What the Election Means to Me

I have a dear friend who's name is Bill. He's our house sitter when we're exhibiting out of town. He puts his feet up and relaxes to the latest on Netflix while his lady reads bedtime stories to our cats. There's a rare trust between us. Leaving the care of our home and beloved pets to another is an act of faith.

Bill also takes care of our lawn, especially during the race meet when time is precious. If I can, I love to sit outside with him for a few minutes as he re-hydrates after mowing in the summer heat. He is the only person I enjoy discussing politics with. Thoughtful, intelligent and open-minded, Bill and I listen to each other and offer opinions without judgement.

Therefore, given the aftermath of the election, I will not tell you who I voted for. That would incite the incendiaries and I'm not going there nor will I tolerate the overwrought opinions of out of control emotions. But I have asked myself what the election means to me as an artist. And over the past several months, I've given this question a lot of thought. A lot.

No politician, no official, no election, no government nor any other outside entity will help me sell more paintings. The most brilliant economic proposals will do nothing for my art business. Nor will the stock market, trade agreements, rate of unemployment or projected gross national product. Here's where the ball lands in my court - I am in charge of my art business and how well (or not) it performs.

Attitude is everything and if I don't fall prey to race consciousness, I will maintain a positive course to success. It all begins and ends right here with me. I have control, not the president-elect. All I have to do is show up everyday in the studio and do my best. If it's not good, learn from my mistakes and start over. Demand the best, expect the best and unseen forces will assist. Have faith. Be confident. Listen to the voice within, not the cacophony of chaos surrounding our very beings.

Today's artists have access to tools that help them self-promote while maintaining control of the focus and direction of their goals. Use them...often.

It's a wonderful time to be an artist,
Sharon

Website Hacking Update

Google has removed the dreaded "Reported Attack Page"from my website and e-mail.

My biggest concern was losing the trust and confidence of the very people to whom I've worked so hard to create relationships. Clients, collectors, potential collectors, people who just like my artwork, my friends and fellow artists. I know if I landed on a page blasting that red-text warning, I would click away as fast as my spastic index finger could tap a mouse. That possibility was so disheartening - over and above losing several years of work.

Time to move on. I'm pleased with FASO, the website hosting service for artists, and I've put up a very simple site just to get back online. It's so easy even Michael is helping me. Not much design flexibility, however, did I mention I wanted to simplify? I'm determined to enjoy this.

Thank you to everyone who was supportive through this ordeal and I'm grateful for all who have stuck with me. Change of subject:

Oh no! It's Dave on the loose in the studio!

With relief,
Sharon
www.sharoncrute.com

About Babush

Michael found Babush under a bush, thus her namesake.

Alone, terrified and screaming (more on that soon) she was a tiny thing that fit in the palm of my hand. That is, after Michael refused to retrieve her declaring that she was spitting and hissing while trying to hide amongst the leaves. Impatiently, I fished for her in the underbrush and there emerged a miniature nightmarish wild cat.

A cute and adorable kitten, she remained physically endearing into adulthood. However, her personality developed into something similar to a spoiled celebrity. Pushy, demanding, cranky and often crossing the line into psychosis, she developed an unnerving habit of chasing her tail while letting loose a horrific scream. This would be followed by inconsolable growling and various means of blood-letting for anyone trying to provide comfort.

I'm not sure if this was a method of commanding attention or letting off steam from a period of irascible brooding. She would often silently slip behind me as I was busy painting. I have no idea how long she sat watching me, but sooner or later that ghastly scream would pierce the zen and nearly send me through the canvas. To observe Babush is to first hear the ferocious growl followed by the tail slowly moving toward her face. From the corner of her eye she spots the tormenting appendage and then savagely chases and attacks it. I often feel scabs of her own making.

This behavior has prompted unending trips to the vet. A clean bill of health is always the final diagnosis along with offers of kitty-cat prozac and sympathetic statements such as "that's because she's a tortie", as if that should explain everything. Have you ever read the internet joke about administering a pill to a cat?

My friends shake their heads sadly murmuring "that is no pet." As the years pass and she ages the symptoms diminish...somewhat. We've spent ten years tolerating each other. If our pets offer the mirroring principle, I've had lots of introspection into my own unexplainable angst. Yup, she's a nutcase but she's my nutcase and I adore her passionately.

Hoping you have a pet to love,
Sharon

Portrait of Babush, oil on canvas, 11"x14"

The Sound of Change

SWOOSH!

That's the sound of change infiltrating the unwary, the unprepared. Like it or not, change is a natural law and comforting in a lip-biting sort of way. One sure thing to know in life is that nothing remains static and change in all forms is inevitable.

I welcome change. I enjoy being immersed in a constant state of flux. Is it a characteristic of the artistic temperament or just my own restless personality?

I've moved out of Ocala, Florida. As much as I adored hanging my hat there, my suitcase now sits on a shelf in Saratoga Springs, New York.  Although my Florida-bred cats may take issue, I'm thrilled for this drastic change. As a native New Englander, I'm embracing the change of seasons in myriad ways.

There is a long list of reasons for this decision. But that was then and this is now. Let's get on with the work, the play, the events, the new friends, my goals and the looming opportunities. I'll share with you what I learn along the way.

I know you're wondering...yes, I've purchased a warm down coat and the accompanying warm accessories.

Love, Sharon

Chow

A tragic event brought us together sixteen years ago, creating an indelible bond that would endure miles of travel through dubious exploits. Unbeknownst to the tiny fur ball, a mountain of hope was placed on the silly antics of kittenhood that would, could? disrupt a thick shell of depression. It worked.

He grew into a handful of big strapping cat for a Siamese. Classy with attitude, always present, game for the next adventure and trustworthy in a reliable way, he became a family member as embedded as DNA. Together we ate, slept and worked. In dark times, he possessed the uncanny ability to elicit a smile, regardless of circumstance.

In the end, he acquiesced to our pangs of impending loss with grace and courage. An entire lifetime of consistently providing what one can demand of a cat - the softness, companionship, the comforting sound of a purr, sandpaper licks and always unconditional devotion.

Fondest memories of eyes squinting in the sunshine, as baby blues are prone.

Goodbye for now, my sweet prince.

Chow
April 1st, 1993 - August 6th, 2009

“Give sorrow words. The grief that does not speak whispers the o'er-fraught heart, and bids it break.” - William Shakespeare

Meow

In Siamese, it's more like mrrrrrrrrrooowwww.

Here's the dude, finally immortalized in paint. I showed him the canvas and he was downright rude. Yeah, whatever, chop up some chicken liver woman...now!

"Chow" 8"x10" oil on canvas

He may be a harsh judge of my artwork, but a more loyal and loving companion doesn't exist, though he'll never admit to it. See that expression? That's how he tolerates my rants, stupid ideas, depression, fears, insomnia and my general tendency to be clueless in all things important.

"There is, incidentally, no way of talking about cats that enables one to come off as a sane person." - Dan Greenberg

Feline Subject

Many people have asked me if I've ever painted my cats. Brushing it off as being too focused on my business of producing horse racing artwork, slow times have invited experimentation (in case you haven't noticed lately). And they're soooo endearing to me...why not?

Here's why...My beloved Siamese is the one I'd really love to immortalize in paint (blue eyes, charming regal personality). I respect that he hates to be photographed but this is ridiculous.

“Shyness has a strange element of narcissism, a belief that how we look, how we perform, is truly important to other people.”- Andre Dubus (remind you of any cats you know?)

Fun with Photoshop

Babush and I are like-minded girlfriends these days. We'd like nothing other than to just laze around in the cooling breeze and ponder what's for dinner...

Old 35mm photo of Bay Meadows, circa 1990 with Michael galloping a horse on the training track. That's the dreaded 101 freeway in the background in San Mateo, California. Bay Meadows is now defunct and I wonder what's becoming of all my memories - the great, the terrible, and the bizarre. Oh the 90's drama ...
I scanned the photo and pulled it into Photoshop to manipulate with all those intriguing, wacky filters. Accidentally discovering a warm fog-like image, I decided that it would make a good oil sketch to test out an Ampersand Gessobord I purchased. I've been testing several different panels for another multi-piece project I have in the cooker. The panels must be rigid and this one is cradled, meaning it has a two-inch deep frame. Surface is akin to sanded pastel paper. I like it the best so far.

The paint is still very wet and I'll have to re-shoot in a few days when the shiny areas blend in...

As yet untitled, 11"x14" oil on panel

Michael was a "big boy" in exercise terms and I made him smaller, jock-like. Originally opting for this analogous color scheme to test out a tube of iridescent copper oil I purchased from Gamblin, it dries VERY quickly and gets VERY tacky and yucky. Interesting results were obtained with mixing in various colors, however, but I became focused on the hot cadmium colors and soon forgot all about it. It sits neglected on my palette for now.

So easily distracted...

“Whenever I think of the past, it brings back so many memories.” - Steven Wright

Chow Update

Recently I received a comment on an old blog post about my Siamese cats' ordeal with mast cell tumors. His surgery was performed at the beginning of December. To all who have inquired with caring concern, I'm please to say Chow is doing fantastic. Not too shabby for a fifteen year old.

The hair has completely grown back and there's no sign of scarring. He's back to his usual princely self and still hates to be photographed. And he's milking the ordeal for all it's worth, ordering whatever he'd like to eat...raw chicken liver at 1:00pm if you please.

She, on the other hand, loves to be photographed.

"The sun rose slowly, like a fiery furball coughed up uneasily onto a sky-blue carpet by a giant unseen cat". - Michael McGarel

Phlox

Last summer Michael and I dug a drainage ditch in our front yard to alleviate some of the water generated by our Florida downpours. Digging must have activated lots of long dormant seeds of phlox, a wildflower that grows everywhere in central Florida in the spring. They just appeared uninvited yet tolerated more affectionately than relatives.

Well, of course Michael can't mow down these beauties. Oh sure, an elegant excuse.

They've imposed themselves with attitude.

Our Florida roses strain to compete.

Moi's planting table of tomatoes, peppers and cosmos. The gargoyle is Babush.

Year in Review #4

Continuing on with my assessment of Goals set for 2007. Still in the "business" catagory:

• This year Michael and I are poised to experiment with POD (print on demand). I'll soon offer an open edition giclee quality reproduction on canvas in any size requested.

Mission accomplished! The response from all my galleries and clients is all positive. I did change the first image I wanted to experiment with from a farm scene to a dynamic racing scene (wise choice). My galleries are thrilled and relieved, having their sales limited in the past by size constraints. They all report that clients are extremely receptive to the idea, aren't really concerned about "limited editions" or certificates of authenticity. Yes, there are some holdouts, but let's face it, with rapidly advancing technology the first giclee is as good as the thousandth or even better. Instead of increasing my prices due to escalating costs of ink, canvas and most of all - shipping, I maintained the same pricing structure but offered fourteen different sizes of the image (or whatever it would constrain to).

"Harrowing", my first P.O.D. giclee reproduction.

This is most definitely a direction I will be pursuing. Tomorrow I'll tackle the "artwork" goal catagory.

Chow's stitches were easily removed this morning (I was concerned about that) but he required a "jug" before leaving the vet's office. "Jug" is race track for intravenous fluids.

Chow's Ordeal

My precious Siamese, Chow, is finally starting to feel better. He rolled around on the walk leading up to my front stairs and basked in the sunshine today.

It's been a rough ten days. Tomorrow, his stainless steel stitches are removed. He's been in pain, depressed, not eaten, puked and just had a generally awful week. Depressed myself over his suffering, I called the vet last Friday and she gave us more painkillers which got us through the weekend. Today he's walking around, nibbling some food and looking much brighter. He's also begun to fuss with the stitches - good sign.

Mast cell tumor removed, matching surgery on the other leg.

Without doubt, this is the last time I will put him through this nightmare regardless...

Year in Review

I'd love to post photos of the commissions I've been working on but they are...holiday gifts. Maybe after the first of the year.

So I'll start my review. Some of the goals that I set for 2007, beginning with business are: oh, and before I begin, here's a profound quote from landscape artist Linda Blondheim: "I stopped chasing my impossible goals, which were depressing me, and started refocusing on what I loved". I should take note...

• I believe I can take this so-called "genre" painting and pull it into the mainstream.
  Confidence abounds thanks to the response from non-horse people who purchase my paintings and giclees. Continuing in the direction of the current multi-canvas project, the creations will increase accessibility to a wider, larger client base.

I have only begun to market the multi-canvas project. I worked it to the end and it's beautiful. Thirteen and a half by thirteen foot. Plenty large enough for an impressive foyer. A couple of designers have taken note. Another multi-canvas project that I sold has recently been offered to me as an exhibit piece. I heard that the Appleton Museum of Art here in Ocala is issuing a call for artists next month for their Biennial Exhibit. These two pieces plus another could be good candidates. Hah! I'd become a museum artist! And I have another idea for a similar project in mind, something very innovative, but I'm thankfully swamped with commissions for now.

In 2007, I fully embraced this goal, in 2008, this is a path I intend to continue...

To all of you who e-mail, called, posted or otherwise offered your support to my physically challenged cat Chow, I say thank you, thank you, thank you. He's doing okay considering (good days, bad days). Bless you all for the love.

My Siamese

Our cat Chow had some mast cell tumors removed yesterday. Usually occurring around the face and ears, three tumors formed on his front ankles. This condition is dire with dogs - our prognosis is better. Apparently, this is somewhat common with Siamese which I did not know.

He's stitched and hurting even with the pain medication. I said no to chemo and a splenectomy. He's fourteen and a precious light in my life. We'll take this no further.

Dr. Jenny Salpeter of Brick City Cat Hospital performed the surgery. I have confidence in her talent and abilities even though I'm a holistic believer. We can take the best from both worlds, can't we?

This ordeal brings thoughts of how we're all affected by cancer in some way, be it through friends, relatives or ourselves. Is our planet so toxic? Or is the detection technology vastly improved? What I do know is that it's so damn prevalent.

Chow came to us in Oakland, California an 1993. We have a history together of travels, travails and hysterical joy. What a pistol and handful of cat he was when he was a kid. He made us laugh to tears.

He still makes me smile when nothing else can.

Lovely and Peaceful

Photography is not my forte. Perhaps because my approach is utilitarian. I photograph mainly for reference material and don't perceive it as the art medium it deserves. Thankfully there are those who do recognize the art form and create beautiful pictures. These artists use all the same elements of shape, light, color, contrast, composition, etc. that a painter does.

My dear friend Lynn, who is an extraordinary web designer, took these photos at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville. We walked off the huge holiday dinner while she went on a mission to capture the quiet splendor around us.

Enjoy...

Cat sculpture.

Real garden cat.

Giant lily pads.

Aromatic and exotic. Manna for butterflies.

Fairy stuff.

Bees! There's still some left...

No, I'm not inspired to paint any of this. For me to simply savor.

Rainy and Cold in Saratoga Springs

I'll be relieved to escape the oppressive heat of Central Florida for upstate New York. However, when I tuned into the Weather Channel this morning, a storm was 'a brewin' in the northeast with the temperatures forecast only in the sixties. Brrrr, I do have wimpy Florida blood after all.

As I prepare for the trip, my heart gets agoraphobic in regard to my cats. Even though a friendly cat-loving house sitter has been arranged, well, they're my joy. Mind you, I'm the kind of human who lies stiff and motionless in bed so as not to disturb their sleep. I pine for them while I'm gone and will actually forgo some potential traveling fun in order to get home sooner. My babies have mysterious, mesmerizing power over me. In times of stress, aggravation and overwork, they have the uncanny ability to make me smile. That, my friends, is priceless.

"Disturbia 1,2,3"