Got a Horse Crazy Kid?

The book is published!

My multi-year project of illustrating the equine-related riddles for children that were written and compiled by my book partner Dale Sue Wade is complete. In hindsight, the drawings were a respite from my usually formal painting. The goofy, silly me was given free rein to have fun and revel in the fact that I'm a fairly decent draughtswoman (yes that's correct, I looked it up). I'm learning to accept and honor the positive aspects of me. It takes an entire lifetime.

In a few days the book will be available at Amazon.com. Extended distribution will take on countries across the pond and translations will occur: ¿Qué tipo de caballo de Picasso se prefiere?

A bit of a snafu has occurred in transferring the files to Kindle but that will be handled later. Call me old-fashioned, but I still love the tactile experience of holding a book in my hands and thumbing the pages while inhaling the aromatic scent of ink.

Dale Sue is an educator and wasn't satisfied with the just the riddle and it's accompanying answer. She's compelled to teach and harnessed the riddles as a learning opportunity. You'll find puns, wordplays, idioms and homophones plus a history lesson or two thrown in for good measure.

Got a horse crazy kid and need a little gift? You can pre-order at the publishers website here. It's only $9.95 and I promise you'll love it as much as your kid. Think of me when you chuckle at the nonsensical drawings.

Drawing on life and love,
Sharon

101 Whinnying Riddles for Horse Crazy Kids

Three solid weeks. That's how long it took me to format the children's riddle book I've been working on for years. Why now? An offer from the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame for a book signing during the Saratoga race meet was incentive enough to pull the project back to the front burner. Again.

Being a painter, my knowledge and understanding of publishing software is limited. A very old version of Quark, 5.0 to be exact, somehow keeps getting transferred over to the next generation of computers in our office. After a brief frustrating struggle, I downloaded the trial version of the latest QuarkExpress 9.0.

It was easy to import the text and images and compose the pages. However, the entire book had to uploaded to the publisher in one pdf file and that's where the insanity began. My book partner, Dale Sue Wade (who wrote the overly clever riddles that only children can solve), my VP of Sales, Research and Accounts Receivable (Michael) and I decided to self-publish. After intensive research, we chose CreateSpace, a subsidiary of Amazon.com. Many, many revisions and several hair pulling sessions later, the book is in "review" as of this writing. I felt like I was trying to build a mansion with toothpicks, the toothpicks being my lack of knowledge about anything book creating.

Revisiting the ink drawings did put a smile on my intense grimacing. Humor me as I share this ridiculous drawing with you:

What do you say to a horse when they sneeze?

Horse-SHOE!

101 Ways to Drive a Horse Artist Mad,

Sharon

Please! Don't Go!

Experiencing a couple of unsubscribes last week has me wondering. Perhaps I've not painted a race horse in awhile, but this is a great gig for me and has me leaping out of my oil-equine-big canvas-wild eyed box. I know some of my friends are getting a kick out of my documented struggles as I gunk up acrylic paint while ruining good brushes and misting water on anyone who passes too close.

Or, maybe I've not been clear regarding the greyhound project. The subject of greyhound racing can elicit assorted opinion as I've discovered...some of them rather passionate. So, let me explain.

I have a client who has commissioned me to paint several fiberglass life-size greyhounds. These art pieces are being auctioned off across the country to benefit various greyhound rescue groups. Be happy for me as the project has mushroomed into opportunities that neither my client nor myself foresaw. For instance, remember Waguar, the greyhound painted with the team colors of the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars?

That number 32 was personally autographed by Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville's star running back. My client, who is an avid sports fan, not only experienced the fun of meeting the renown player but also went out to breakfast with him. Very happy client = very happy Sharon.

As a former race tracker I could be droning on and on about I'll Have Another's trainer and his drug issues or the threatened strike of NYRA's maintenance union right before the Belmont blah blah blah. But I'll spare you all that noise as I quietly create my own controversy...

It's a fund-raiser for greyhound rescue,
Sharon

Finished Chief Greyhound

This is an artist blog, after all. I've been remiss with my artwork updates amid the chaos of my website troubles.

Here's one of the last two greyhounds that I completed and delivered. In a previous post I shared some of the process of creating "Chief". Lots of research, kids, goes into fulfilling the requests of my client. However, I'm learning new things that make me go "huh" in an inquisitive way.

After finishing up this particular greyhound, I'm also understanding (finally!) how to handle acrylic paint. I have great admiration for artists who produce beautiful paintings with this plastic fast-drying goo that I've cursed during many a painting session. How do they do it? Check out my good friend Robert Stebleton who applies it with ease and agility. That's how they do it.

Four Indian Chiefs representing the Sioux (Oglala and Lakota), Nez Pearce and Cherokee, and seven clans of the Cherokee are represented. Also, lots of totems and traditional patterns.

Chief Joseph and Chief Sitting Bull were derived from historical black and white photos readily available on the web.

View from above looking down on the greyhound's head. The Eagle and Blue Sky are two Cherokee clans.

Potato Vine and Bear sometimes represent similar clans.

There is no word equivalent for goodbye in the Sioux language because it would break the bond of connectedness. Therefore, I'll meet you all again in the blogosphere.
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

Horrible Hidious Heinous Hackers from Hell

At first I was furious. I took it as a personal assault. What sick, twisted freak would do this to an artist? When I clicked to my website sharoncrute.com, a window popped up stating "Reported Attack Page!". What the....?
 

 

After contacting Yahoo who has hosted my website since 2000, they proceeded to pass the buck to Google. When I finally reached a genuine human within the vastness, I was directed to a website that would provide step by step instructions to help. Uh-uh.

If you have a website and you've never authenticated it with Google, I strongly advise you do it now. Google does have useful webmaster tools but your site must be authenticated. How was I to know that? And...I can't accomplish that step because my site is re-flagged and I've become a whirling dervish.

So, I've been hacked. I pulled my entire site down, all 857 files and 27 folders representing six or so years of work for my designer Julie K and myself. I don't have time nor do I care to allot resources to rebuild from scratch in Dreamweaver. I've signed on with this site building service for artists: Fine Art Studio Online (FASO). I won't have the flexibility and control to appease this perfectionist, but the templates are clean, simple and showcase the art.

Please hang in there with me. I'll be back up and running ASAP.

We're Jumping! Revised Steeplechase Schedule

The Saratoga race meet is my yearly golden show. With the entire scheme is place, we're building an impressive inventory for the six week gig. We'll be more than ready.

We plan events, shows and exhibits at least six months out. Which is why it's unusual that Michael would add to the schedule so last minute. The VP in charge of marketing, research and accounts receivable is busy readying for two more steeplechase shows while I paint to complete yet another greyhound.

Here's the revised schedule where I'll be set up showing my artwork for the next three weekends:

• Sunday, May 13th - Willowdale Steeplechase in Kennett Square, PA
• Sunday, May 20th - High Hope Steeplechase in Lexington, KY
• Saturday, May 26th - Fair Hill Races, Elkton, MD

If you live close to one of these venues and you've never attended a steeplechase, I can recommend a hoot of a good time. In addition to the races, the day is packed with all kinds of family-friendly events from frenzied Jack Russell races to the craziest very non-couture hat contests. Tailgating is an art unto itself.

Clearing 20"x26" Limited Edition Giclee Fine Art Reproduction on stretched canvas.

Hope to see you at the races!
Sharon

First First Friday Art Walk

The very successful First Friday Art Walk in Ocala, Florida was the brainchild of my husband Michael Bray. We set out to repeat the event here in the Arts District of Saratoga Springs. Armed with organizing experience, I think our first Art Walk was a wonderful success. Artists lined Beekman Street showing off their artwork as impromptu musicians strolled in and out of the crowd. Because it was so well attended, we have plenty of room to expand into a go-to Friday night party.

Ameyo Amyot demonstrates pottery sculpting techniques on her front porch...

Amy Atkins with her beautiful prints and pottery in front of the Textile Studio...

Local resident Mike brings out his big guitar and big talent...

Inside the eclectic Feneex Gallery...

How could I resist painting on the sidewalk with the rest of the artists? Behind me is painter Steve Hill working on his vegetable series and hiding behind him is Jackie Royal stitching her needlepoint canvases of...graffiti!

The party continued way past 8:00pm. I'm still recuperating.
Happy tired,
Sharon

Chief Progresses

This boy is special. The sponsor of the rescue project has requested a Native American theme for his own personal pooch. Still handing me artistic free rein (love it!), his only request was to portray historical Indian chiefs.

I've learned so much while researching this entire greyhound project. From NFL team colors (home and away) to deep sea fishing boats to the Seven Cherokee Clans. For instance, Geronimo was not a chief but rather a medicine man and a fierce and unscrupulous warrior. It's not horse racing but I'm enjoying the process immensely.

 

The Eagle is a totem and the Blue Sky is a Cherokee clan.

Below is Chief Crazy Horse and Wolf and Bear totem. The sketched-in chief on the right is Robert Benge. He was born in the eighteen century to a Cherokee mother and an Irish father. With his red hair and light skin, he was often mistaken for an anglo and easily infiltrated white settlements, effectively wreaking havoc. I couldn't find any historical portraits of him so I have to improvise. He will have flowing red hair!

This is the finished portrait of Chief Sitting Bull (along with Deer totem). There are lots of black and white photographs of him available on the internet as well as Crazy Horse and Chief Joseph. Which makes one pause...who did the photographing and how did they talk Sitting Bull into...well, sitting? Imagine big box cameras and l-o-n-g poses.

Painting on these small fiberglass forms creates distinct challenges. The concave/convex curves create optical illusions. Something to keep in the forefront when rendering a portrait.

do' da da go' hv i,
Sharon

My April Newsletter

I tried to take a screenshot of my latest newsletter but evidently it's too long. So here's a URL link that's hosted on my newsletter service. Please take a look. It's pretty and takes me much longer to create than I think it should.

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs062/1101419473500/archive/1109798646500.html

My big news, of course, is the Steeplechase Festival in Saratoga and being chosen to create the program cover artwork.  I also announce my yearly show at the High Hope Steeplechase in Lexington, Kentucky on May 20th and also about participating in the American Academy of Equine Art's Spring Invitational Exhibit.

If anyone knows how to post the image of my newsletter to this blog, I'd sure appreciate it if you'd share the knowledge!

Humor me,
Sharon