Steeplechase on the Easel

Untitled / oil on masonite / 12 x 16

Suffering No Mathematical Inconsistencies

I finally had some time to paint today and decided to bring this one to completion. Oil on linen 18x24.

Gravitational Considerations

Oil on linen panel - 22x28. I have been doing some traveling lately and had little time to paint. Back at the easel now. As always, many thanks for stopping by my blog!

Another Ballerina Steeplechase Attempt

My ballerinas are certainly broadening their horizons and skillsets. 20x16 oil on canvas panel.

The Magic of Accelerated Motion

Painting this composition was thoroughly enjoyable as I was challenged by the extreme  foreshortening. Its so interesting trying to create from paint on a flat surface a three dimensional living breathing subject flying forward in time and space! Hope I somewhat succeeded! This is 20x16 oil on linen.

And the start of Ballerina #22 seems like there is chaos at the Quantum Jump School of Ballet!

Thank you all for visiting my blog and taking an interest in my painting endeavors.

Steeplechase

Untitled as of yet, this is another 18 x24 oil on linen panel. I love painting horses and trying to establish the correct level of connectedness between the horse and the rider while acknowledging their attempts to fleetingly defy gravity!

An Approximate Symmetry

Oil on Linen 22 x28. I might reconsider some things and tweak it tomorrow but its done for today!

A Vagary of Happenstance - finished

A few final tweaks and highlights and I will call this done. The color in this piece is somewhat unusual and was foremost in my mind once I captured the gesture of horse and rider in my initial oil sketch and then connected them to their spot in the landscape. I wanted the painting to be mostly high key and developed a palette of soft warm whites surrounding the cool, crisper whites of the horse. The orange and lavenders in the landscape and the lowering blue of the sky suggested themselves as I moved forward. Thank you to Susan Roux http://susanroux.blogspot.com/ for her comment in the previous post concerning color - I do love color and am constantly fascinated how color, value, form all play their role in translating the artistist vision in the mind to the final observable rendition. I think oil paint is a purely magical medium that allows me to place on canvas a glimpse into otherwise unobservable realities. Art and creativity is such a joy!

Work in Progress

Untitled so far - 18x24 oil on linen.

Finally Painting Again

I am feeling very tight and unsure of myself after a long hiatus. I have been thinking about working on this piece as I left it unfinished when we moved - so decided  to see if I could re-energize and finish it. As you can see, my brushwork is suffering as well as my use of color. I felt a lot of  hesitation and loss of confidence as I painted today so will have to work on these things. Its like starting all over again after  almost a month away from the easel. In any case, I hope to be posting more frequently although there is still a lot of renovation work going on in the new house, But my home office and my studio are up and running and I intend to find the time to paint. Oil on linen panel 36x24.  And a close up below.......

Packing Can Wait

I will leave this for now - I see a lot more to be done but will let it rest for a while. Happy to paint today!

More Progress

Still a long way to go - but having so so much fun! 24 x 36 oil on linen.

Work in Progress

I am working on a large 24 x 36 oil on linen piece. Its probably my most complex and ambitious painting to date and, I  must say, I am exicited about it so far. All the figures, the action, the snow - its really been fun to work on. Its not done yet but I thought I would post it and then update when it is done. I would love to hear your thoughts and feelings about it so far. Thanks for stopping by and for looking!
Here are a couple of close up shots as well:

Flat Out

Only had time for a quick small study before heading out to Reno for a few days of cold crisp air and snow capped Sierra mountain beauty. This little one is 8x8 and I call it Flat Out.

Aiken Standard Article February 4, 2011

The walls of The Willcox are beaming with equestrian pride this month, as the Chisholm Gallery,
a leading international dealer of sporting art, has brought an exhibition of more than 20 artists from
all over the world. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, needlepoint collections, vintage photographs, pearls, botanical water colors, lithographs, caricatures and more are on display and sale throughout the hotel for the rest of the month. Chisholm Gallery owner Jeanne Chisholm said, in her business, she strives for a
mix of fine art from new and established artists in a variety of media and subject matter. One of Chisholm’s favorite exhibits in the gallery is that of Susan Smolensky, an artist who depicts Steeplechase horses and scenes. “She has captured a dynamism that nobody else has,” said Chisholm of Smolensky. “The elevation, the angle at which she depicts the steeplechase horses jumping – she really makes you feel like you’re right there with her, right there in the moment of the jump or landing.” Many thanks to Ashleey Williamson, Aiken Standard writer.

Chaos Theory Two

18x24 oil on canvas panel

I love painting horse anatomy and this composition certainly presented a challenge!

Look Out Aiken, South Carolina - Here I Come!

Quantum Poetry 24x36 oil on stretched canvas

I spent this past weekend framing and printing out marketing materials for the exhibition hosted by the Chisholm Gallery next month at the Willcox Inn. Its a GORGEOUS place and has a pretty interesting early American history. Apparently notables like  Winston Churchill, Harold Vanderbilt, Elizabeth Arden and Count Bernadotte of Sweden have all stayed there at one time or another - how fun is that! I am so thrilled to have my steeplechase series hanging out there for a while! Tomorrow I will take a grand total of 11 paintings to be crated and shipped off. This has been a real learning experience for me and I am super excited about it.
In between all this hectic preparation, I had a little time to paint and what I did was take a painting I thought I had finished a couple of weeks ago and repaint the entire thing! I dont think I have ever done that before.  I liked some things about the painting but the color was not working for me - which was odd because I loved it at first. I changed pretty much everything about it and like it much better now - it feels right. I still have a few final highlights before I will call it done but its 99% there now.

Work in Progress

I spent today working on this 24x18 piece. I think its about 80% done now - needs refinement here and there. I really like the composition, the subject (unusual as it is) and the hint of the jockey rolling free. I will post the next update when its done. I call it Chaos Theory! All comments are appreciated!

Steeplechase Series

 This is a 36x24 oil on oil primed linen panel. What a luxury it is to paint on oil primed linen. I love the way the texture of the linen grabs the paint off the brush. The Chisholm Gallery is working on a show for me in February at the Willcox Hotel in Aiken, South Carolina. Its a gorgeous place and I think my steeplechase work would be well displayed there. I hope all the arrangements can be worked out. If it happens, I will be looking for a company to crate and ship the framed pieces - what fun! Here is a link so you can see this glorious place: The Willcox Hotel.  I am very excited about this unique opportunity. Apparently steeplechase season is coming in South Carolina!

Down to Business

My new business card! I love having a memorable card to give to prospective collectors. I try to design it to be colorful,  representative of my current work and  style and to be - well, simply unforgettable! Its fun to hand them out at art show receptions, social events and serendipitous meetings. I create mine online at VistaPrint. At this site, you can  upload photos of your own and design your card exactly as you want it to be. I have ordered from them in the past and found the cards to be of very nice quality and the prices to be reasonable. This time, on a whim, I also ordered a few refridgerator magnets - I don't know why but  I sure hope I can find a use for them! In case you are interested, the link is: VistaPrint Business Cards.