Sullivan Art
www.deborahosullivan.com
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A Holiday Portrait WIP

2009-10-28T12:57:00.001-04:00

Last night it was back to the acrylics to work on holiday portraits. I can't post a few of them til after the holidays because they are surprises. Can't ruin the surprise..now can we? Today's image is on it's way to be completed. I am thrilled to be doing a portrait of this Border Collie because he comes from the same rescue , Glen Highland Farm, as my beloved Tess. He is in a classic BC pose...waiting for his frisbee to be thrown. This is close to be finished. The eyes are not finished just blocked in at this point. I neglected to take photos earlier but I managed to whip out the iphone and get this. I apologize for the all of that glare! I am coming into the home stretch with this starting to add the fun details and will post the final image. Portraits make such wonderful, treasured gifts. Just a couple of spots left for this year or you can purchase a gift certificate. Contact me if you would like to schedule a portrait or purchase a gift certificate.

Slide Slam & Art Auctions

2009-10-27T11:58:00.000-04:00

I want to apologize for being a slacker posting to my blog. We are having more internet fun with Verizon and are having trouble with our internet service. I am blogging in Word! Does the count?

The Slide Slam was a terrific success Friday evening. We had a super thought provoking Q & A at the the end of the program. I find it fascinating learning about what makes an artist tick and how they go about the creative process. My public speaking abilities have improved considerably in doing these presentations and I learn more about myself when I talk about my own art in a public form. Overall, a very interesting evening.
On another note I attended a fundraising art auction on Saturday evening and I am somewhat speechless at the deals that were to be had. Now I see why they say if you want deals on art then attend these types of auctions. Some super, super art from well known artists went for so little that I think the frames were more expensive then the closing bids. I was very troubled by this. What is the solution for it?

I've been painting away on some dog commissions fr the holidays. I will be posting the results as they become available.

Raise Your Prices?

2009-10-22T15:01:00.001-04:00

I was going through my mailbox and ran across this article by Clint Watson of FineArtStudioOnline.com . I have actually had the experience that he writes about and was wondering what others have experienced. My art has been selling very well now that I have raised my prices. Very cool but is it because I raised the prices or all because of all of the hard work I do marketing it? The chicken or egg thing here. I have actually spent so much of my time marketing that I need to make more art! I am running out of originals…. Which leads to my next question and conundrum. How to do I manage my time between marketing and creating art? I would love to hear how other artists manage this. So feel free to comment below!

Does Expensive Art Just Look Better?

by Clint Watson

"If it Doesn't Sell...Raise Your Prices"

We know a very famous, talented and respected artist whose paintings now sell for upwards of $100,000 apiece. He once shared his pricing "secret" with us. It was a simple philosophy. He told us, "If a painting doesn't sell, I simply raise the price." He went on to relate the story of showing a painting in New York for $2,000 where it didn't sell. So he moved to another gallery in New York and raised the price to $4,000. It still didn't sell. He moved it to a Santa Fe gallery and raised the price to $6,000. It still didn't sell. Finally, he exhibited the painting at a show in Oklahoma and raised the price to $10,000.....and it sold.

How can this be? We've all heard about the "laws" of supply and demand.....but those laws just don't seem to apply to art.....or indeed other luxury items.

Expensive Wine Just Tastes Better

A few days ago I stumbled across a blog post on Brain Blogger titled Expensive Wine Just Tastes Better, which led me to the initial study reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences dryly titled Marketing actions can modulate neural representations of experienced pleasantness.

If you can look past the dry title, the study surprisingly concludes, " Our results show that increasing the price of a wine increases subjective reports of flavor pleasantness as well as blood-oxygen-level-dependent activity in medial orbitofrontal cortex, an area that is widely thought to encode for experienced pleasantness during experiential tasks. The paper provides evidence for the ability of marketing actions to modulate neural correlates of experienced pleasantness and for the mechanisms through which the effect operates."

In short, the study concluded that Expensive Wine Tastes Better, or, more correctly, if you charge more money for the same wine.....people will think that it tastes better.

Does Expensive Art Look Better?

It seems to us, that this study, coupled with our anecdotal evidence related in the story of our famous artist above leads us to wonder....if you charge more money for the same painting, will people think it looks better?

The answer seems to be . . . yes.

Sincerely,

Clint Watson

Software Craftsman and Art Fanatic

PS - Raising prices can be a big step. We still feel that it's best to raise your prices little-by-little, consistently over time. Remember that in the wine study that the people did seem to enjoy the "expensive" wine more . . . however, they were given the wine.....they did not purchase it. We have enjoyed a couple of $100 bottles of wine that were given to us as gifts....but we've never actually purchased one.

Editor's Note: While raising prices is a bit counter-intuitive, it is one marketing strategy that certainly can be effective when done right. For more marketing strategies, consider getting a copy of Alyson Stanfield's book, I'd Rather be in the Studio! Learn More.

----------------------------------------------

This article appears courtesy of FineArtViews.com by Clint Watson, a free email newsletter about art, marketing, inspiration and fine living for artists, collectors and galleries (and anyone else who loves art) .

For a complimentary subscription, visit: http://www.fineartviews.com

-----------------------------------------------

Slide Slam

2009-10-20T16:55:00.000-04:00

Busy, busy these days getting my art inventory ready for the holiday rush. I have some new ornaments and Holiday greeting cards on tap. My porcelain ornaments are always a big seller and make great stocking stuffers. My spots for a dog or horse portrait gift giving are going fast so drop me an email if you are interested in one in time for holiday gift giving.
Friday night at 7pm in the Pawling Library Slide Slam. Our run through went really great the other night with some new artists and some wonderful artwork. So if you are in the area be sure to stop in for a fun evening, some refreshment and chatting with fellow art fans. Pawling Library is located on Broad Street in the village of Pawling.

Holiday Pet Portraits, New Venues & Landscapes...oh my!

2009-10-15T15:24:00.002-04:00

It is time to start thinking about the holidays as evidenced by the snow falling outside of my studio window! If you have been thinking of giving a pet portrait for the holidays it is time to place those orders! I have had a flood of requests for dog, horse and even cat portraits for the holidays and I have a few spots left for portraits for holiday gift giving. Contact me for details and options. Gift certificates for portraits are also available. A custom portrait makes wonderful keepsakes of a treasured pet. They are available in all price ranges and sizes starting at 5 x7!
I am happy to announce that I have many pieces of original equine art on exhibit and available for sale at Heart & Soul Tack Shop in Millbrook, New York. The Grand Opening of this new tack shop was on October 10. It is located right next door to the Agway in Millbrok, New York. So if you are in the area be sure to stop in! I have a large variety of giclee reproductions available as well.

I have been hard at work on my landscape watercolor skills and the above image is a watercolor painting of October"s Wet Canvas challenge. The reference photo is of Gold Hill Shaftesbury in the UK. This is my third effort on this one. Third time's the charm!
I have such a complete fascination with watercolor. I can't stay away from it. The bulk of my portrait work is done in acrylics but I just keep coming back to my watercolors! This painting is 8 x 10 on Arches 140lb Rough Press. Oh and images are clickable for an enlarged view~

Helping Paws On line Exhibit

2009-10-04T11:10:00.006-04:00

The Canine Art Guild's Helping Paws Exhibit has gone live. So it is time for you to go vote! Be sure to view all three pages before voting for your favorite! All of the artwork in the Exhibition will be for sale with each artist pledging a percentage of the sale price to their choice of rescue groups/shelters. In addition, further cash donations will be made to the rescue/shelter group supported by the artists whose artwork is voted as the ‘People’s Choice’ and ‘Honorary Mentions’ at the end of the exhibition. Voting is open to the public on-line once the exhibition goes live. I have 3 paintings (of Border Collies, what else? :)) I have chosen Glen Highland Farm as the rescue that I am supporting and have entered 3 Border Collie images. To vote go to......
People's Choice Award

Thanks so much!

Fall Is Here

2009-10-01T12:29:00.008-04:00

Fall is here in the NorthEast and with it all of the gorgeous foliage, apple & pumpkin picking and new a schedule of exciting studio happenings. The holidays are right around the corner and I am gearing up for the holiday season. This years holiday cards will be ready soon as well as the newest porcelain ornaments with my artwork on them. I have a saved few spots open for portrait gift giving. So if you would like to give the gift of a dog portrait send me an email and I will fire you back all of the details!

Slide Slam
On Friday, October 23, 2009 from 7-9 pm I am a participating artist along with five other artists, in the the Fall Slide Slam in Pawling, NY. Spend an entertaining evening viewing the work of artist and hear what inspired each unique style Enjoy refreshments and conversation with your fellow artist and art enthusiast. Pawling Library, 11 Broad Street, Pawling, NY.

The Canine Art Guilds 6th Annual Helping Paws Exhibit goes live today.
The exhibition has entries from artists from all over the world and will be held from October 1, 2009 until the end of January 2010.
All of the artwork in the Exhibition will be for sale with each artist pledging a percentage of the sale price to their choice of rescue groups/shelters. In addition, further cash donations will be made to the rescue/shelter group supported by the artists whose artwork is voted as the ‘People’s Choice’ and ‘Honorary Mentions’ at the end of the exhibition. Voting is open to the public on-line once the exhibition goes live.
I will post details as soon as the link becomes available. I have chosen Glen Highland Farm as the rescue that I will be supporting and have entered 3 Border Collie images. So be sure to vote for the People's Choice Award and lets raise some money for those Border Collies!
A little bit about Glen Highland Farm....
GHF is a 175 acre nature sanctuary in upstate New York that was created to protect animals from cruel and inhumane situations and to foster and promote the positive principles of nonviolence between children and their environment through the human/animal/nature relationship. Throughout the year, GHF operates a proactive rescue and adoption program for homeless, unwanted & abandoned border collies and border collie mixes. These dogs are frequently victims of neglect and abuse. At GHF, they are evaluated, spayed/neutered, treated medically where necessary, rehabilitated socially and eventually placed into new homes. GHF will save 200 dogs every year.GHF has created a unique summer camp program for inner city children that unites the rescue border collies with the children in an integrated work, study, and play program that teaches the children positive, loving and humane methods of basic animal care and training.

More art news to come with some photos of my latest paintings so check back soon or better yet subscribe to my blog and have the latest news delivered to your mailbox! I am also about ready to send out my Fall Newsletter so be sure to sign up here for the email version or if you prefer a copy by snail mail just send me an email with your contact info...here and I will send one out to you as soon as they become available

Watercolor Studies

2009-09-23T16:31:00.003-04:00

I have been working on my watercolor technique these days. I did these two studies last week. The first painting is of a maple tree. I am really tryng to learn my way aroud trees. Each variety has very specific details. So it has been quite an education learning about which way the branches grow, the colors of the foliage, etc.
The second panting is of a moody rainy sky. I love doing clouds and painting these kinds of dark skies. Reminds me of the rainy days in the Pacific Northwest. Watercolor just seems to be made for these kinds of scenes. These are both small, about 8 x 10 on Arches Rough Press paper. I just may list these on Ebay....

Don't forget the that the studio sale is still going on! Mosey on over and have a look see for some great prices on reproductions and even some small original pieces!

Ebay Sale

Fall Studio Sale!

2009-09-08T17:45:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year again! The Fall Studio Sale! This is a great opportunity to get a jump on your holiday shopping! I have listed dog and horse originals and reproductions for super great prices. I have even included 2 new releases. Check them out here..
Epona Studio Fall Sale

Jack Russell

2009-09-06T15:32:00.006-04:00

Aaahh...the Jack Russell Terrier or the Parson Russel as it is now called..very cute ans always up to something. This little daily painting is titled Digging For Trouble and measures 5 x 7. It is painted on a craadled, birch panels and 3/4 inch deep. Varnished,wired and ready for hanging! $35 plus $5 for shipping.

Irish Cityscape in Watercolor - WIP #2

2009-09-04T20:17:00.005-04:00

A few days ago I posted the sketch for this painting and tonight I am actually painting. This is the watercolor version of the little acrylic of a street in Cork,Ireland that I did last week. Scroll down to see that one. I don't anticipate that it will take too long to do. I almost forgot to take a photo once I got into the zone. I apologize for the not so great image I had to take it with my iPhone.
Cheers!

My Watercolor Plein Air Set Up

2009-08-30T12:01:00.008-04:00

I have had a few requests from readers to see my plein air set up for watercolors. I actually have 2 set ups for wc. A small one in my purse which I will detail in another post and my larger set up for bigger paintings. I use the Alla Prima 10 x 12 Bitterroot Pochade Box for my watercolors. This is a really great box hand made here in the USA by Ben Haggett!

Here is the box ready to go. I have a lightweight, 11 x 16 masonite board, my chair, water and tripod strapped to the pochade with elastic straps and I have added a shoulder strap that I took off an old bag. The whole thing weighs about 8 pounds.

Here a couple of photos of the set up. Ready to paint.

I use an enameled metal box which folds up and fits in the drawer or my new Heritage palette from Cheap Joe’s (which I really like but does not fit in the drawer) for my paints. I fill my own pans with M Grahams and a few Holbein colors. Board fits very nicely into the magnetic clips of pochade. I can also fit blocks of Arches paper in a variety of sizes very nicely. This is one versatile pochade box. I love seeing other set up so post links with what you use!

Below is a photo of my painting buddy- my 10 year old son, Aidan. He really enjoys the plein air experience and has been creating a watercolor nature journal.

Watercolor CityScape WIP 1

2009-08-27T20:28:00.005-04:00

I painted this little acrylic of a street in Cork, Ireland the other night. This is a real departure frm my usual work of horses and dogs. I really enjoyed painting this. I painted this from a great reference photo that my husband took when he went home. This is acrylic and only measure 5 x 7 and is painted on cradled birch panel so it does not require framing.
Now I am attempting to do the same scene in watercolor. I am doing it quite a bit larger (11 x 14). I will post the WIP (Work In Progress) for this one. I am painting this on Arches 140 lb rough press. The first image is mt palette. I will probably on use 4 or 5 of the colors here. The second image is of my image of my initial sketch. You get one shot with watercolors so wish me luck! I will post updates as they become available.

Dress Blues- Hunter

2009-08-10T14:32:00.004-04:00

Dress Blues is the title of this 14 x 11 watercolor . You can see the progression of this painting by scrolling further down the page. This depicts a classic moment of a show ring hunter in action. I love the play of light on this. I had to stop myself from doing more to this because it is so easy to overwork a watercolor. I have a sign over my drafting table that says, "Stop me before I kill again!" This piece can be yours for $180. It is unframedand not matted When it comes back from the framers price will go up! Email me for details deborah@deborahosullivan.com
Remember you can click on the image for an enlarged view.

Retriever Daily Paintings

2009-08-06T11:37:00.005-04:00

I have managed to do two daily paintings.I have had several requests to do retrievers..so here thay are. These are retrievers painted on 5 x 7 hardwood cradled panels that are 3/4 inch deep. I have painted the side, applied 2 coats of satin varnished and wired them for hanging! No need to frame (unless of course you want to). These are headed to the Bakla Java for display but are also available on my Etsy site for $30 each plus $5 shipping. The swimming lab has sold! Thanks for all of the inquiries!

SOLD

SOLD

Back again

2009-07-26T15:29:00.005-04:00

So sorry I have been so quiet lately. Doing another battle with Lyme and erlichiosis.. I started an herbal protocol with the doxy this time and am seeing a huge difference. My art has been selling well despite my break frm studio business and I would like to thank all of my new collectors for all of the wonderful comments on my art. Yesterday I delivered A Good Scratch to it's new home here in Pawling. This little 8 x 10 will be on the cover of The Chronicle of the Horse Magazine. Anyway, I dropped it off at a gorgeous horse farm and got a tour of the farm and met all of equine. The owners did such a beautiful job on the facility. A delightful afternoon. It iis always a pleasure when my art is appreciated by fellow horse and dog people!
I have listed Doxie in Blue and Viszla to my Etsy store. Cost foe each is $25 + $4.85 Priority Mail Shipping.

To purchase Visla...Click

To purchase Doxie in Blue...Click here

Keep an eye out for a lot more affordable small works! Let me know if you would like to see your breed and I always welcome good clear reference photos of dogs and horse for future paintings!

If you are in the area (Pawling, NY) be sure to stp into the Bakla Java Cafe on E Main for a nice cup of joe and to see some of my work! Enjoy!

Vizsla and Dachshund and an Exhibition

2009-06-27T18:40:00.008-04:00

Quite a few updates for today. First is a new exhibition of my work at the Bakla Java Cafe on E. Main Street in Pawling, NY. I have both horse and dog original art and prints available for purchase.
I have been busy painting dogs these days. These two both measure 6 x 6 inches and are acrylic on canvas board. I am concentrating on getting one small painting dne a day so theses are quick, loose sketches.
The first is a Viszla. I am satisfied that I have captured the essence of the breed

To purchase Visla, go here..Buy Now

The second little painting is of a black and tan Dachshund. These are such darling little dogs! I I painted this one alla prima. Both paintings are available for purchase for $25 each plus $4.85 Priority Mail shippng.

To purchase Doxie in Blue go here..BUY NOW

Have a great weekend!

Foal Painting & Hunter WIP

2009-06-09T21:37:00.004-04:00

Another painting finished. I am really enjoying the process of doing a daily painting. This is another small piece measuring 8 x 10, acrylic on canvas board. Titled Morning Light it captures a foal lying down in the tall grass. This is a very familiar sight this time of year around these parts. I used a reference photo from the Wet Canvas ref library. This one is available for sale for $45 and includes Priority Mail shipping. To Purchase
And be sure to check out some of this weeks previous offerings.

In addition to this acrylic painting I have been working on a rather large (for me) watercolor of a hunter (horse). This measure 14 x 11. The support I am using here is Arches Cold Press paper. Not my favorite paper so I am giving it another chance to see if I like it. I do LOVE to paint on Arches Hot Press. It is a lovely super smooth surface and it just lets me push the paint around. Today I am posting WIP1 & 2 (WIP stands for Work In Progress). It is very much in the uglies stage at this point but we will push through! ☺
First glazes going down here. When I work with these watercolor horse paintings I need to lay down a very detailed sketch first. Watercolor is not very forgiving since so many of the pigments I like working with are very staining so they won’t lift very easily.

Starting to throw a better shape here. Patience and more patience. More WIPS tomorrow! Remember, all images are clickable for an enlarged view. Have a great one!

Border Collie Painting

2009-06-07T22:03:00.004-04:00

Hitting the studio with gusto! Today's daily painting is a Border Collie. What About Me? is the title of this one. It depicts my most favorite breed of dog. This one really, really wants to come out to play but can't reach the latch! :) This one is a small 5 x7, acrylic on canvas panel. As always can pop into a standard size stock frame. This little gem is super affordable and can be yours for $35 and includes Priority Mail shipping! SOLD

Flatwork Painting Completed

2009-06-07T21:39:00.006-04:00

I have been laying really low these days so I apologize for my lack of updates. Been feeling icky with this Lyme disease. Here is the much delayed finish to the jumper painting. Titled Flatwork it measures 10 x 8 and is acrylic on canvas board. Check out the previous post for the story behind this piece of art. This one is available for sale. To purchase click the following and you will be directed to my website for a safe and secure transaction. Price is $80 and includes Priority Mail shipping and insurance. Purchase Flatwork

Jumper Schooling on the Flat WIP2

2009-05-12T12:24:00.005-04:00

More on this little jumper painting. I had fully intended to finish this little painting last week but I wasn't feeling great. Those darn ticks got me again. I have Lyme...again... This is becoming my spring right of passage. Please, guys, check yourselves and your animals thoroughly for ticks after being in the great outdoors.
Okay, so back to this painting. When I first started out in horses I did the jumpers. I had a super Amateur Owner (A/O) horse named Mr CJ Bonkers. He was a super, super TB (ex racehorse) that I picked up cheap by paying his back board. His owner didn't want him anymore and he was just left in his stall for a couple of months when I found him. He was a very difficult, complicated spooky guy. But we clicked and we had a blast together. He was very accident prone..needed to be wrapped in bubble wrap....:) ..constantly getting stitches for this, cold hosed for that. He couldn't be tied and he spooked at everything when I first got him. His name was actually very appropriate! :) But this boy could jump and jump well and he was super fast. And I loved him dearly. We competed very successfully on the East Coast in the jumpers until I retired him at age 14 because of odd lameness issues that no vet could diagnose. Turns out he had LYME disease! Seeing a theme here? This was back in the early 80's before vets around here would routinely check for it. He was treated but never came 100% sound so he was lightly ridden, hunter paced, etc for fun .He loved to do stuff. He had an untimely, tragic death in a pasture accident at the age of 18 on Thanksgiving morning. He was an incredible boy. I am sure some of you have known a special horse like this. I'd love to hear about them!
So what,you may be thinking, does any of this have to do with this painting? The horse in the reference photo that I used for this could be his twin. So I will be using some of CJ's photos to complete this. I really will have this finished tonight.
This one is for those special horses. Let's hear about yours!

Jumper Painting

2009-05-05T20:20:00.006-04:00

I just started this new painting of a jumper working on the flat this evening. I'm taking a little break so thought I would post the work in progress. I pretty much just blocked in the shapes here and will start to tighten things up a bit but not too much. I want to keep it loose and painterly. This measures 10 x 8 and is acrylic on canvas board. I apologize for the glare I took it with a flash but you can get the basic idea.
I listed a new quick sketch 5 x 7 painting yesterday in my Etsy store. It is a small acrylic sketch of an in- foal Gypsy Vanner from a reference photo from the Wet Canvas reference library. Painted on gessoed hardboard it can pop right into a stock frame and is ready for hanging. This is titled Gypsy Mama.

SOLD

Maplebrook Art Show

2009-05-04T19:38:00.012-04:00

Saturday evenings art opening was a great success. Great people, fabulous artwork, wonderful food, big Derby hats and a thrilling race! When we arrived there was a brass band outside dressed up in red and white stripes. The first person I saw was equine photographer extraordinaire Juliet Harrison. She made a rosette out of film for her hat. Very clever! Be sure to check out her website to see her wonderful work. Juliet Harrison Photography

That's me on the left with my crazy Derby hat with Juliet on the right.

My derby hat. I found this hat in a consignment shop and then just stuffed it with fake flowers and rooster, turkey and Guinea Hen feathers. My roosters are not very happy! ;-)

Juliet with one her entries.

Two of my pieces on display.The painting Eyelashes depicts an inquisitive little foal.
Below that is Power & Lightness which I have previously done a WIP here on the blog.

Tilly Strauss is a wonderful local artist who participated in the show. I adore her work as I find it both whimsical and haunting. It can catch me off guard and make me think. There is something in her work that I can really relate to. Be sure to check out her website and blog.
Tilly Strauss Website
Tilly's Blog Showing Up For the Muse

The art show runs until June 7 and all artwork is available for sale. See link for details.
Maplebrook Art Show

Interview

2009-05-01T19:22:00.003-04:00

I was interviewed about my art on Equinest. To read the full interview go here.

A reminder! Tomorrow is the Maplebrook Art Show Opening. Info in the previous post. I am looking forward to seeing some familiar faces!

I have been active on Twitter these days so why don't you hop on over and follow! To follow me go to @eponastudio. I offer a 20% discount on a first purchase of an original painting
to my Twitter followers. Be sure to notify me of your intent to purchase and your Twitter id so that I can send you an invoice with the reflected discount! Come join the fun!

I am off to the studio to paint. I have been selling well and need to make more art! Happy spring!

Power & Lightness

2009-04-17T16:40:00.002-04:00

I think I am calling this watercolor done. Titled Power & Lightness it depicts a lovely stallion piaffing.
This is heading up to an art show next week and is available for sale. Matted, frammed and ready to hang for $650. I'll post the info when it becomes available.

Studio News- Art Events

2009-04-12T13:48:00.006-04:00

The next couple of weeks will be pretty busy. So today's update will be event related. So mark your calendars! I am really looking forward to participating in these events.

ArtEast and Pawling Library Slide Slam
Friday, April 24, 2009
Pawling Library Annex
Broad Street
Pawling, NY

(845) 855-3444
Spend an entertaining and fun evening viewing the work of artists. Listen to what inspired each unique style.
Enjoy friendly conversation and refreshments with your fellow artist and art enthusiast.

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I am delighted to be exhibiting at the Maplebrook Show. I will post updates as they become available.

25th Annual Maplebrook Art Show & Sale
Opening Reception
May 2, 2009 5 pm
“Over Hill and Dale”
Art work will include a section representing the equestrian world, landscapes and other nature based themes and interpretations, especially those of our region and the greater Northeast.

This year’s show will coincide with and celebrate the running of the Kentucky Derby and feature a Derby theme at the opening including favorites such as mint juleps, big hats, and Kentucky celebratory foods, plus a viewing of the 135th annual race at Churchill Downs, “the most exciting two minutes in sports.”

Piaffing Dressage Horse WIP

2009-04-04T13:09:00.004-04:00

I had a nice long session in the studio last night and I thought I would post the results of my watercolor painting. This is a WIP of a dressage horse piaffing (or trotting on the spot).. WIP stands for Work-In-Progress. I am at the stage where I will look at it for a couple of days and then I will make changes or additions. This is 10 x 8 on Arches Cold Press. I usually work on hot press but I thought I would give the cp a go. I found that I couldn't push the paint and water around as easily. I used a pretty limited palette of cobalt, ult. blue, yellow ochre, aliz crimson and Payne's grey then azo, sap green and black(for the greens). All images are clickable for an enlarged view.

I worked wet on wet on the background just dropping paint and pushing it around.

Just laying down glazes. Not sure how I wil finish the rider's face. I don't want much detail on his face. So this is one of the things I need to figure out..

Still laying in glazes and playing around with the colors..

This is where I have ended up. I am pretty happy with it so far. I need to work on the bridle, the horse's eye and the rider's face,shirt and boot. Then do some softening of the lines where the colors come together. I don't want to overwork this.

And as always it has no title so suggestions are most happily welcomed! Naming paintings is harder for me that painting them!

Updated Photos

2009-03-31T16:51:00.008-04:00

I wanted to post some better photos of this dressage painting. The glare in the previous post was bothering me. I have also included some close-ups shots. I will listing this on my Etsy Store this evening so be sure to check it out! I will post the link tonight. This is unframed, price of $335 includes Priority Mail shipping + insurance. A payment plan is available for this one and all artwork over $100. See my Etsy Store for details.

Half Pass Dressage Painting

2009-03-28T19:10:00.003-04:00

I had a super productive day in the studio today. I had the whole day to myself and I just got into the zone. I am calling this one done...theoretically speaking of course. I may find something that needs tweaking here or there. I struggled with this painting a bit because I went into it without a plan what-so-ever. This is a horse doing a half pass across the diagonal. This is a larger painting..refreshing for me since I have been doing so many small pieces lately. This is acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas and measures 18 x 14. It is available for sale! Time to do a new watercolor.. comments always welcome! The image has a bit of glare on it. I apologize for that. Don't forget that all images are clickable for an enlarged view!

WIP #2 Herding Border Collie Painting

2009-03-28T18:54:00.003-04:00

Here is the next installment on this little Border Collie painting. I am working on the perspective trying to achieve the correct depth between the dog and the sheep. I am having a bit of time with the sheep due to poor reference photos! Does anyone have any good reference photos of sheep coming towards you that I could you use? Drop me a comment or an email at deborah@deborahosullivan.com I would be eternally grateful! :)Thanks!
This quite a bit more to be done on it. It is a small 10 x 8 acrylic on gessoed hardboard.

Herding Dog Art - A Work In Progress

2009-03-23T10:40:00.007-04:00

The dog paintings are flowing off the paintbrush these days. This painting is a combination of images brought together. I am using my own ref photos of Ireland, my Border Collie herding and separate sheep photos. I brought them together to create this little painting. Keep in mind that this is very much a work in progress. Now that the mainn ideas are blocked in I will start to work on deepening the values to create depth and interest. I am fascinated with working Border Collies...and I am hoping to catch that fascination and excitement in this painting. This is a 10 x 8 acrylic on gessoed board. Image is clickable for an enlarged view!

Don't forget the March Studio Sale at my Etsy shop. Some really nice original pieces available at very affordable prices! Epona Etsy Shop

Another Border Collie Painting Completed

2009-03-14T11:01:00.005-04:00

Boy, I have sure been going to the dogs lately! No worries though, finishing up a large dressage painting and have another smaller horse painting in the works. This watercolor is the final painting from the series of WIPS (Works In Progress) that I have posted here on the blog. Scroll down to see the painting come together. I am pretty much calling it done. It gets to sit about my studio for a bit where I may tweak it a bit here or there. In fact, I see a little something right now that needs to be tweaked! It's all in a days work. :-) This is 12 x 10 watercolor on Arches 140Hot Press, most favorite watercolor support. As always it is untitled! So ideas are welcome! Image is clickable for an enlarged view!

Celebrating Tess

2009-03-12T20:54:00.006-04:00

I was organizing my computer and found some photos of Tess, my beautiful Border Collie, and me playing on the agility course. Next to herding sheep (and Guinea Hens) and playing ball.. agility is one of Tess's most enjoyed activities. She is intense super,super fast ( I have to work very hard to keep up on course and place myself strategically so she doesn't have to wait for me) and she just never stops smiling! So for fun I thought I'd post a few photos of us having some fun! For those of you who don't know about Tess. I got her from a Border Collie rescue here in the North East. With her previous owner she spent the first year of her life locked in a crate for most of the day because of her intensity level. I am incredibly lucky to have her. She is the most amazing dog, incredibly smart, trusting and just so much fun. She always makes me laugh. She is always so joyful..We can learn a thing or two from our dogs in that regards. So without further ado here is Tess and I having some fun!

Here I am trying to remember the course... she is so fast that I have to know exactly where I am going! There is no time to even think...Tess is rolling her eyes! I always get lost on course!

Case in point...the rocket is out of the tunnel......and where am I?

Tess up on the dog walk...I am staying with her here to try and get her to slow down a bit so she won't miss her contact on the ramp down.

Now she is supposed to be holding her stay her at the start of the course so I can get a nice big lead in. I can then send her and KEEP UP!! :-) However, if you look closely..Little Miss Let's Get On With This has her butt off the ground and is creeping to the first jump!

My happy girlie!

So there you have it!

I do have some updates from the art end of things. I received notification last week that 2 pieces of my horse art have been accepted for cover art for The Chronicle of The Horse magazine. I am very excited about that. I have also been invited to participate in an artist Slide Slam here in New York. There will 10 artists altogether and we each have 10 minutes to show slides of our work and (lord help me) talk about the art... I hate public speaking... Other that that I really don't know what to expect and will know more when we do a trial run through. If any of you folks have ever done or been to a Slide Slam can you pop me a comment and let me know more about them? Off to the studio to earn a living! Enjoy!

Some more paintings

2009-03-10T12:10:00.002-04:00

Last night's painting session has resulted in this Border Collie playing in the water. I really enjoyed painting this one. This is an 8 x 10 acrylic on gessoed hardboard.
I have also enjoyed the reasonably warm weather and took my pochade out and did a small plein air painting. This is our barn painted from the driveway...still cold..stil some snow. I really enjoy painting outside. This one is a small 5 x7 ,acrylics on canvas panel.

Dressaeg Work In Progress

2009-03-05T14:43:00.007-05:00

I am posting several images of the progression of this acrylic Dressage painting. I went into this painting without any sort of plan what so ever. Not a good idea...it has gone through many changes and has been a bit of a compositional challenge. I need to get rid of that low fence line..I have added a planter of flowers to break up the line... I need to stare at it for a while. You never know where this one will end up! I welcome discussion or thoughts on where to go compositionaly on this! All images are clickable for an enlarged view

March Studio Sale!

2009-02-28T16:56:00.006-05:00

Time to think spring and take stock of my studio inventory and make room for my new paintings. So now is your chance to take advantage and get the piece you have your eye on! I offered several pieces of ORIGINAL artwork for sale for the month of March in my Etsy store! Feel free to make offers AND I offer a layaway plan offer artwork with price tags over $100. Details at my shop site! My store is at Epona Studio

I am also very excited to announce that I heave been invited to join the Etsy Whoa Horse Artist Group. Whoa Blog

Foal Painting

2009-02-26T18:33:00.006-05:00

I want to give a warm thanks to all of the folks who have purchased my artwork and for the emails of kind praise . Thank you for helping me stay in business and appreciating the art that I so lovingly create. It is much appreciated! In these tough economic times I will be offering a lot more small, affordable works so that you may have the opportunity to purchase an original piece of artwork at an affordable cost. Nothing brightens your wall better than an original painting that touches your heart.
I completed this painting last evening. Here an adorable foal sketch done in acrylics. I just love his long eyelashes! This a 10 x 8 gem done on canvas panel. It is ready to pop into a stock frame and hang on your wall. As always title suggestions are welcome!! Available for purchase. Click here to purchase .

Border Collie Puppy update

2009-02-23T15:52:00.003-05:00

I have put some more painting time into this so time for a new update. I have added quite few more glazes of Ult Blue, Perm Alizarian Crimson and Davey's Grey. I am trying to find the darks and balance at this point. I have a ratty old brush that I use to do fur. I need to do bit of lifting next and some more glazes on the nose for the next step. I am pretty happy with this so far. Watercolor, 14 x 11 on Arches Hot Press

Playing with my paints!

2009-02-23T15:38:00.004-05:00

I homeschool my son with a Waldorf style curriculum and we do a lot of watercolor painting. So yesterday I joined him in one of his wet-on-wet projects and just played with my watercolors. This was unbelievably freeing (and fun)! I didn't know where it was going but out of the mingling colors I found interesting shapes and themes that are very familiar to me. This quite large..18 x 24...I usually work 11 x 16 or smaller. If you have been stuck or used to working in a certain way I highly recommend trying something like this and just letting loose. It was quite intimidating at first! I had no plan.... just a jar of water, a big sheet of white paper and a big brush..... untitled, M Graham watercolors on Arches CP paper. It is a bit washed out from the flash. I apologize for that. The colors are much more vibrant and brilliant IRL.

New Border Collie Painting WIP

2009-02-18T22:07:00.003-05:00

I have been doing so much acrylic work lately that I've been itching to get back to my watercolors. WC's are my most favorite medium and I particularly enjoying painting dogs with them. This posted image is my latest effort. I found this really cute BC pup in the Wet Canvas reference library. I am using a very limited palette for this painting..6 colors. Aliz. Crimson, Yellow Ochre, Cobalt, Payne's Grey, Indigo and Gamboge. This is the early stages of many glazes. I work wet on wet at this point just buillding up layers, mixing color on the paper and pushing the paint around. I just get in the zone, listening to Jack Johnson and playing with my watercolors! No title as of yet so I would love some suggestions. I am really bad at coming up with titles!:-)
This painting measures 14 x 11 on Arches Hot Press, M Grahams.

Tess, my Border Collie

2009-01-30T17:00:00.008-05:00

This one was so much fun to paint. I have a GREAT photo of my Border Collie, Tess, that has a bit of distortion and makes her nose big! I decided to run with it and paint this because it just captures her with her most delightful smile. I need to brighten the whites on the top of head a bit more but it is pretty much done. Tess can almost always be found with me, involved with whatever I happen to be doing or not doing! She is my best girl. This one is not for sale...it will be hanging up in my studio. Need a title for this... so comments welcomed! This is acrylic, 8 x10 on masonite panel.

I have 4 more paintings that are almost finished so I will getting those posted this week. But now I am going make my way down (across the ice) to the barn,feed the chickens and get the locked up for the night before Mr. Fox pays a visit!

Pochade Box

2009-01-16T18:17:00.003-05:00

It has been freezing cold here in the North East and what better time to be hitting the studio. We are starting to get a bit of cabin fever and I am so looking forward to getting outside to paint again. On that note I thought I would post about my newest addition to the studio. This was a Christmas gift from my husband. It is an Alla Prima Pochade box. I have a small 6 x 8 Guerilla Thumbox which I adore (I have the acrylic set up) and is perfect for 5 x7 and 6 x 8 panels and is so easy to take along. But I have been wanting something for the slightly bigger panels. I love working with 8 x 10's and 11 x 14s.
These gorgeous Alla Prima boxes are handmade here in the U.S. by Ben Haggert. This model is the 11 x 14 Bitterroot and it perfect for my 8 x 10 and 11 x 14 panels. It also has a plate for a tripod. I LOVE it!!! And Ben is a real pleasure to do business with. Highly recommended. Here is the link for more info Bitterroot Pochade.
Off to finish that little foal painting sitting on the pochade!
Stay warm!

Gypsy Vanner, and Daily Painting

2009-01-11T19:42:00.004-05:00

As promised here are 2 new paintings. The first is from the Daily Riding Essential collection titled Mane Comb. This is 6 x 8 acrylic on canvas panel.

The second painting I actually started a while ago and got stuck with it. I dusted it off and and completed it this week. I really like painting these Gypsy Vanners. This one is un-titled so suggestions are most welcome! This is acrylic, 14 x 11 on gallery wrapped canvas. Both paintngs are available for sale. Images are clickable for enlarged view.

Back to Work!

2009-01-11T13:14:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I took a bit of a break from blogging and now it is back to work or as my son says "back to fun"! I have been busy painting. Later today I will post a new Daily Riding Essentials painting and a larger Gypsy Vanner.

I am thrilled to announce that my husband ,Brian,(that's him pictured above with our Doberman, Joey) has joined me in my business to help promote and market my artwork. I call this his Andy Warhol pic!He is a horseman and one of my biggest fans! :-) So feel free to welcome him in the comments area!

I have big plans for my newsletter this year. As some of you already know I have spent most of my life teaching riders and training horse. My specialty is equine and rider biomechanics. I can help riders learn how to really ride using non traditional methods that really work! Since so many of my subscribers are horsepeople I have decided to include articles on riding/training, horsemanship and holistic horse care in my studio newsletter. To subscribe to the on-line newsletter go to Email Newsletter Sign-up . Your information will never be shared and NO SPAM EVER! If you prefer to get the newsletter by snail mail fill out my contact for form and enter you mailing address in the comments area. Again your info will never be shared!
Snail Mail Sign-up

This morning I have been listening to the SmARTist Telesummit Free Pre-event audio downloads this morning. Click here for Audio Download. I highly recommend them to all working artists, particularly, Alyson Stanfield's marketing audio. Tomorrow night is a free teleconference on using Facebook to market your artwork. You have to sign up here.

Lots of catching up to do!! So more later!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-23T17:53:00.003-05:00

I want to wish everyone happy holidays and healthy and prosperous new year!

Warmest regards,

Deborah
www.ArtoftheHorse.net

New Daily Riding Essentials Paintings

2008-12-17T16:37:00.011-05:00

Okay, as promised! Here are three new little paintings. These make awesome little groupings for tack rooms or trainer/client gifts. These cute little gems will also become available as notecards and prints in the new year. So sign up for my newsletter for updates. Epona Studio Newsletter
This is a great opportunity to own an ORIGINAL ArtOfTheHorse.net painting at a super affordable price! I, also, wanted to mention that on several occasions I have had buyers miss out on purchasing a particular painting because someon got to it first. If this happens I can recreate a very similar painting, remember , these ARE originals to complete a vignette. So let me know if one of the paintings is gone and you would like the similar one and I would be happy to paint another one!
The first painting is titled Pony Brush (pictured above). This is my son's little, well used P'ferde brush for his pony, Ruby. Thats the cute little lady with my son a few years back at their first horse show!

This little gem of a painting measures 6 x 8 and is ready to pop into a frame. Acrylic on canvas panel so no glass needed! $12 + $4.65 for Priority Mail shipping guarantees holiday delivery. I can fit several of these into one envelope so I am more than happy to combine shipping!
Just click on the Buy Now button and you will be directed to Paypal for safe, secure shopping.

SOLD

The second offering is titled Hoof Pick. This is familiar item for us horse people. At least it better be! ;-) This measures 6 x 8, acrylic on canvas panel. Offered for $12 + $4.65 Priority Mail shipping.

SOLD

This final original painting titled Bucket& Scraper is, surprisingly :-), of a bath bucket and sweat scraper on a bright,sunny day. You can almost smell the Vetrolin! I really love the colors in this one. This is painted on a 6 x 8 inch canvas panel with acrylics. Offered for $12 plus $4.65 Priority Mail shipping.

SOLD

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The final order of the day are gift certificates. I have gotten several requests for portraits but I cannot fit in anymore portraits in time for holiday delivery. I CAN offer Gift certificates. These will,also, be available on my website. The Certificates offered here are for an 11 x 14 acrylic on canvas, single horse or dog (head/neck) portrait from your photo. Price is $380 and include shipping and insurance. If you need a different size, samples and/or more info please contact me at deborah@artofthehorse.net

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!!!!

Update

2008-12-16T21:34:00.002-05:00

One week left til Christmas! My son is chomping at the bit!! :-) I wanted to thank all of my new collectors ! I have been so busy trying to keep up with orders so my posting has gotten a bit backed up!
Tomorrow I will post 3 new small Daily Riding Essential paintings. You can pick them up with plenty of time to receive them for holiday gift giving! I have been getting requests for portraits for Christmas gifts. I do not have any spots open to have paintings completed in time for the holidays but I DO have gift certificates available! If you need one now drop me an email. Otherwise, I will post PayPal Gift Certificate button here on the blog and on my website tomorrow. I must hit that easel tonight but I did want to post an update since I have had so any inquiries! Hoe everyone is making merry and enjoying the season!

Sporthorse and Bullmastiff

2008-12-12T17:14:00.006-05:00

I have 2 more little framed prints for sale today! The first is a titled Sporthorse and is a print of a original watercolor painted by moi.The image measures 6 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches with a 1 1/2 inch cream mat. The frame is a thin black laquer frame. It comes complete and ready to hang or stand on a tabletop. Price is $18 + $8.00 shipping.
Click on the Buy Now button to be directed to Paypal for safe,secure shopping.

This would make a wonderful gift for that horse person in your life!

The second print is not a horse but a Bullmastiff. This is titled Waiting and is a print from a watercolor original. This image measures 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches with a 1 1/2 inch cream mat. The frame is a thin black laquer frame. It comes complete and ready to hang or stand on a tabletop. Price is $18 + $8.00 shipping.
Click on the Buy Now button to be directed to Paypal for safe,secure shopping!

Happy shopping and Happy Holidays!

The Lip

2008-12-02T17:55:00.007-05:00

Today's offered image is a print of an original watercolor painting titled The Lip. I so love this expression! This print comes framed in a black enameled metal frame,is behind glass and matted. The frame has a stand for propping up on a table or you can hang it. Ready for gift giving!
SOLD!

Boston Terrier Completed

2008-11-24T18:35:00.005-05:00

I have completed the portrait of Pugsley the Boston terrier. The owner was thrilled so that is a huge relief!! I am very happy with how it came out. So it back to painting the horses.
Now for some Thanksgiving cheer!
This is our most loved turkey, Mr Nilsen aka Nilly Gobbles. He is a broad breasted white aka a Butterball turkey. We rescued him 2 years ago from becoming someone's Thanksgiving dinner. We absolutely adore him! The second turkey is the young lady, Daisy. She is Bourbon Red and another Thanksgiving dinner refuge. We have a third hen ,Sally Sassy Lashes but no photos as of yet.As my son says... they will be coming TO Thanksgiving dinner not FOR dinner!

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Candy Cane

2008-11-21T22:01:00.010-05:00

These little paintings are selling like hotcakes and I have had a few requests for Daily Riding Essential paintings. I am happy to oblige! Don't hesitate to contact me if there is a little painting you would like to see done. I was planning to post two paintings this evening but I have a sick child that needs tending to. So I am a mom first! I will get two more paintings up tomorrow.Be sure to check back! Remember, images are clickable for an enlarged view!

I do have as promised another little holiday themed painting available tonight. This is Candy Cane and measures 5 x 7 and is painted on gessoed hardboard.It would make a great little stocking stuffer. I am also bumping up Bubbles which is still available. Each painting is priced at $12 + 4.65 for Priority Mail shipping. I can combine orders to save on shipping.
To purchase Candy Cane click on the button and you will be directed to Paypal for safe and secure shopping. Contact me for international rates.

Bubbles depicts a young Friesan having a bath.This delightful painting depicts a young horse having a bath. This painting conjures up the image of the water running UP your arms while trying to get the bath done! :-) It is 10 x 8,acrylic on canvas panel. I am offering it for $12 plus $4.65 Priority Mail shipping to the U.S. International orders, please, contact me for shipping rates.

French Snaffle

2008-11-20T20:33:00.006-05:00

Next up is French Snaffle ....this painting depicts my most favorite bit for re-training Thoroughbreds. This is a loose ring french snaffle bit. French Snaffle is third in the Daily Riding Essentials collection. This little painting measures 6 x 8, acrylic on canvas panel. Be sure to check in for tomorrow's little gems! Another Riding Essentials painting and a second holiday themed painting will be up for grabs! This painting is $12 plus $4.65 for shipping in the U.S. Please, contact me for international shipping rates. I am more than happy to combine shipping so contact me first if you intend to make more than one purchase and I can send an invoice to reflect the discount. Enjoy!
deborah@artofthehorse.net
SOLD!

Polos

2008-11-19T15:15:00.003-05:00

German Brush and Santa's Little Helper have been sold. The next painting up are from the Riding Essentials series is titled Polos. One of my most used pieces of equipment. A rolled up set of polo wraps are a familiar item in most rider's tack trunk. This is an original acrylic, measures 6 x 8 and is available for $12 + $4.95 for Priority Mail shipping. Contact me for international rates. I can combine shipping so contact me before ordering and I can send an invoice to reflect reduced shipping. Bubbles is still available. Scroll down for info. Enjoy!

German brush

2008-11-19T15:06:00.005-05:00

This is the first painting of a vignette. It is titled German Brush. This was my horse's (and my most favorite brush)....a beautiful, well used leather back German body brush! This is part of a small series of paintings titles daily riding essentials. I will be posting the others during the week. They would make a great grouping hung together in a tack room! This measure 6 x 8 inches and is priced to go at $12 + $4.65 Priority Mail shipping in the U.S.
International orders please, contact me for rates. Check out the other little gems offered! These make super Christmas gifts! Just click on the Paypal Buy Now button for a safe, secure shopping experience! Don't forget I can combine orders for reduced shipping. Images are clickable for larger view.
Sold

Santa's Little Helper

2008-11-15T17:07:00.010-05:00

Offered today is a fun holiday themed painting. This is the ORIGINAL image for this year's Artofthehorse.net holiday greeting cards. A lot of fun and bit of a departure from my usual style. Today's little gem is titled Santa's Little Helper. Okay, I know we have all done this! Slapped that Santa hat on our horses..much to their embarrasment and our amusement! This is acrylic on canvas panel and measures 7 x 5 inches. This one would make a super stocking stuffer!
This little gem is offered at $12 plus $4.65 Priority Mail shipping in the U.S. Please, contant me for internaional shipping rates. Click on the Buy Now button for a safe, secure shopping experience. I am, also, happy to combine shipping so please let me know if you intend to purchase more than one item.

Some Holiday Fun!

2008-11-14T18:22:00.013-05:00

Each day or so I will post a small, original horse painting for sale.

In these tough economic times these little gems are a wonderful, happy way to brighten the walls of any horse lover while being easy on the wallet!
This is a super and affordable way to collect original horse art for yourself or to give as a gift! It,also, helps to make room in my studio for more paintings!

The first painting being offered is called Bubbles! This delightful painting depicts a young horse having a bath. This painting conjures up the image of the water running UP your arms while trying to get the bath done! :-) It is 10 x 8,acrylic on canvas panel. I am offering it for $12 plus $4.65 Priority Mail shipping to the U.S. International orders, please, clontact me for shipping rates.