Fancy Rooster... Daily Painting

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!

Enter your search terms Submit search form

Daily Paintings... "Blondes and Brunettes"

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...

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

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.

Enter your search terms Submit search form

Paintings

"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.