Solo Show at the Seippel Center for the Arts in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

I was recently invited to exhibit my artwork at the Seippel Center for the Arts in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. The exhibit will be up throughout the summer. The center is opening their current theme show, Native American Art today with an art fundraiser on the lawn. I will be demonstrating drawing horses for the children this afternoon. This is a lovely old homestead in the middle of town and a wonderful venue for displaying art. Check it out. http://www.bdaaa.org/index.php
Check out my lists of links for a quick link to the Seippel Center for the Arts website.

AAEA Mackinac Island Invitational Exhibit

I submitted these 3 drawings to the American Academy of Equine Art Invitational show,"Pulling Their Weight-Draft and Carriage Horses in Fine Art". The exhibition will be on display from July 1 through July 31, 2009 at The Mackinac Public Library in Mackinac, Island, Michigan. This is that great little island that does not allow any type of motor vehicle. Its all horse drawn carriages or bicycles. Also the site of the Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour movie, Somewhere in Time. Jack and I made a short stop on the island the weekend of his brother Thom's wedding. Was lots of fun taking the ferry over and enjoying the Grand Hotel. Its a gorgeous place to spend some time. Maybe we will get up there for the opening. Maybe we will go dancing....last night Jack said he had the urge to take me out dancing. ??????never in 35 years of marriage has he wanted to dance...ever...We are wondering if his new liver came from a guy who loved to dance. Hey this could be fun..I love dancing.

Chicken Drawing revisited and reworked, renamed......

I love this chicken drawing, its from a photo I took of one of my hens. Actually its a combination of two different hens. She was coming out of the little chicken door on a sunny morning in March. I had to get rid of my chickens when we moved, I still miss them dearly. I didn't like the foreground in the drawing, so put in more darks and removed some of the bright light source. Redid the hen and hopefully made more sense of her feathers. I renamed the drawing "Alpha", doesn't she look like she could rule the roost? I am entering it again in the Birds in Art show hoping the the reworking does make it a better drawing.

New Drawing Finished

This is a graphite drawing on Strathmore Bristol Paper. Its one of my entries for the Birds in Art exhibit at Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wi. I totally redid the drawing on different paper a week before the deadline. Glad I did, I made a mess of the Fabriano paper I had been using. I like the way it turned out. I wonder if the composition is a bit too simple, but then I do tend to go overboard with "stuff" in my drawings. Its called "Storm on the Rise". Its a Red Crowned Crane and the lake is the view from my window on Fox Lake. I love watching the full moon rise on the lake.

On the Road Again

Went for a long wagon ride yesterday with Racki pulling most of the way on his own. Looking for Sandhill Cranes after hearing their calling from across the marsh. We all had fun, got stuck on a muddy hill and the walk was farther than I had intended. We all were happy and tired after our adventure

Jack on the Mend

Getting better all the time...

Racki the model

His eyes aren't right!

Trying to get the paint to stick.

Not sure where I am going with this one. This is Cicely Wigs, a sheep I raised for wool and friendship. Sheep and chickens have a calming effect...I miss my creatures.

Warming up to Swans..just sketching

Calling the Mares..almost finished.

Another difficult drawing to finish. So much is going on, I like that but it also gets confusing to where I really want to go with it. The background building is what is left of the Melchoir Brewery in Trempealeau, Wisconsin. The ruins have been sitting along the Mississippi River for decades. It had been a hotel and a brewery. Only a skeleton is left of the the limestone walls. There still is a 30 foot cave behind the structure, which used to be for aging the brew.
The photo is a bit skewed. Too much rock I think.

Step 4 Sparrow Song WIP

Hmmmmmm...not sure about the change.This one is a challenge.

Step 3 WIP Sparrow Song

I've been working on this colored pencil drawing for a couple of years. Just can't seem to get my head back into it. I recently did a major overhaul, adding lots of white patches to the horses, hoping to add some excitement. Not sure if I succeeded or not. Back to the drawing board. I'll post the changes in a minute/

Sparrow Song, will I finally finish this piece???

Its just too cold outside!

Mural in Ohio..Las Vegas and on Tour for 2009

I spent a weekend in October in Columbus,Ohio at the Quarterhorse Congress which hosted "Le Cadeau du Cheval" the horse mural project from Mural Mosaic.

Back on the way up

Jack finally got his new liver on November 25, 2008. What a wild ride this has been. Not even space on the page to talk about what we have been through these last 2 years. Thankfully we finally got the call from the UW Transplant team in Madison that they had a match for Jack. So far everything is going well. The liver is working very well, Jack is feeling better and better each day. It will take a long time for him to get his strength back but its happenings slowly. Here's a pic of Grandpa Jack and Isabella Johanna at Christmas.