For Nikki--Cavan

Here's Cavan, Nikki's "Little Man, " enjoying his much deserved retirement.

Nikki and I worked and lived at a barn/riding academy, and were responsible for the care of nearly 40 horses. It was fun, hard, back breaking work, but we loved it. I still miss those days. Nikki and I have so many great memories of that place!

When Cavan arrived at the barn in 1990, he was scared of people. So scared in fact that he would lunge for you with teeth bared if you dared to get close. Feeding him was an adventure. Run in with grain, run out. Watch your back. Don't get complacent...

"Mean" horses are usually just scared. Cavan was terrified. There was some mistreatment somewhere in his past...

He was grumpy, sour and sad. Luckily for him, he was assigned to my wonderful friend and roommate at the time, Nikki. She found a horse who truly needed her. It was a perfect match.

Nikki is one of the most skilled, sensitive and compassionate horse people I have ever met.

We all loved Cavan and showed him that not ALL people would mistreat him. I would always talk soothingly to him even when his ears were laced back. Slowly, those ears pricked forward when I talked to him. Cavan was so open to trusting people again. Nikki's daily attention to him worked wonders.

Soon, I could feed him without fearing for my life.

Nikki showered him with love and praise. She scratched his butt and he just LOVED that. She took him out for hacks around the hay field. I have pictures of them galloping in the tall grass-- smiles plastered to their faces. Can horses smile? Absolutely!

Nikki persisted with her affection for this bay horse and soon...

.... Cavan was cured. No longer a danger, he blossomed into a reliable and wise school horse. Everyone loved him.

Retirement suits him. He is now a "marshmallow," not a trace of that scared, dangerous, grumpy horse that had little trust for humans.

Many, many thanks to Caledonia Farm for giving this sweet horse a retirement fit for a King.

See what love can do?

"The Look"

"Okay, if I reach way over and arch my neck and give you sad puppy dog eyes--will you give me a cookie?"

Black and white charcoal on gray charcoal paper, in KL's private collection...10% of the sale of this piece went to the Komen foundation, www.komen.org.

This is a large piece and was LOTS of fun to do. I was really able to get that charcoal flyin' around. I made quite the mess. FUN!

A couple of hosers

BJ and Noble having more fun with an ordinary item. Remember the fun they had with an orange juice jug? (check out the very first blog entry in the November archives).

This is just one way to beat the winter blues: play tug of war with the hose.

What's next? Field hockey with the feed tubs?

Me and Obi, part 3

This why Obi and I are so in loooove...

he likes to get silly as much as I do!






Today, K and I decided to kick Cabin Fever's scrawny butt and go see our "boys." My somewhat grumpy mood lifted immediately when I spotted my handsome trail partner, Obi...

I took our pics while Obi was getting a well-deserved ear scratch... What a ham. And Obi is is kinda photogenic, too! *snerk*

Equine therapy: the perfect solution to the Winter Blahs.

Lady, Annie and Jezebel

This watercolor/ink piece measures about 17.5 inches by 32 inches. It is rendered on Arches cold press watercolor paper. In the frame, it is about 2feet by 4 feet. It was so big, it hardly fit on my drafting table. It was done for Christmas, 2004.

It was commissioned by my customer "Linda," as a surprise Christmas gift for her husband.

The middle horse, Annie, had passed away just a few months previously, and Linda wanted me to paint all three of their horses together so they could be a herd again.

I was invited to meet Lady and Jezebel so I could take some photos and get an idea of their personalities. I took my friend Kathy with me to help.

Lady and Jezebel were sweet and inquisitive, and I could really see how much they loved Linda. They had a deep bond forged from trust and love.

Linda took us to Annie's grave in the back field.

It was so touching to see the grave they had built for their sweet Annie. It had birdbaths, windchimes, and fragrant flowers. It was lovingly tended with bright cedar mulch with not a weed in sight. A breeze came through and made the chimes jingle softly.

When Linda showed me the grave, I felt tears well up in my eyes. It was incredibly moving. This horse was obviously very loved, and very missed.

I took that feeling with me, and put it into this painting.

When I presented Linda with the final piece, the image you see here, she cried and hugged me. I found myself crying right along with her. I know what it is like to love and lose a beloved equine friend...It was a very emotional moment shared between artist and client.

Linda sent me a Christmas card this year, and she gave me an update on her equine family. Lady was getting a tooth pulled, Jezebel was getting to be a real sweetheart (she was a shy girl when I met her), and they still enjoy Annie through my "beautiful painting."

And, they are all together again.

My heart fills with joy every time I look at this image. Knowing that it brings so much happiness to my clients' lives makes me feel SO GOOD. That's the understatement of the year...

Reaching

If you have been near a curious horse, you are familiar with this pose...

Horses are blessed with long necks and sensitive lips that can separate the clover from the crabgrass. They also know who has the treats. If you walk by the stall of a curious horse without offering a carrot or a sugar cube--you may be a witness to this scene: Ears up, lips flapping at your shirt sleeve; neck craning to get a better whiff...Then, as you get closer to greet the inquistive equine--a snuffling muzzle may just find its way into your pockets.

Happy New Year

Happy 2006 to all!

This year will mark my 10th wedding anniversary... I can't believe it. It seems like only yesterday I was going on my first date with the funny, cute, blond guy!

Last night, I was in bed by 9pm, so I am toasting the New Year over breakfast. I'm no Paris Hilton--can't stay out all hours whooping it up with the jet set.

Last night's blizzard left a nice blanket of snow on the ground. I woke to a dazzling Winter Wonderland... So nice. I am not sick of winter--yet. Wait and see---by the end of January I will be complaining about the snow.

2005 was a Good Year. Why?

I learned valuable lessons in 2005: Cherish your health. Surround yourself with people who enrich your life. Be with people who support and nurture you. Fun is essential for life. Rest your mind, body and soul when it all gets to be too much. Take care of yourself. Tell your friends how much they rock; true friends are a real treasure.

And most of all, be true to yourself. In the words of Joseph Campbell from The Power of Myth, "Follow your bliss."

Here's to a healthy and happy New Year!