This and That

A few thoughts, experiences and happenings from the summer.

August 24, 2016 was the tenth anniversary of this blog. Web logs, soon to be called blogs were the latest thing ten years ago and there was a full-out popularity contest for readership and numbers of comments. Monetized blogs actually made a profit and blogs like mine were public journals of trials and successes. Michael was nearing the limit for his tolerance of the unscrupulous ethics in the racing biz and I was at the zenith of a successful painting career.

Some of my posts were negative and I pissed off some individuals by invoking my first amendment rights. However, some of my posts were quite good...like this one: Pulp Fiction written in March of 2007. It's interesting to read over some old posts from back when I was trying to find my voice.

Summer at Saratoga was hot and steamy. It was politics as usual and because I desire to exhibit there again next year I won't go into detail (no way gang). Overall, it's an honor to be there as an artist and I willingly persevered the bull***t. It's still the best racing in the country and witnessing the champion horses, trainers, jockeys and owners is a privilege even though it's an exhausting feat beyond measure. We achieve the marathon only with a huge reserve of adrenaline.

The best sellers were the prints on aluminum. They are vividly colorful, contemporary and something new. I also managed to create two oil portraits of champions Frosted and Songbird who both raced at the track twice. We experimented with prints on paper and that turned out very well.

I participated in a group equine art show at the Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa just south of Saratoga. Organized by my dear friend Sue Clark, it was fun and another entry for the resume. I wish I could have been more proactive with promotion but the show coincided with the race meet and dang, I still haven't figured out how to extend the day to thirty six hours.

My decision to exhibit my original oils at Spa Gallery was correct. They sold four pieces and were reluctant to hand over the ones that garnered interest. So, you can still see a few there.

Filling orders took up the weeks following the meet's end. Crossing off most from the dry erase board, we managed four days at the beach while it was still nice and warm. I was never so content to do absolutely nothing.

Last weekend I participated in a plein air event organized by the OPA (Oil Painters of America) in Londonderry, VT. No competition, just painting at a charming working farm. The drive alone was worth the effort. What a (still) beautiful state.

This week I made my way back to Oklahoma to plein air paint. Akin to a homecoming.

Next week I drive out to Geneva, NY for the Seneca Lake Plein Air Festival. It's a five day event and I sold well there last year.

Please stay tuned, some cool things in the making.
Sharon

What I Did on My End-Of-Summer Vacation

I'm having a difficult time getting back to work. Vacationing on the Maine coast was so relaxing and inspiring that I'm beginning to understand the term "retirement." Michael and I brought all our own food and camped as close to the shore as possible - twice we woke up to lapping waves right on the beach.

Acadia National Park

Although Acadia National Park possessed stunning scenery, we were turned off by the commercial aspect. Buses dropped off tourists at all the choice scenic locations and it got so crowded I couldn't even set up to paint. Two days of that annoyance and we were off to explore a bit further south.

Harbor at Stonington

Artist studios and galleries were flagrantly abundant. Every town, and I mean every one of 'em we visited hosted several art galleries. In the outskirts, signs that appeared to be county or town appointed indicated individual art studios located down this or that road. Even dirt roads. Which begs the question: how can so many artists and galleries survive here along the Maine coast? Is it that lucrative? Do they stay all winter or leave for warmer climes?

The highlight of the trip was taking the boat over to Monhegan Island. With equally stunning scenery as Acadia, it's understandable how the island has held a long tradition as an artistic destination. It was almost a religious experience as I payed homage to the artists who have painted there for generations. There they were: all the subjects, scenes, landscapes and seascapes that have been painted by some of the greats...right before my eyes.

Artists at work.

Teel Island, owned by the Wyeth family, on the way out to Monhegan.

The bluffs of Monhegan Island.

Sigh. I've got to get back to work sooner or later. After all, paint is paint and a muse is a muse.
Sharon

Old Photos of Us (really old)

I finally did the inevitable: cleaned out the old 35mm photographs that were stacked in the studio closet as tall as I. Purging to the nth degree. I've been intending to do this for...well...several years. Shoe boxes filled with photos I thought I would need for reference forever. There was a time when, as an artist, if I wanted to paint a starting gate I required lots of decent photos of a starting gate. Not so much anymore with the instantaneous internet availability of almost everything. Not to mention digital cameras.

So, I thought I would share with you the ones I deemed worth saving. Maybe even in a couple of these blog posts. After all, 10+ stuffed shoe boxes have been honed down to one medium size carton. They're the best of an arsenal.

Here I am ponying one of Michael's fillies at Bay Meadows in '93.

Michael galloping one of his own horses on the Oklahoma Training Track
at Saratoga in the mid-80's.

Don't you love this? Michael training babies with his Irish friend John at a ranch in Half Moon Bay just south of San Francisco. They made their way down these magnificent cliffs and galloped on the beach. One time I went with him and there was this guy jumping up and down like a crane with his parachute glider. The young horses were wary but curious and they all made their way past without incident. That's Michael in the blue jacket.

Gold panning in Alaska in the early '90's.

I went on an all-girl camping trip in Arizona with a couple of my best girlfriends. On a very remote section of road on the Apache reservation we came upon an area littered on both sides with a vast amount of animal bones. So eerie and I was mesmerized with the scene of destruction. The margarita in the plastic cup added to my morbid fascination.

“In solitude we give passionate attention to our lives, to our memories, to the details around us.” - Virginia Woolf

Half Moon Bay

When I was going through old photos for my recent post "Race Track Stories", I came across these incredible shots. One of our Irish peers, John Roch, had taken a job breaking babies at a ranch out at Half Moon Bay just south of San Francisco. John invited us out to see the spectacular scenery and wow, was it ever. The two guys jumped on a couple of babies and made their way down a steep cliff to gallop on the beach.

That's them to the right of the bottom pilings. In the spring, gigantic waves reaching 30 feet tall register on the Richter scale at the University of California in Berkeley, about 40 miles away. It's a world class surfing destination.

As I made my way back up the cliffs, a parachutist had arrived on the horse path and was jumping up and down like a fledgling, testing the conditions in preparation to jump off the edge. I smiled to myself wondering, oh boy, how are the babies going to react to this bazaar phenomenon. Like this happens every day. Michael is in the blue jacket.

Here's how horses are: they made their way past the parachutist very curious but unfazed, then ducked and dived from moi standing at the top of the hill with my camera aimed at them!

"In my opinion, a horse is the animal to have. Eleven-hundred pounds of raw muscle, power, grace, and sweat between your legs - it's something you just can't get from a pet hamster. " ~Author Unknown

Flagler Beach

I went shopping at Coldwater Creek in Ormond Beach yesterday. I love their clothes. I could order from their beautiful catalog but then there's the fit issue. So off I drove and I've secured the outfit for my opening reception at Fayette Gallery in a few weeks.

Para-kite-surfing? at Flagler Beach.

If it seems like I'm posting a lot of beach photos, I am. If it seems like I'm screwing off, I'm not. Just fulfilling my intentions to get out of the studio and re-charge the batteries. Flagler Beach is just a short drive from Ormond Beach.

A prevailing wind and rough surf at Flagler Beach.

Rooftop lookout.

My favorite racehorse "Street Sense" got beat in Saturday's Kentucky Cup Classic. From the looks of the race, Calvin didn't beat him up for the win. Appeared to be a good prep for the big B.C.