Horse Comission Gone Wrong

 

                                                            "Surf Runners"

I had a hint in the very beginning that this commission wasn’t going to go smoothly. When I first spoke to the woman on the phone, there was no hint of friendliness or even cordiality, just a very standoffish tone and words. “This is what I want. Can you do it?”

What she wanted was a pencil drawing of two Arabian horses running on a beach from left to right. One was to be a stallion and the other a mare. The drawing was to be used to etch a large mirror. I got right to work looking for references of horses running since there were no photographs provided for this project. Since I’m not an Arabian artist, the only photographs I had in my own morgue files were of Thoroughbreds racing. I did some thumbnail sketches and came up with two sketches I liked that would work well together. Then I set to work on the preliminary drawing, changing those Thoroughbreds into Arabians as best I could. After completing it, I sent it to the client for approval, and waited anxiously.  The word soon came; she didn’t approve. 

Again, there was nothing friendly in her tone or words. Never having encountered anything like this from any of my other clients, I was puzzled. Most people are very friendly and open during the whole process. 

The changes she wanted were a full out gallop depicted, higher more flowing tails, more “free spirit” feeling and less “playful’ feeling. I scrapped the first two horses and came up with two more which I thought fit better the feeling that she wanted. I sent her a second preliminary drawing and waited for her reply. It took a while for her to get back to me, and again she had changes to be made. Make the nostrils on the left horse more flared. Give the right horse a more intense expression in the eyes and mouth. 

Again, no friendliness (or even annoyance!) in her voice. 

This time, thinking the changes were minor, I went ahead and completed the final drawing and delivered it to her in person. Again, her demeanor and tone were very standoffish. 

A short time later she called to tell me that they had decided to scrap the whole project and she would be returning the drawing. It was a bit of a blow to my ego at the time, but I soon realized there was no way this woman was going to be happy with anything I did. She had such a firm idea in her head of what she wanted that it would be difficult for any artist to please her, and I was certainly not that artist. 

I’ve thought a few times over the years of doing this image over again with my own vision. I know which of these two designs I like better and which has potential to become a new painting. What do you think?

Looking Back; Looking Forward

What can I say? It’s been a tough three years. 

Three and a half years ago I said good bye to my horse and just haven’t found the right words to post here since. Probably some of you, my followers, have given up long ago and gone on your way. Frankly, I didn’t know how to follow that devastating post with anything uplifting and joyous. But it does deserve a follow up even if I’m writing only for myself. 

In the instant we left the barn for the last time after loading up my tack trunk, saddles, bridle, blankets and lunging whip, Barn Life and the community it engendered ended for me forever. In truth, barn life had diminished in the preceding two years as one by one my riding buddies gave up riding, except for one. The first one’s back no longer allowed her to ride without great pain, another was dealing with his own health issues, and a third sold her horse and devoted her time instead to her art. A fourth had moved away to pursue a degree in the medical field. Of the boarders, only Anne remained. Problem was she only came out after work once a week which was often too late for me, and I hated to burden her with riding the more flat trails for Scottie’s sake, knowing she liked more adventurous riding. 

Meanwhile, I had my own health issues which kept me from being able to trek out into the hilly pastures to fetch Scottie and even to get on and off him. In fact, there were very few rides in his last years as it was. Perhaps, with his deteriorating health, it was for the best. But the loss of the companionship of my barn buddies, my only real friends, was as devastating as losing Scottie whom I knew was in a better place and no longer suffering. For over a year, it was a very difficult adjustment to make; from horse owner and life in a world of horses to being alone and an outsider. 

The following year our five year old female rescue dog, who was my heart dog, became desperately ill. For five weeks we tried to save her but in the end had to let her go. This loss was far more devastating, and I mourn for her still, resenting the unfairness of it all; striking down a lively, beautiful, loving dog still in her prime. 

And then the Year Of Covid came with its lockdowns and fears of the unknown future ahead of us. Truthfully, lockdown was no big deal for me since I work from home as it is. In fact, it was a relief to have an excuse NOT to go out among people, hermit that I am. 

And then our twenty year old cat succumbed to her kidney disease, and we had to let her go, too. Rest In Peace, Mollykins.

So there it was, three losses in three years. I am thankful, however, that we didn’t lose anyone in our family or among our friends to the terrible ravages of Covid-19, and that is something to be very grateful for.

During the  past three years not much art has been created or worked on or even finished. Truthfully, my heart just isn’t into art at the moment. In the meantime, I’ve found another outlet for my creativity. 

Back in the fifties, my father wrote a novel about his experiences in The War and about his life. He submitted it to a publisher who rejected it, he started to revise it and then gave up. I inherited his novel in all its forms and have begun copying it to my computer from the faded typed pages he composed so long ago. Being a journalist, he was an excellent typist. I am not. So the going has been slow as I squint at those old thin sheets of typing paper trying to decipher the text. I figure I owe it to him to get the book printed and possibly self-published and distributed to family members. In the process, I’m gaining a better understanding of the father from whom I kept my distance all my life, never fully understanding why.

As I’m working on my dad’s writing, the urge to compose my own stories has welled up. Long ago my third love after horses and art was writing. I took creative writing classes in both high school and college and did well but never pursued writing in any meaningful way. 

It’s so good to feel enthusiastic about something again. Perhaps The Muse will also spread that enthusiasm and confidence to art some time soon.     

My Muse, My Horse, My Scottie

Two weeks ago today I lost the love of my life, my muse, my dream-come-true horse, my beloved Scottie.

Scottie had a long and well-loved life. I bought him as a still green four year old. I had just started riding lessons in middle age after many years away from horses. For you see, I'd had a bad riding accident when I was 13 which left me even more fearful of riding than I had already been. Soon after I gave up riding but never stopped loving horses. 

My lesson horse was Scottie, a very handsome sorrel Quarter Horse with a very laid back disposition. One thing led to another, and several weeks later I bought him at the urging of my riding instructor. 

You would think that pairing a green horse with a timid rider would not have been a wise combination, but contrarily it turned out to be a perfect match. Not that those early years were easy. Scottie tested me in little ways; never truly naughty or dangerous ways but just willfulness. If I insisted long enough he gave in and did my bidding. Sometimes I went to the barn with a churning stomach full of butterflies. Sometimes I came home thinking of selling him and giving up on horses again. But, I never did, and in the end it was a confidence building experience for me. 

Through the years we took riding lessons sporadically, mostly of the classical dressage nature and gradually became a perfectly matched team. Scottie liked to work but not too hard. He was rarely a horse you had to hold back; mostly he was a horse you had to put out a lot of effort to get to work a little harder. But he always tried. He was always a perfect gentleman. Never once in the 28 years I owned him did he ever buck or refuse to work at all unless he was in a lot of pain. 

Most of all, Scottie loved to go on trail rides. And so did I. In the early years we boarded at different farms where we had access to trails and people to ride with. Twenty two years ago I found a private farm which took in a few specially selected boarders of a mature age and whose owners had the same horse care philosophy that I did. It had an indoor arena for winter riding and miles and miles of very hilly trails for fun the rest of the year. 

That's where Scottie spent his last years, and he loved it there. He found a best buddy to play "wild stallion" with. He lived in a herd on pasture year round where he could eat grass and good quality hay to his heart's content. Most of all, he loved grass. There were run-in sheds and the big indoor arena where the horses could come in away from the flies and sun or snow or pelting rain. It was idyllic for any horse and a very healthy environment.  

It was idyllic for me, too. With new barn friends close to my own age, we rode the trails together often and had many adventures. Some of those trails were really steep and scary to this still timid rider, but Scottie always took care of me, negotiating them with nary a misstep. Sometimes we went off trails through the woods, dodging tree branches, shoving them out of the way and stepping over downed tree limbs and other brush. 

The years took its toll on both of us. I developed debilitating leg and knee problems which kept me from the barn and from riding regularly. Scottie developed Cushings disease and as a result suffered a severe sinus infection that threatened his life. A trip to Michigan State University Large Animal Clinic saved his life and revealed he had severe periodontal disease. From then on he was under the care of a veterinarian dental specialist. He lost most of his teeth, and the rest were worn down to the gums. 

As a result of his dental problems, Scottie could no longer chew hay and lost weight. A year ago I retired him and retired myself from riding. In spite of massive amounts of grain daily, Scottie lost weight rapidly this winter. He developed another bad abscessed tooth infection. His liver was failing, and sometimes he couldn't get up on his own after lying down. 

At the end, the decision I'd dreaded making for so many years was an easy, but sad, one to make. It was time to let Scottie go. It was the kindest thing we could do for him. He was tired and suffering and giving up. We put him down in the arena surrounded and comforted by the two people he loved most in the world. We told him it was okay to go now, and he slipped away peacefully. 

Scottie is buried up on a hill in the pasture along with his herd mates Jack and Mellissa and Stutz. Mikey will join them eventually. From there you can see almost all of the farm. I think he will like it there. 

"You're Fired!" Thank Goodness!

"Huntley" one of my early pet portraits

If  you've ever been through this ordeal, you know that being fired from a job can be a humiliating and demoralizing experience. But, sometimes it turns out to be the best thing that could have happened to you. 

Right out of art school I got a job with a billboard company as a keyliner. As it turned out the job entailed more than that. My boss also gave me billboard design jobs to do along with the keylines for billboards. Keylines are boards that contain the type and artwork that are used by the painters when sizing up the designs onto huge billboard panels to be painted. Everything has to be accurate and precise because any tiny mistake on the keyline is magnified many times on the huge billboard panels. 

Designing and doing the layouts is much more exciting and rewarding. We were given a few guidelines, like the text to be included and the images wanted and then it was up to us to arrange everything in an eye catching design. A billboard has three seconds to grab the attention of drivers passing by. We used a type setting machine for the type and created color layouts of the designs using markers, just as I had been taught in art school. I loved working with markers.

There were only three of us in the art department in a tiny upstairs studio at Dingeman Advertising in Traverse City. We listened to NPR on the radio a lot, and I particularly remember one day listening to a reading of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" as we worked. It was one of those mesmerizing magic moments that you never forget. 

It came as a shock, then, when my boss's boss instructed her to fire me for being too slow. It wasn't that it wasn't deserved and that I hadn't been warned, but it was still a shock. 

It took me maybe half a day to get over the shock and to embrace a new way forward. Being fired gave me the freedom to do freelance design work which quickly broadened into a pet portrait business. 

When I returned to riding after a thirty year absence and bought a horse, pet portraits expanded into horse portraits. It wasn't long before I was creating equine fine art too, going to horse shows and horse expos with my booth and entering juried art shows. The rest is history, as they say. 

After several years of doing freelance design work, I realized it wasn't where my heart was nor where I was most skilled. I gave it up and concentrated on using my graphic design skills to design my  own marketing materials and a website for the fine art business. 

"Lavender Light" a college art still life

If I hadn't been fired all those years ago, all of this might not have happened, or at least it would have been delayed for who knows how long. So, today I am grateful for being let go from a job that I wasn't suited for in the first place. Today I celebrate my long career as a fine artist and occasional illustrator. 

Today I am fulfilled.

Stepping Stone Art #2; "Spring Lamb" painting

 

"Spring Lamb" 8x10 oil painting on linen canvas panel

I guess by now it's no secret that I've been in a bit of a creative slump for some time now. There is no need to dredge up the reasons for said slump; something akin to airing one's dirty laundry in public; so we'll just proceed as if there hasn't been one. 

This little painting was recently completed and is now in an art show at a local restaurant. I started it several years ago as just a quick study, worked on it a little last Fall, but then holiday duties took precedence and it was set aside - again. After that came end of year business tasks and then tax season which left the little painting once again languishing on the studio wall.

Several weeks ago I was asked to donate art to an art show benefit event for the animal rescue from which we adopted our dogs two years ago. I jumped at the chance and immediately thought of the lamb painting which was sure to be an appealing image that would hopefully earn some much-needed funds for the rescue. Down from the wall came the painting and onto the easel it went. 

Where I started from to finish the painting

Now, many artists will tell you that most paintings have their difficult moments during creation when nothing seems to be working and the artist considers junking the whole project. Being an artist is not all Fun and Games as the general public seems to think. But once in a while a painting almost paints itself. The studio is in harmonious abandon, and there is much joy in the heart of the artist. 

Such was the case with this little painting. The lamb was partly painted already so I proceeded  to finish it while making a few corrections as I went. Even the corrections went smoothly. I didn't have to wipe out and redo any troublesome areas. 

All the while I had no idea how I was going to finish the background. Should I leave it as an unfinished toned area or should I try for a full landscape? Up until the very minute I started on the background I wasn't sure what to do. Taking a risk, I decided to try for a full background and see how it went. After all, I could wipe it out if it didn't work. 

Wonder of wonders, the background practically painted itself! At every moment it told me what it needed, and when it was done the result was very pleasing and complementary to the lamb. Over all, I am very pleased with this painting, the first one I've finished in a very long time. 

Close up of the lamb

I think my creative block has finally broken, and I'm ready to move forward once again. Perhaps that polar bear I started last year? That should be a challenge!

Stepping Stone #1; "Morgana", a Morgan Horse Drawing

"Morgana", graphite pencil drawing, Morgan mare

After several more hours and many revisions to the drawing, "Morgana", I am declaring it finished. It is the first piece of art (other than sketches) that I've completed in over two years, so its significance can't be under estimated. 

"Morgana" will be my first finished piece of art in the Stepping Stone series; a series of paintings and drawings that will help me to become actively creative again after a creative block of several years. Not only was it a confidence boosting drawing but also a learning experience. Here is some of what I learned:

1. Choose the paper support wisely before beginning to draw. I fought this utilitarian drawing paper from the beginning. It has very little "tooth"to grab onto the graphite and proved very difficult to get the darks as dark as I wanted them. 

2. Measure twice; draw once. I began the drawing sitting on the couch watching TV, holding the sketchbook on my lap while holding the reference photo in my left hand. I eye balled the proportions and angles rather than measuring them, and they were off in several places. I didn't discover this until the drawing was finished. 

3. Don't proceed with the drawing/painting until you're sure that the initial outline drawing is absolutely accurate. After that, corrections are very difficult if not impossible. 

4. Size matters. If this is to be something more than a quick sketch, draw it larger or enlarge the outline drawing on a copy machine or computer.

5. If your reference is a small 4x6 inch photo, scan it at a high resolution and enlarge it on the computer. Either work from a computer screen or print out the enlarged photo.

reference photo for the drawing, "Morgana"

This latter point was the most telling lesson of all. I didn't scan the photo until the drawing was done and did so only to show you what the reference was like. When I opened the image on the computer screen and saw it enlarged by zooming in, I could see far more detail than I had been able to see in that small 4x6 inch photo print. It was a real Ahah! moment to realize how much detail I had missed putting into the drawing. 

But, that's okay. Lessons learned, and that is the whole purpose of the Stepping Stone series; to build confidence and build skills through DOING. At the same time, I'm scraping off some of the rust of the inactive years and awakening again skills and lessons learned in the past. 

What will I tackle for Stepping Stone #2? Check back to find out. 

Thank you, as always, for your interest and support.

New Drawing; "Morgana"

 

"Morgana" pencil drawing of a Morgan Mare

While watching the Democratic National Convention this week, I've been working on this drawing in one of my sketch books. 

As reference, I'm using a photograph taken several years ago at a Morgan horse farm. Her name was Lady, and she was a broodmare. In fact, she is the mother of Bullet, the Morgan colt that I've painted twice. The reference photo shows her with mouth open eating hay; a not very flattering picture. The challenge was to change the mouth, and I'm quite pleased with how well that turned out.

The drawing needs a lot more work. I will keep working on it to get it as close to the photograph and artistically pleasing as I can, keeping in mind balancing the values. It will be excellent practice in building up my "seeing" muscles again after such a long layoff. 

So, here you have "Morgana". The drawing is not big; about 6x6 inches done in graphite mostly with a 6B pencil and a little with an Ebony pencil to get the darks more dark. It has a ways to go. Already I can see about ten things that need to be corrected. It will be posted again when it's finished. 

I've always loved to draw  and used to do it endlessly as a kid. I'm really enjoying getting back to my drawing roots again and will be doing more of it from now on as part of my Stepping Stones project of rehabilitation and building up confidence in my artistic abilities again. 

 Please let me know what you think of this new drawing (remember, it's not finished yet).

Thank you for stopping by.