Wednesday, July 28, 2010

more show info

I also just heard back from the bi-annual show OVAL's Kentucky National Wildlife Art Exhibit and both of my pieces were juried in (Intrigue and On The Prowl)!   My frame shop is loving me right now - with 6 pieces needing to be framed!!

I started a new piece that will be 24"x24" and hope to post a picture tomorrow.  I am not very far along yet.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Pinto 'Stang update

My allergies have really been kicking my butt for more than the past month and I am so 'done with them'.  None of the regular drugs seem to be having much impact, so I feel congested, headaches and tired all the time right now, which is very irritating.  They started later than usual into the summer and seem to be sticking around a lot longer than usual for me too.  What a drag!!

Anyways, I did make some good progress on the mustang girl this afternoon.  I keep calling her a pony, but it came from the fact that I thought I might make her an indian 'pony' with feathers and war paint and such, which I will do eventually a board or two on, but decided not to on this piece.  In reality she is not a pony at all, but a horse.  Oh well whaterever you call her... here is the update.  I decided I didn't care for her markings with almost all white body and dark head.  It was confusing to the eye and thus I added a pinto marking on her side back into the image.  I still have some work to do on her face, but am getting pretty close to calling her done.  I am open to title suggestions too.


Tuesday, July 20, 2010

updates and such

Sorry for being so reticence in posting updates to my blog!  The days just seem to go by so quickly and before I know it I am onto the next one!  How did it get to be the middle of July already!!  Wasn't Christmas like a month ago??

Anyways... I have been busy indeed. 

My art portion of my website (http://www.aphelionart.com/) has had a bit of an overhaul as I try to get my page rankings up and make myself more findable for search engines.  Most of the changes were html and behind the scenes things, but I did add a couple of links about scratchboard with some tutorials and FAQs.

From the end of June through July 4 I had seven works hanging at the Greeley Stampede Invitational Western Art Show.  Two works were sold (Bending and What Next?) and I also earned the top two spots for people's choice awards with Walking The Line and Bending.

From July 7 through the 14th I was off to Indianapolis where I was a part of a scratchboard artist show and workshops.  Approximately 15 artists from all over the US and Canada attended.  We shared techniques, styles and tips and had an overall wonderful time!  We also discussed the formation of an international scratchboard society and I will be helping to work on that as well.  If that is something that you are interested in once it is up and running feel free to send me an e-mail and I will make sure you are notified.

While I was away in Indy I found out that my piece, A Driving Force, has been selected to be published in "Strokes Of Genius III - Best of Drawing".  This book is slated to come out in 2011.  The original of this piece was donated to the Buffalo Bill Historical Society "Patron's Ball" that will be held in September.

I also learned that The Interrupted Drink was picked as a finalist in The Artist Magazine Annual Competition.  While my 3rd place last year was a step up ;)  it is still quite an accomplishment to make it as a finalist.  They pick around 30 total winners/finalists in each category (of which there are 7) out of around 12,000-14,000 entries!!

Two piece were juried into the American Academy of Equine Art exhibition, a pencil drawing (A Kind Eye) and a scratchboard (Darkness and Light).  This show told me last year that scratchboard was not an eligible medium. This year I wrote a cover letter explaining why it should be included so I felt like getting one scratchboard in was a small victory! This show starts in the middle of September at the Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY

So I guess you could say it has been a productive month already!!  Look for an update on the pinto pony tomorrow.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Happy Birthday Maddie!

It is my first Belgian Sheepdog, Maddie's, Birthday today.  Yep she was born on the 4th of July.  I have had her since she was 10 weeks old and she has done everything I have ever asked of her and more!  She turned 9, but you would never know it by the way she acts. 
Maddie is more formally Champion Isengard's Makin' A Scene CDX RA OA NAJ

She still looks great- don't you think?  This photo was taken in May of this year.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

I made good progress on the pinto today.  Getting the smooth look of horse hair (especially white) is far from a fast project. I spent about 5-6 hours working today.