Girls and Horses

Making friends.Mixed Media.18" x 24". copyright 2012.

I just finished this painting of a child trying to make friends with the horses. Some of you may know that the first seventeen years of my life were devoted to horses.

I rode them.
I brushed them.
I showed them.
I loved them so much.

Painting this reminded me of Thunder, Misty, Emma, Noodles, the evil Queenie and the show horses Freddy and Linda. Really they were just over sized dogs. Every bit as loving as a canine companion, except for the teeth baring, run away Queenie.

Each had his or her special characteristics. Misty following us into the tack room and trying to get into the jeep, Thunder dancing as he cantered in place, Emma's love of hoses, Freddy's passion for cokes. Our big dogs.

I miss them and their big hearts. They listened as I talked to them about all sorts of things. Some would doubt this, but those doubters never had these four-legged friends in their lives.

This kept me going when we moved my senior year in high school. We moved away from my childhood friends, but my show horse Linda moved with me. I couldn't wait to see her after school.

As often happens with girls and horses, things change. Girls go to college and get married and have families. Horses are sold to other little girls and pass through hands till, as in Black Beauty, the original little girl doesn't know where her big four-legged friend wound up.

My personal equine friends have long since passed on to the great pasture in the sky. One day I will meet them again on the other side.

Back on Track

When I write my blog I always post a photo of something I have been working on or a little reminder of something I have seen. Looking around the studio I am at a loss as to what I should show you, what illustrates the last month and a half?

This has been a recurring issue which is why I have not written lately.

This morning I read photographer Dianne Poinski's blog post and my gears started turning. Like clockwork Dianne and Hannah Hunter's posts show up in my email.

I have never met Dianne in person, but I feel I know her though her beautiful photographs and reading the ins and outs of her creative days.

I have met Hannah. Her artwork goes straight to my soul. Often that is where we start our weekly phone calls, our artwork.

I can rely on these ladies.

Today Dianne wrote about her quest for simplicity and deliberate conscious living. Thank you Dianne for mentioning your deletion of certain organizations from your inbox.

The emails from groups and companies I don't want in my life are enough to send my brain off the rails. The distraction is waiting for me daily. Gratefully I have never been a fan of web surfing or game playing.
There is too much waiting for me in the studio, something tangible. My often torturous Puritan work ethic requires I have something to show for my hours.

Actually, I have been busy.

1. Writing and painting George Washington's story in a new way for upper elementary readers.
2. Looking for a publisher for the aforementioned George.
3. Adding to my series of flying people.
4. Moving artwork to Wild Oats and Billy Goats Gallery in Decatur, GA.
5. Starting a part-time job for a life coach. (Naturalrhythms)
6. Walking, doing yoga
7. Meeting new people and developing wonderful friendships.
8. Practicing portraits. 
9. Watering the tomatoes.
10. Feeding the cats.

So I am going to make a promise to get my blog posts back on track. I want to be the blogger you can rely on for pithy phrases and artwork.

Welcome back.