The Process

The process of making art is as infinitely varied as the art itself. Every artist has their own way of finding inspiration and transforming it creatively. That's the magic spark, the beginning. From that moment of scintillating insight, a series of actions follows that will eventually produce a piece of art - be it a painting or a theater production of whatever the end result is desired.

Many people are not aware of the tremendous work the process often entails. It can be a long road from idea to completion. There is the preparation of materials which includes lots of trial and error in first choosing the supplies that suits the artist and at the best price. Highest quality paint is not cheap.

I prefer to stretch my own canvas simply because commercial pre-stretched canvas is awful. We begin with a textured 11 or 12 ounce canvas that has adequate tooth to hold my thick paint application. I say "we" because my husband Michael has blessedly taken over stretching duties at this point. He pulls the canvas over wooden strips, or stretcher bars and staples it in the back leaving the sides of the canvas smooth (known as a gallery wrap). Once he's finished, I begin applying the first of three coats of gesso creating a barrier between the paint and raw canvas. Coat one is mixed with a bit of water to penetrate the canvas fibers and given a day to dry. Coat two is mixed with an acrylic medium to provide flexibility and given another day to dry. Before applying coat three, I lightly sand the surface to create a bit of tooth and then apply gesso full strength. After another day of drying the canvas is ready for a ground (a neutral wash of color to eliminate the stark whiteness). Yet another day to dry and then I'm finally ready to paint! It's a labor of love...really... but you get, um, the picture.

Before beginning the painting - and this is assuming the artist is clear about what they want to express - there is usually some preliminary sketching. Sometimes a lot of sketching. Perhaps the artist requires photographic material or is compelled to research the subject that further demands untold hours at the library or on the internet. When finally proceeding into art-making, that process often takes on a life of its own that doesn't always cooperate thus requiring the artist to make time-consuming changes and other adjustments throughout.

My point is that making art is diligent work. A beautiful finished piece is a joy to behold but know that it doesn't gracefully manifest by divine intervention as some have naively intimated. Yes, we've all heard it. This is about process and I've haven't even mentioned the time (years) and effort (extraordinary) to develop skills and techniques that continues throughout the career of an artist. Please consider this before gasping at the price of an artwork next time you're in a gallery.

With a heavenly sponsored talent (!),
Sharon

Sanford Stud Farm

This short road trip was inspired by my latest project - creating eight historical renderings of Saratoga Race Course for the upcoming 150th Year Anniversary.

I heard that a few barns of the original Sanford Stud Farm remained intact. Formally Hurricana Farm, the impressive facility was established by Stephen Sanford in the 1870's. Located on the Perth/Amsterdam border here in New York, I can't believe that I've driven Route 30 right past the huge mare barn without noticing it. Sadly, it's now surrounded by encroaching strip malls and parking lots.

The result of his physician's urging to buy a peaceful place in the country with a couple of horses, Sanford built a farm of over eleven hundred acres with an impressive roster of thoroughbred champions. That would include the 1916 Kentucky Derby winner George Smith and the first American winner of the Grand National Steeplechase, Sergeant Murphy. I guess some people are not wired to do things in a small way.

This was the mare barn, looking more like a factory, as viewed from the parking lot of a store I can't remember.

The old feed bins are visible through a window.

This lone barn sits behind the mare barn, possibly once housing a stallion. Notice the Walgreens in the background. Constant traffic travels an access road.

I'm walking down a row of mare and foal barns that have remarkably weathered the years. Even the paddock fencing still stands. This is on the other side of the access road. 

If you look further back behind the row of mare and foal barns, neglected remains of other buildings are visible in the distance. We could feel the ghosts of so many horses, hear their calling and footfalls as they're led to and from the barns. Can you imagine the tales and secrets contained within these sturdy walls that stubbornly hold fast against the ensuing years? It eerie and bittersweet but it's hallowed ground to me. I'm grateful to the Friends of Sanford Stud Farm who work to preserve what's left of this very historical farm.

It's been said that the horses were walked to the Saratoga Race Course. That would be almost thirty miles!

A little history for my horse peeps,
Sharon

The Deed is (almost) Done!

My studio has successfully been moved across the street to:
73 Beekman Street, Saratoga Springs, New York.

We've hung my paintings, set up the office and tested the printers and computers. It's presentable and we're open for visitors on the weekends. This week we'll empty the storage unit (my exhibit tents, grid walls, display tables, etc.) and haul all that stuff to the new place. After that chore is completed, we'll tackle the living quarters, moving from the apartment we now occupy to upstairs over the gallery. After settling in, the visiting days and hours will be expanded. As always, if you need me for something - I'm always available.

There's good energy here. I'm feeling very optimistic.

I've selected a bright, sunny room upstairs to use as my workspace. It's a bit smaller than I'm used to but the big canvas is completed and I've got ample room to work on my Kickstarter project.

So clean and uncluttered. Consider this a "before" picture!

Embracing change and moving forward,
Sharon

Relocating (again)

Across the street from my studio on Beekman Street in the Saratoga Arts District, a live/work space became available. We grabbed it - enabling us to combine the gallery/studio and living quarters in this good size house. Apart from the obvious fact that we'll save money, I'm excited to be so physically close to my work. Just think of what this insomniac can accomplish into the wee hours!

Moving is such a chore, even if it's just across the street. As a former race tracker, packing and shipping is a routine part of the biz. Let's say I've grown weary of it...really, really weary. And where did all this stuff come from? Amazing what material things we accumulate. A mere year and a half ago we moved into the old studio with my paintings, art supplies and a few computers and printers.

"A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff." -George Carlin
 I swear I had no stuff-collecting intentions. I despise clutter. But there it is, all sprawled out and spilling into three rooms in the new place, requiring lots of effort to organize and find a place to put it.

In other news...

My Kickstarter campaign will end on Friday, March 22nd. I'm overwhelmed and humbled that I not only surpassed my goal, but that so many are willing to support my artistic efforts. What a blessing to have believers in me and my artwork. FYI...there are still four of the eight originals available: Click here: Kickstarter if you're interested.

With deepest appreciation,
Sharon

Studio News

My monster of a canvas is finished.

Phew!

There were effects that I wanted to play with after acquiring interesting new skills with my landscape experiments. However, because this piece is commissioned by a great client who loves my racing work and has certain expectations, I thought it best to be reliable in that respect. The entire background was applied with a palette knife providing some interesting texture that I further rubbed with thinned pigment. A very difficult angle to portray, I couldn't find any reference photos except for one very dark and blurry pic. That said, I enlisted Michael to model and did lots of preliminary drawings.

Oil on canvas, 7'x5'

In other studio news, my Kickstarter project is almost completely funded. I have only $125. more to go to reach my goal. If there are any art angels out there who would like to help me get there, please click here. Did I mention there are rewards?

More studio news: We'll be moving the entire kit and caboodle across the street on Beekman and will be in an authentic live/work environment combining the studio/gallery with living quarters. This workaholic is thrilled! Stay tuned for a more detailed update.

Mwah!
Sharon

Kickstarter Newsletter

My Kickstarter project is now live and I'm off to a great start (thanks to all my art angels)! I explain my project and why I chose to create it in my newsletter (it's pretty). If you'd like to sign up to have it delivered to your inbox, there's a link in tabs to the right. For now, here's a direct link to the online version here.

And here's a link that will take you directly to my Kickstarter page. You'll also see a video of myself in my studio as I explain the project. If any of you would like to make a pledge toward my project, there are rewards. And mountains of gratitude!

Hugs,
Sharon

Kickstarter

I have some big ideas in mind for the future. I mean BIG which also means expensive to produce. These would be projects on the level of my experimental piece Diagonal. Accomplishing these ambitious efforts requires some creativity in the logistics of funding which led me to explore Kickstarter. My first attempt to familiarize myself with this platform will be with a much smaller project.

One of the requirements of Kickstarter is to create a short video presentation describing the project and why I'm seeking funding. Perusing other artistic project videos I'm confronted with some that are very, very professional. Cool music, integrated graphics, well-scripted and slick -  I'm intimidated. My video? Michael shoots with our modest camera perched on a walking stick for stability while his other hand holds a cue card taped to a stretcher bar. We tried to have background music but I  struggled with this so much that I thought it was a distraction.

Okay, so it took 11 tries and it's still crude. But it makes a case for myself and my artwork and not for an app to send someone a flaming bag of poop (yes, really).

Take three...

Seriously,
Sharon

Back to Basics

After spending the last several months experimenting with different subject matter, I'm delighted to return to the loyal and patient muse. Don't get me wrong, my foray into street scenes, ocean, snow and a bit of plein air has been a welcome change - reassuring my brain that it can still concentrate with dogged focus and even learn a few new tricks.

It was a return to the basics of value and perspective. My equine paintings are closely cropped into somewhat abstract compositions. Spatially, here's limited depth of field and the angles are as unorthodox as I can convincingly portray. It's difficult to choose a focal point when the entire surface is so in-your-face.

My artist friend Robert Stebleton generously sent me a cd of images that he scanned from one of his Richard Schmid landscape books. I drooled over these paintings. And I stared at them for hours. What impressed me the most was Schmid's simplification of some very complex masses and his suggestion to perceive these areas as patterns. Also noteworthy is his effective technique with edges, something I really need to work on.

It will be interesting to see if my return to a large-scale, motion-infused canvas will be affected by the time spent painting scenes that were definitely outside my comfort zone.

7'x5' canvas with preliminary charcoal sketch and color washes.

I think it will.
Sharon

2012 - Much to be thankful for.

As I look back at my work year I realize how well my career recovery is underway from the travails of the recession. Here goes...

It's been a year since opening the studio on Beekman St. The Arts District has also suffered mightily but signs of improvement abound. Michael was able to stir interest in another First Friday Art Walk which will be repeated in the spring (the Art Walk he singly organized in Ocala still continues and is smashingly successful). I'm so grateful to have street presence and have the support of friends who believe in me and my artwork. The studio makes it possible to participate in various art events throughout the year. Yes, I work very hard to market myself and cannot rely solely on walk-in traffic, but the studio has proven itself necessary over and over. It's about street cred.

A great gig came my way last January with the commission to paint six greyhound fiberglass forms. My new client used the artwork to raise money for greyhound rescue. And what a fortuitous meeting! He saw my fiberglass horses in Ocala and took the trouble to find me here in Saratoga. What a fascinating, generous and easy to work with client who made my struggles with acrylic paint a bearable challenge. Angels come in all disguises.

Getting my children's book finished and published was a milestone. 101 Whinnying Riddles for Horse Crazy Kids is listed on Amazon.com and has sold very well. My book partner who wrote the riddles, Dale Sue Wade is brilliant and supportive. I made lots of mistakes but learned well about self-publishing. I'm even open to repeating the venture. In color next time.

I was invited to show at the spring exhibition at the American Academy of Equine Art in Lexington, KY. Always an affirming endeavor.

Creating and nurturing business relationships is more vital than ever. The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame hosted a book signing for me during the race meet. It's important to form alliances with those who share similar focus, passions and who also work hard to promote these principles.

Yup, there were some low points in the year to mention briefly but not dwell. The cancellation of the Inaugural Saratoga Steeplechase Festival for which I was the poster artist was a big disappointment and also hit me in the pocketbook. The state take over of NYRA stole some of the magic from the race meet and left many of us drained and uncertain of the future. However, the recent meeting of the new board of directors produced direction for positive change, especially during the upcoming 150th Anniversary to be widely celebrated. And I'm grateful to still be an artist vendor at the world's most fabulous race track. We remain hopeful.

The lack of interest in equine art here in Saratoga after the race meet has been a blessing. It has compelled me to spread my painterly wings and do some flying. While it's often frustrating, it's also a great challenge to experiment and grow. The interest in my "new" subjects has been reassuring.

I have amazing clients and am thankful for all who supported me throughout the year. You all know who you are and I'm so grateful for you interest in my artwork and career. Next week, Michael and I will sit down and make plans for 2013 with renewed enthusiasm. In the meantime, I wish you all a

Merry Christmas and Peace and Prosperity in the New Year!

With lots of love,
Sharon

Go to the Light

I've been fortunate to gypsy around the country with my horse-trainer husband Michael. As I scrutinize contemporary masters to expand my subject and, in the process, hopefully improve my painting skills, I've become so mindful of the light in all it's glorious lumens.

Now I'm in the north country and it's...oh so different. As winter encroaches, the sun is a diluted watery thing that mostly hangs out behind a veil of clouds. And not for long! It drops behind the tree line before 4:00 pm which makes for a very short day (and in summer the opposite makes for little time to star-gaze). With a rare, clear sun, the light produces long shadows all day long. Weird.

3:30 pm

Michael has asked why an artist would want to plein air paint here in December. Everything's brown and dead, he observes. Well, everything is more like resting and it's about a sense of place. The weak light is particular to this region at this time of year and I'm enjoying the seasons (even though snow still...STILL!... eludes us).

Holsteins, oil on canvas, 16"x20"

Because I sold the first little cow painting unframed and still wet, of course I had to paint another. It was overcast but I wanted to color the cloudy sky. The bare trees in the background say winter even though the grass oddly stays so green around here freeze after freeze. I added a slight indication of shadow to add dimension even though there were none and used a palette knife to create the hay in the mud. The cows are brightly lit in an un-sunny way.
Mooo,
Sharon