Aislinn Brander, Equine Artist

Paintings of February

2010-03-06T15:15:00.000-08:00

My favorite painting of the month of February is one I call "Cobalt" it is an oil painting and one that I have decided to hold back and keep for shows and instead I am offering prints of this piece.

It is offered for sale for 2000.00

The Next is "Red Stallion" and this one was done as sort of a sequel to "Cobalt", these two paintings have been retained for Art Shows and Prints are being offered.

The Rooster and the Red Head

2010-01-24T13:49:00.000-08:00

"Wake Up Already!"
12x12"

Oils on Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas, Ready to Hang

FOR SALE

"In the Garden"
12x15"

Oils on Artist Board

FOR SALE

Both of these paintings have one thing in common! Lots of thick juicy oil painted applied thick and heavy to add richness and texture to these paintings. In particular I love the way the nude turned out, this painting is a combination of using a brush and a palette knife to soften some of the strokes and to make the others more dynamic and suggestive. The background in this painting is highly suggestive of a lovely summer day with a lot of sunlight. There is a little touch of whimsical magic, and I am especially pleased with her far off, happy expression. Maybe she is thinking of the one she loves. It definitely has a romantic feel.

The rooster is in motion, stepping anxiously while crowing, as if yelling at a farmer who has decided to sleep in... Roosters often have very boisterous personalities and I believe that the essense of obnoxious crowing was captured here in this painting. Lots of wonderful colors are working together, oranges, reds, purples, cobalt blue, greens and yellows. Definitely a warm color palette and one that will add brightness to any decor.

Small Paintings Big LESSONS

2010-01-23T16:15:00.000-08:00

Small Works of Art with BIG LESSONS

Some of life's biggest Treasures come in SMALL packages!

For quite some time I have been painting small mini paintings called ACEOS. An ACEO is an Artist Trading card, or a painting or work of art that is the size of a baseball card.

For me these small paintings are a way for me to test out ideas for paintings and see how they sell on Ebay without spending a lot of money on large canvas supports. Also, even when I am too busy to paint, or at least tell myself I am, I can usually create one ACEO painting or sketch. Keeping me creative every day.

So these are a few of the small mini paintings I have done recently...

As a matter of fact it was these small paintings that showed me that people would enjoy looking and and purchasing nude paintings I make. So as a test, I made some and listed them for .99 they sold better than expected, and I also shed some of my inhibitions as an artist.
Sometimes these small paintings are my Biggest Teachers in art. I experiment with palette knives, color combinations, positions, subjects... and it gives me an indication of what to paint in larger format.

Art work of the day... Saddlebred Horse Sculpture

2010-01-22T16:02:00.001-08:00

American Saddlebred Horse Sculpture
FOR SALE $200.00

It is always a feeling of grand accomplishment with each Sculpture finished. Creating a piece of art that is useful, and 3 Dimensional is simply amazing, there are no words to describe it.

This piece has been painting to look like bronze, though in these photos, it has a "gold" sheen to it, in person, it looks very much like a bronze. This effect takes many layers of blacks, browns, reds, golds and greens to achieve.

The thought behind this sculpture was to create something that was also useful, so I made a dish in this piece so that you can add a candle or some candy, store your earrings in, etc.

This piece was hand sculpted with air dry clay, sealed with an all purpose sealer, which will protect the piece against deterioration from moisture, painted to look like bronze and then sealed again.

This Original piece is for sale for $200.00

This is an Original, so far, no molds have been made from it. If the Original does sell, it is likely that no molds will ever be made. If it doesn't sell, I have plans to get a mold made that would allow me to cast ceramic copies of this and then be able to sell them quite reasonably.

While I was sculpting this piece I was remembering the American Saddlebred Horses that I have been fortunate to own, most all of my horses were heavily Genius Bourbon King bred and they had such wonderful head profiles, long and tapering to a fine muzzle with wonderful bone structure around the eyes and large, very rounded eyes.

They are wonderful horses with a gentle temperament and intelligence. Next to Arabians, I love American Saddlebreds.

Sculpture commissions are welcome and prices start at 150.00 for a small ( 6") Sculpture.

Please contact me at PintoASB@Gmail.com
To purchase with Check, Money order or Paypal

Feedback on Art is a varied and wonderful thing!

2010-01-22T15:28:00.001-08:00

Very recently I had someone in the art business tell me that my work was boring and unoriginal, which at first really hurt me, but then, I shrugged it off, remembering that art is so subjective and what will inspire one person, will bore another.

I am a member of the Arabian Horse Forum, ArabianBreeders.net, my ID is "ArabianArtist" and I have to say that is one of the best online forums I have ever been a part of. Their words of encouragement and some of the critiques from the fellow artists is so very helpful as well as reassuring.

It is only human to have lingering doubts after someone tells you in an off handed way that you aren't good enough. Well I am so grateful for the people in my life, even the ones that touch my life online- because they are a great support.

I am always humbled by the kindness and generosity of others. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this blog, and liked my art enough to learn more.

Baring it ALL in 2010!

2010-01-21T16:03:00.000-08:00

"What do I do with this frosting?"
11x 16"
Original Oil Painting
For Sale

I am baring it all in 2010 coming out of my comfort zone of painting horses and attacking one of art's more popular, elusive and fascinating subjects: The female form. In some ways I have been very reluctant to display this type of art publicly, and I am unsure why. Perhaps it is my own sense of modesty that has kept my art... censored.

The inspiration for this painting came from all places one of my husband joking about me being a "good wife"... anyways, after laughing I quickly sketched out this painting and immediately set out to paint it. For me, this painting is all in the body language, she has a kind of teasing stance, and the flirt is in the eyes! This woman also has that vintage look, like a pin up girl from the past...

As a piece of art, this painting has great tones, and the mood seems to change with the lighting in the room. Though she is always adorable and sexy. The background tones are as a varied as a woman, and don't make a lot of sense- which if you hear my husband tell it, women don't make too much sense. ( He is kidding ladies! ) The tones are both soft and feminine and gentle, while also dark, complex and intense.

I enjoyed painting this painting, though I did have to work up the nerve to share it with the public.

A vision in Red...

2010-01-21T15:11:00.000-08:00

"A Vision in Red"
11x14" Original Oil Painting

My imagination is never far away from the thoughts of Arabian Horses. This Arabian my thoughts were on the big moving Park horses with their huge rolling canters with lots of front end lift. This painting just emerged from the memory of those horses going around the show rings, the riders on them moving in harmony with their exaggerated motion.

It is always a thing of beauty to see a horse in motion. The background for this painting is very suggestive, and really left to the viewer to see just what the background is. Whatever you do see, there is no denying the light and the motion in this painting. The horse is a fiery red chestnut accented by yellows, oranges, reds, and touches of white to illuminate the bright color palette. I used Pthalo blue for the accents on the muzzle, eyes and even on the legs.

The support is actually a tan color, so it seems to showcase the colors very well against it, the whites seem whiter in contrast.

I was in a good mood when I painted this painting, and I believe it really translates in the energy this piece offers. The colors are magnetic, pulling you in, and being so bold, this piece seems larger than life.

I am so grateful for the ability to create art.

A Painting full of Energy

2010-01-21T00:04:00.001-08:00

Lately I have had a lot of creative energy, I have been very happy and it seems to be showing in the color palette of my ost recent paintings.

Though there have been moments of stress here and there, sometimes, I use the negative energy and turn it into something beautiful... that is the case with this painting.

It was painted with a palette knife on artist board, which is like an extremely thick version of card stock paper. It is much heavier than water color paper and is acid free and archival quality. The smooth texture seems to make for some interesting paint patterns as you pull the palette knife across the support. I wasn't completely sure if this painting would turn out very good.

Sometimes, it is a gamble to see if the end result "works".

Well, this one works and while the horse and the paint seem to convey a sense of urgency and slight annoyance ( thus the horse's ears are back showing an annoyed look ) however the horse's beauty and the mood of this painting is amusing and powerful to those who view it.

The colors interestingly enough seem to have come together to make this horse look like a Buckskin... a very pleasant surprise for even myself, I didn't even notive that until I had uploaded the photos off of my camera.

This painting is called "Powerful" 11x16" Done in Oils and on artist board.

http://stores.ebay.com/Crooked-Chicken-Studios

Picking up where I left off...

2010-01-19T21:25:00.000-08:00

"Hot and Cold"

11x16" Original Oil Painting

FOR SALE on Ebay

Sometimes it seems that when I want to get serious about my Art, life makes other plans and I have to push it back to the back burner. However, the last few months have been rather interesting artistically.

With the economy being poor, and jobs scarce, when our store closed we had no income and no jobs. So I picked up the brush and got on Ebay and began to sell my art again. I am very blessed to own my own home outright so that our living expenses are very minimal and that helpsm because in a poor economy, luxuries like fine art can suffer.

I have probably been more productive as an artist than I have ever been, learning a new medium sculpture, and going back to acrylics for a while and being reunited with the oil paints I so dearly love. Being a professional artist is hard, you never really know how people are going to react to the art you have created, so in a sense, you bare your soul for the world to judge.

In the past few days I have considered how grateful I am to have a skill that allows me to survive, all the while, getting to do what I love, painting and creating.

Fancy Rooster... Daily Painting

2008-02-18T16:42:00.000-08:00

Other than horses... I LOVE chickens... and when I say I love chickens, I mean I collect roosters, chickens and it has gotten me to appreciate Americana decor, because roosters just fit right in!

I love the colors they come in and they leave the possibilities for artists completely open to exlpoit! I take a different approach to roosters in general. My paintings of Roosters often emerge as being a little bit fantasy... I love exagerated Tail feathers that fall in long streams, big arching feathers that are akin to a peacock... BIG huge red combs and wattles...

Roosters are also a culturally universal animal as every major culture respects and admires chickens and roosters. I wanted to paint a Rooster that was really different, fantastic really, so I chose an unusual position for him. It fits really well on the 12x18" Gallery Wrapped canvas it is on. I also wanted it to be a touch abstract. So I worked with quick lose strokes and let the paint do as it likes.

Using lots of thick paint adds texure and detail. So I used a ton of thick paint, which in person, creates a very marvelous feather effect. The painting is currently at auction on Ebay, and my ID is BranderArt.com so please, look it up if you like it!

Daily Paintings... "Blondes and Brunettes"

2008-02-18T16:33:00.000-08:00

OK, the weekend is when I creatively have the most time... This painting was done on the weekend of the 17th of February, 2008.

So this weekend I set about in a creative mood, and painted these two paintings from start to finish...

The first one I did was a painting called "Blondes and Brunettes", which is a darling painting of a buckskin horse and a palomino horse together. This is a painting in the series I am dedicating to my best friend, who recently passed away at age 30.

I have known and loved this girl since I was 4 years old, known her for 24 years. So to honor each year that I knew her, I am going to paint a painting...

So here it is... painting number 2... In the series I call "Friendship".

I love the colors in this painting, lots of deep emotionally charged colors, reds, burgundy, pinks, oranges and just the warmth of yellow added... I hope this painting finds a great home!

Balancing a Full time Job and trying to get my Full Time Art Career going...

2008-02-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

Gosh, there is not a day that passes that I don't resent waking up, showering and hurrying off to a job that I feel is a waste of time... I could be PAINTING or DRAWING or SELLING my art...

However, I am not yet at the stage of my art career that I can afford to do that. Financially and otherwise.

I am basically blogging about the 'otherwise'...

Organization is not my strong point. For most artistic types, we enjoy a chaotic existence. Yes, some of the stereotypes are true! Lord knows, I can't organize my clothing; let alone a palette or my art studio!

I also need a business/marketing plan... Oh boy! Am I ever in for it!

I have so many goals I know I need to accomplish that will help get me closer to saying " Take this job and shove it... I ain't working here no more...".

I am thinking that by putting it out to you, my audience, I will hold myself more accountable. Here they are, and not necessarily in any priority:

Obtain Business and resale license

Write my business plan

Write down my daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals.

Write down marketing ideas and strategies

Enter more competitions ( though carefully, I don't have money to throw away )

Get my Art into corporate enviroments

Make donations of my art to charities / local government

Go to local farmer's markets

Explore getting into art galleries

Write and KEEP a schedule for commissions and portrait work

Learn to make and meet my deadlines and due dates

Financial planning

Paint a few walls in my home for art 'display' for photo purposes for marketing on Ebay

Obtain a better digital camera

Contact local galleries about having exhibitions and shows

Contact local small businesses about possibly having shows at their establishment.

Contact local horse show administrators to be a vendor or have an exhibition at their function and make a donation for a 'prize'.

Create and write content for my Artist Blog if not daily, at least weekly

Get Business Cards

Make brochures

Create Flyers

Organize my studio for maximum productivity

Keep an inventory of supplies, canvases, paint, brushes, packing materials, etc

Develope the discipline to work through creative block

Wow... I need a drink! Diet Soda ( only if sweetened with Splenda ) for me!

Well... now lets look at what I have done:

Built a wesbite ( http://www.branderart.com/ )

Built portfolios and profiles and several major online artsites

Network on Myspace.com

Create this Blog

I am getting better at painting daily, even when I am 'tired' and don't 'feel' like it

I am working at better service for my customers

I am working to improve shipping and handling and turn around time ( which can be difficult working M-F and living in a rural community where the Post Office is closed on weekeds! )

I am reading more and more about art, selling art and creating art

I have close to 400 pieces of Art logged onto http://www.ebsqart.com/, which in my opinion, is one of the greatest artist resources. Yeah, I am there, just do a search for 'Horse'.

I am painting things other than horses... That is a big deal in itself. I am sure that'll be a topic for my blog for the future.

So yeah, whew... what a journey!

Horses in Art

2008-02-13T14:56:00.000-08:00

Horses in art has always been somewhat shunned by traditional art critics and enthusiasts.

Well, really, who cares?

I have even been told that to paint horses and mainly horses is death to an artist.

Well, I don't believe it! It has been my experience that people who own, train and admire horses are also people that can easily fall in love with art. Especially if there is a horse in it.

I ahve been drawing horses since I can remember, but I can truly thank Arabian Horses for my growth from just sketching horses for fun to being inspired to truly capture the Equine Form.

The huge thick glossy issues of Arabian Horse World magazine became my teachers in the fine equestrian form. Nothing is as beautiful to me as a slender, sleek glossy Arabian Stallion that embodies spirit and strength.

I do find however that Arabian horses have dominated my imagination when it comes to horses. So much so, that it is often difficult to paint a horse without large eyes, a dished face and slender throat latch. It can be done by seeing the beauty of the horse that doesn't have that 'extreme' quality. Also, some horses are put together differently. The conformation that is considered weak in one breed, is often highly praised in another.

For example in American Quarter Horses a deep, sloping croup with low tail carriage is highly praised and highly sought after. In Arabian horses, people prefer to see a croup that is more level and the tail carriage nice and high, some even go as far as saying the tail should be like a flag. Other breeds have other standards and so on and so forth.

So it could even be said that breeding horses is like creating fine art. Always striving to portray the best possible horse.

In my art, I feel the same.

Paintings

2008-01-18T09:12:00.000-08:00

"You are getting too old for this..." Original Oil Painting, 16x20" FOR SALE

Lately I have been making it a point to paint every day, whether I am in the creative 'mood' or not... So every day I will be doing a painting, for a "painting a day" plan. I will be offering these for sale on EBay both at auction and in my store, which is Equine Art Treasures. I will likely be changing my store name to BranderArt to go along with my website.

I have a ton of commission work and projects that are crowding my studio, but that is a good sign that business is doing well.

EBay sales have been decent, though my long absence from EBay has definitely affected some of my ending prices. However, I do feel my break from selling and painting has given me some renewed energy and focus.

As I get back on track I am have been delighted to find a supplier of EXCELLENT quality gallery wrapped canvases, so I will be able to provide my art on higher quality supports and in Larger sizes.

I am also looking at having them custom make for me ACEO sized canvases or panels to paint on.