Accepted - Women Artists of the West 41st National Juried Show

The show is in Rockport, TX in  May. I will have more details later but am just thrilled to have a painting in this show! 18x24 The Principle of Uncertainty oil on canvas panel.

Unleashed

Had some fun tonight with thick paint and bold brush work!  12 x 24 oil on stretched canvas.

The Willcox Hotel Exhibit

A few photos from the Willcox Hotel exhibit in Aiken, South Carolina. The hotel has graciously asked if I will extend the exhibit of my steeplechase paintings through the month of March which is the heart of their steeplechase season. I said, yes!

Mr. Lincoln

After seeing a flurry of Lincoln portraits on artists blogs I thought I might give it a try also. First the oil stetch value study, then the final with color added. 12x12 oil on canvas. I love doing portraits and to try and paint such an icon, a face familiar across the world - well, it was certainly a daunting challenge and it was also great fun!

Finished?

Yes, its finished now

And a close up of the jockey.

On the Easel Tonight

I am about 85% done  - a few final tweaks here and there. I love the composition and the feeling of tension and ucertainty as to what is going to happen next. I am not sure who is in control here - the jockey, the horse or the forces of gravity.

Fearless

I spent a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Dog Beach here in San Diego and took 98 photos! Rushing home, I used 5 reference photos to paint this alla prima study. 12x16 oil on canvas panel. The fearless  little dog who has been caught in the midst of launching a surprise attach is the Yorkshire Terrier belonging to my daughter and son in law and she is fearless!

Steeplechase Once Again

And a final few tweaks added today (Tuesday March 8th) and I am calling this one done.

18x24 oil on canvas board. The top photo is the final picture and next are two close ups. 

The series of photos above show the process of this painting from the original oil sketch with  a few strokes of color through to the final piece and two close up shots to show detail. The canas was toned with burnt umber plus thalo green and the original oil sketch was done in burnt sienna with some burnt umber for the darkest darks. In the second shot, I am massing in broad areas of color using thin paint and paying close attention to areas of shadow and light. I love how the horse is leaping into the shadow. The third shot shows the background added and the 4th is the final picture. All comments are greatly welcomed and appreciated.

Bathing Beauties

I had a good time painting this little a la prima study. I am not sure of the crop or the composition, but it makes me happy. Its 12x 16 oil on canvas panel.

Ponies in the Snow

Ponies in the Snow - oil on canvas 12x16

Trying to loosen up today with big thick juicy paint and bold color.

Memories of a Childhood Winter - Going Sledding

A small oil on canvas - 11x14 titled Going Sledding. This painting is no longer available for purchase.

Reno and the Sierra Nevada's

I just got back from a short stay in Reno, NV. I was suprised at how little snow was capping the Sierra Nevada's for February. Apparently there has been very little snow for the past 5 weeks. I think the mountains had at least this same amount of snow when I visited there last June. I took a few photos from the airplane window and they turned out well even though the flight was very turbulent and at times, heart stopping. I thought they would be blurry and out of focus but was nicely surprised. I kept thinking about how many dinosaur bones must lie undiscovered under these massive mountains. From the air I could almost see the way the Ice Age glaciers sculpted the earth.  What a beautiful, breathtaking and fascinating planet we are privileged to inhabit.

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.

The Aiken Horse

The February/March issue of The Aiken Horse magazine was published today with this ad on page 36! If you follow the link, you can flip through the pages - an amazing magazine! I am so happy to have my steeplechase painting featured in this ad. This painting is 16x20 and is one of the pieces on display this month at the Willcox Inn courtesy of The Chisholm Gallery.

Portrait Study Alla Prima

A few refinements and the final portrait

A quick alla prima portrait study 12x12

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.

Quantum Poetry Finished and Close Ups

Put the finishing flourishes on this picture today and I am happy. It took me a while to realize where I wanted to go but once I made up my mind, it all came together. I am especially pleased with the  jockey and his bold brushwork. I like how he seems to be disssolving into the atmosphere as he strains to keep his seat aboard  this soaring black beauty.You may be able to see that on the close up photos.  And an update on the Willcox Inn exhibit - the crated paintings arrived safe and sound 3 days early! I never heard of that happening before - lol! Did I tell you that I have had a case of severe separation anxiety since shipping them? I wonder if other painters feel that way - but I almost called up the shipper to tell him to ship them back to me. I was able to restrain myself but I do miss them terribly.

Chaos Theory Two

18x24 oil on canvas panel

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

Marketing Cards and Sheepish Feelings

I wonder if any artist in the world loves their gallery like I love mine! Jeanne Chisholm of Chisholm Gallery is a marketing goddess and ever since I met her last October she has presented my paintings to the world so enthusiastically and in such high style. I am so grateful to her for her energy and unflagging efforts. This is the marketing card she has developed for the Aiken Willcox Inn exhibit. I love it! I adore it! I think it is absolutley perfect. But I must say I feel ever so slightly sheepish. Upon seeing this I suddenly realized I am the featured  painter in this exhibit - I had no idea! In any case, I am extremely thrilled and  can only say that I was so focused in getting ready for this show - framing and shipping and getting a decent portfolio pulled together - that I must not have been paying quite enough attention. Anyway, there is also a sculptor in the exhibit, Patsy Davis,  and you can find her lovely whimsical bronze sculptures on the Chisholm Gallery site as well.  I hope some of my readers and blog followers who live close by will get a chance to visit the Willcox Inn during this exhibit. I would love to hear your thoughts.

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.