Blowing Rock NC Charity horse show

Hooray! I have completed the second of two pastels which will be sold at the two Blowing Rock NC Charity Horse shows this July. The images used on T-shirts . The first represented the Saddlebred show and the second is the Hunter Jumper show.

We LOVE this show. Held just off the Blue Ridge Parkwayin the NC mountains, it is wonderfully cooler than the Piedmont. There is something in everyone's DNA where some ancient connection to mountains manifests itself. Looking out over the incredible vews, we tend to drift into a time warp and we become our ancestors for a short period of time!

It just doesn't get better than that!

Duke Charity Horse Show

Well it is that time of year again and we are set up and flourishing at the Duke shows in Raleigh NC! Beautiful, crisp fall weather has perked the colors of the trees and although we need rain badly, the weather can' t be better at the moment! The explosive Grand Prix is Saturday night and a glittering assortment of spectators will be out in full.

And of course, with our booth set up at the doorway and both Steve and I painting, we have encouraged all of our clients to stop on by!

Now I must confess that as I write this, it is 8 pm, cold, dark and I am in front of a fire while Steve is at the show :-) But hey, that's life! Our home is about 30 miles from this show so unlike Saratoga, NY or Blowing Rock NC, we are close enough to commute and not camp.

Secretariet and Ponies

There is something about being in a camper listening to the rain on the roof that makes for a sound night's sleep!
All day yesterday and last night the rain fell steadily and the riders and their horses bore it with good humor. We are beginning to think that "Saint Clements" was the saint of rain :-)
I have spent some productive days with my pastels and completed two more commissions.
The lovely aged gelding to the left is "Pinky" a grandson of Secretariet and as red and gorgeous as his grandsire. It is an 18 x 24 Pastel.

(Collection of Mike Seagrove)








Since we wil be on the road all day tomorrow, I decided to add this pastel which I completed in Saratoga as well.
Peyton and her pal, Lone Star were at the Rosemont Show in Virginia where I photographed them for their portrait.
(Collection of Melinda Smith)

Many artists tell me that they cannot work in public, but I find that I can easily slip into a zone when I am concentrating and "working in public"
doesn't bother me.

And the speed in which I work is two-fold. First of all, pastel comes easily to me. I am a drawer and pastel is just an extension of that ability.

Secondly I cannot procrastinate at a show! I can't clean the house, work in the garden, feed the goats or ponies, wander off on another tangent......in other words, I keep my nose to the grindstone! So it is not speed as much as the ability to concentrate and stay focused when I am creating artwork! Until next time!