The only words in me, the only sights my eyes can comprehend have no joy in them, no color to brighten the mind. Only this silence of gray shadows, this chill on the soul, a harrying wind of biting grief to endure.

I must, will, endure, a hard toll for sure. For my heart holds to the sweetness, the completeness of knowing you, of loving you and being known and loved by you, a beat patterned to the core. May this heart's memory hold true and the day come, sometime, where I'll once again lean into the strength of you.

Only not this night, during this season of winter harsher than snows, for I can just cry, so cold, so lost for you.

I cry.

I cry.

I can only cry for my love, my dear.

A quick little painting

A tri-color english hound, available

Just a quick study done on prepared paper and only 3 x 3". I do like working small, although this is really small! I do not know this hound's name, only he hunted for Rolling Rock. As a whipper-in, names were always my weak point. Could easily visualize a hound, but that was rarely adequate when, say, a huntsman was asking who an errant hound was!

Two Ponies

Two Pony Bump

The pony on the left with the skinny little stripe was my husband's horse, Contessa. His first thoroughbred, she change his opinion of the breed with her stamina, steadiness and honesty. As his groom, I never had a worry about his safety when he rode her. This is 6 x 8" painted on wood.

Goose for Dinner, available

Thanksgiving was actually a wild turkey Joel brought which we prepared roasted with apples and enjoyed with good friends, good red wine and tasty veggies. This goose was a gift from some fellows set up in a blind in the large field beyond our pastures. Jack and I were out riding when we met them heading home and had a nice chat. The antics of our horses amused the hunters. Steady on a polo field, but not the best trail horses, they objected to the strange trucks, more so to the proffered goose! Back at the barn, I took reference pics of the goose.

Painting such subjects has a long tradition, from a time when the meat for the table did not come wrapped in cellophane! Have never tried this genre before as have never had the chance to work with an actual bird this way. I do use photos for reference but also feel it is important, at least for me, to have a hands on knowledge of a subject. While I have sat near the banks of a neighbors salt pond watching live geese, this was an opportunity to examine a bird closely in a way a wild one surely won't let you. This picture shows the painting almost finished, the twine tying it to a nail are missing.

The breast marinated in port wine, honey, garlic & ginger, served with wild rice, creamy garlic beans and a side of escalloped oysters met Jack's approval.

Woodline

Sold

This is one of the images from the book, a three-color pencil drawing on prepared paper. First learned the technique from Robert Liberace at the Torpedo Factory. Liberace's work is outstanding. He is also a fine teacher as several of friends who have been able to study under him for longer than I could will attest. Another artist whose drawings I admire is Jeffrey Mims, they are for sure "Wow"! Both of these artists are easily found on the internet.

It is always a plus to see an actual piece of art and I have seen Liberace's work. Mim's I have seen only on the internet so far and look forward to seeing some one day in real life. Meanwhile the internet is a great tool for "seeing" work by others particularly for those of us living a bit off the beaten track and often one website will send me on to another site, another artist's work. I am optimistic enough to think of it as a list of works I'll eventually get to see and helps when planning trips. I'm thankful that through the internet I've been able to discover so many great artists' work.

Waiting for Foxes

An Early Start, SOLD

Well, the book is done, in Blurb's hands, hope it makes it here in time for Polo for the Cure! Doing the paintings for this has been a good project. Doing it with the deadline of this September meant I did need to include a few older paintings. It is 60 pages and includes 24 hunt report entries, each with a landscape painting from my time whipping-in, with added sketches, drawings, paintings of hounds and horses. Several of the past blog posts have been excerpts and paintings from it. Dealing with Blurb has mostly been fine, actually making the book wasn't bad, rather fun. Click on the book's cover in the Blurb icon to see a preview.

Meissonier

Etude de cheval pommele, copy

Every painter has earlier artists, icons, to whom they look for inspiration, guidance, even education. Jean-Louise-Ernest Meissonier is one of my heros. 'Study of a dappled horse' painted sometime in the 1870's was one of his sketches for, undoubtedly, a war horse. Although he painted many subjects, a good body of his work were grand epic things chronicling the conflicts of his time, these sketches of horses are what interest me most. Not so surprising considering my own likes.

A Different Day

Whip's View - Long Fields, available

Leaving the cornfield, the Huntsman dashed through the woods to the rim, hollered, "C’mon!", touched heels to his horse, and plunged over. As my horse reached the spot, I clapped my legs tightly. The little horse never hesitated. Down, down, down (truly, this was worth three downs) he butt-slid past saplings and trees, descending the pathless ravine slope courageously. He slopped through the muddy bottom, bounded into the stream, haunches gathering to charge the opposite side. Halfway up, we clattered over a broken culvert to lunge finally out onto a dirt roadway. "OMyGod!!" I gasped. "Get to them!" he bellowed, giving me no time to wonder about what I’d just ridden. Hounds needed stopping and the little horse gallantly got me there!

Early Spring

Crossing Hatton, SOLD

The day was warm and whatever scent had long since risen. Little enough remained that hounds could pickup. The fox were no doubt cool in their dens but deer might be near, hoping to catch a breeze. A hound opened occasionally but not enough for any other to honor. Finally, in the large swamp, their voices rose, sweeping towards us. Whips moved to cover different points. Just behind the Huntsman, I got that whip’s feeling thinking somewhere else needed covering. Somebody should have stayed at the far end where we’d just been. I started back as the hounds turned our way. I pushed my horse into a canter, wanting to get ahead of the hounds should anything break. Indeed, out jumped a buck, our hounds coming along. I needed to get on that line!

An Early Morning

Far Fields, available

Just after 8:00 A.M. a most beautiful sound rises on the air. It’s a new season; the hounds have hit! Their voices lift gloriously above the trees with the horn an underlying accompaniment. Such a joy to finally hear this song again! My horse’s ears perk forward listening to the pack’s progress. Crows complain heartily along the treetops while the hounds rustle deep on the line, picking their way. On the dirt road, easy work, my horse is content to stand while we listen.