Ancient Horses Living Inspire!

Ancient Horses Living: 
The Tarpan Horses in North America

Dixie Meadows Stallion Playing
Reference Photo Dixie Meadows Farm
8 by 10 inches Watercolor
by Linda L Martin
Reserved

I have been researching the Heck Tarpan horses since I first saw them in person in 2010. They have personality plus. Just recently a friend has decided to sell a few of them, so I have been helping her to advertise a few of them. In the course of helping her sort out the emails of interest I have discovered people who still have the horses and are as in love with them as I am.

Tarpan Stallion in Spring
11 by 14inches Watercolor
by Linda L Martin
available

Of course being an artist means I have to do a few paintings,and thus I have. Some of them are already spoken for but I  have a few that I will be sharing for sale on Etsy. And the best, like the best work of my choosing, will go on Fine Art America.  Please enjoy the images here.

Tarpan Stallion Study
available

If you have never heard of the Heck Horses also known as Heck Tarpan or Tarpan please feel free to take a look at the Heck Horses in America blog.  It has some of the history too.

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For Custom Watercolor Portraits   in any size contact the Artist info@llmartin.com

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LindaLMartin©2015 All North and South American World and Electronic Rights Reserved.

Confession of a Country Girl: Entering the world Creatively!

My Confession:
  I wasn't born in the country; however, I have to tell you I am a country girl.  I cannot imagine myself living anywhere but a rural area. Preferably in Virginia. I have lived in every area of Virginia. Today almost all the regions where I previously lived are teaming with development and traffic.

Larger prints on Fine Art America

I love wild life, I love the people and I have to say, I love the animals. I love the green grass and trees. I love the solitude. Where I live now is a small town of about 350 people.  Everyone knows everything about every one. During snow storms such as we had last night it wouldn't be unusual for a neighbor to show up with a shovel and  just start to clear a path.  No ulterior motives. no expecting any money. Just a "thank-you" and a " glad we could help out".

Larger prints on Fine Art America

I wish that everyone had such neighbors. But I have to tell you having those neighbors means you need to be as you wish those neighbors would be.  It is not always an easy thing to do. Sometimes we move some where and we wonder why our neighbors are not friendly or  why they do not invite us to dinner to welcome us. I mean that is what people do right?  

Larger prints on Fine Art America

Well, this is where empathy and tolerance come in.  When I moved in to my neighborhood it was more people over the age of 50 than anything.  At the time one neighbor was on her third chemo for cancer, one man suffered from chemical toxicity from being in Viet Nam.  One traveled a lot  to visit grand kids. Another had to work 2 jobs because his  wife had a stroke and rehab was long and drawn out as well as expensive. 

Larger prints on Fine Art America

Not likely you were going to get to meet those neighbors unless you had an open house ( I'm too private for that anyway) or  a yard sale!  Yes, that is exactly what I did to meet my neighbors.. I had a yard sale right in my front yard.

Everyone from two blocks in every direction came to see.  I sold a lot of blue jeans and a few odds and ends .  Didn't make much money but it was still a good day.  I haven't had a yard sale since.  I really haven't had the motivation.  But I remember how fun it was. And that my friends at the time came to see me and one even brought me  my favorite French toast for breakfast. 

Larger prints on Fine Art America

Sometimes you just have to reach out to folks with out expecting anything in return.   For my neighbor hood that was the right thing to do. I invited them in with no pressure and no expectations. First Steps are always important. If you do  not enter into the world you really don't have a way to experience it or people.  Be creative and Thrive! 

Do you want a painting of your special Dog, Cat, or Equine?
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info@LLMartin.com

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Heart warming: The Thought of Belonging

Heart warming: "The Thought of Belonging" my interpretation.

"The Thought of Belonging"
Graphite on Paper
8  by 10 inches
$200.00
by Linda L Martin
photo reference Juliet Harrison

A pARTy is when a number of artists throughout the world  use a single photo  to create a unique work of art in their style and using their creativity.  I first heard of such a thing from Artist Kimberly Kelly Santini (2015 Kentucky Derby Artist) and Linda Shantz , a Famous Canadian Equine Artist.  Both women I know through facebook , however, I knew of their art long before connecting there.

Participating in the pARTy is a lot of fun and gives artist’s a chance to connect with each other through social media,  as well as show case their skills. When I participate, I tend to use it for experimental pieces or concepts.  While we paint or are inspired by the same photo,  we are free to sell our completed work  but agree not to enter the resulting work in artistic competition.  The photo this year was  provided by Juliet Harrison, a Fine Art Photographer and Gallery owner in New York.  Juliet is  a cancer survivor and her dog Zevon , who was the subject of the photograph, was a rescue dog with a very troubled past. Both are incredibly inspiring individuals. 

My piece for the pARTy is :  "The Thought of Belonging"
It portrays that abstract concept  of the reality verses the hope when the dog who has suffered so much suddenly realizes, " Yes! This is my person and we will always be together."

You can view all the entries for the pARTy HERE

 For Custom Watercolor Portrait
work in any size
contact the Artist
info@llmartin.com

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LindaLMartin©2015 All North and South American World and Electronic Rights Reserved.

Turning that Chore you Despise into an Act of Joy.

Lessons from my Grandmother,
or how I learned to love wild birds.
My love of wild birds came from the same source as my love of horses and dogs: My grandmother.

Grandmother introduced me to wild birds during one of my extended visits with her. Much of my formative years were spent with my grandparents, as my parents were working hard to build a life.

 On one of my visits, Grandmother told me, she hated ironing. Ironing in the 1950s and 1960s was very important for a business man like my grandfather who sometimes had to wear two or three freshly cleaned and starched shirts in a day.  So in order to endure the torture of her chores she set up a bird feeding station at the window in her laundry room where she could watch her wild birds as she worked.

Linda L Martin Birds on Etsy

She knew each bird and all of their offspring by recognition and followed them and nurtured them for all of her life in that house. She taught me their names and what they like to eat.  And  she showed  me that every single time there was something that was unpleasant to accomplish that there was a way to make it more than bearable and even  a joy.

It was a lesson not lost on me. When my grandmother came to live with us in her late 80s I suddenly found myself not only caregiver for my grandmother but also chief dish and bottle washer for the entire family. It was a thankless job.  When I was a child my dad had tried to convince me that I was good at washing dishes.  I knew even then , washing dishes was not something I ever wanted to be good at. I hated  it  even more  by the time I was in my 30s. 

Linda L Martin's Birds on Etsy

So, I took  my inspiration from my grandmother.  She taught me That when the labor of love is a despised labor , make it an adventure. I set up a bird feeder outside the kitchen window so the hours of dish washing and cooking would go faster.  I am sure no one remembers that I did that every day for years on end. But I remember. And I am thankful to my grandmother that she taught me to love wild birds.

Birds on Ebay

 To purchase these fun original miniature paintings click the item to see what is available.

For Custom Watercolor Portrait
work in any size
contact the Artist
info@llmartin.com

 

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LindaLMartin©2015 All North and South American World and Electronic Rights Reserved.

Portrait of a Dog as it Happens: Day 3

  Pippin :

Planning the Highlights and the Shadows Day 3

Every time you work in this type of watercolor you not only have to think out the painting in  advance you have to  think three steps ahead of yourself as well.  I love that when you have control of the paint you can actually paint in layers. The next few sessions of this painting will be slowly applying layers of washes then letting them dry.  If the paint is not too thickly applied, you can put many layers on top of the others.  The warning, though, is  that if you  don't let them dry, then the last layer you add may lift the paint off the paper and leave you with a lighter, rather than a darker area than you intended.   This painting will be an 8 by 10 watercolor head portrait of a JRT/Poodle Cross.

For Custom Watercolor Portrait work in any size
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Here

LindaLMartin©2015 All North and South American World and Electronic Rights Reserved.

A Poodle for All Seasons! Surprsingingly Warm Art for Winter!

Poodles: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall
ACEO Miniature Art to warm your heart!

Available on Ebay until Feb 14th
Just Search LLMartin in Art For Available Originals

I just love painting poodles and letting them tell their own story. And yes I can paint one of these little paintings for you. Some people wonder about the prices of these little 2.5 by 3.5 inches works of art. The truth is the smaller the art and the more detailed the art the bigger prices they can be. I've heard of some miniatures selling for as much as $5,000 or more.  Mine are a bit more reasonably priced. The Average is about $24.00 for an original. I start the auctions on ebay about $14.00 these days.  The shipping is free in the USA.  I generally don't sell prints of these tiny works; however, sometimes I will make note card collections based on my favorites.

  Alot of people wonder what an ACEO is. Well basically it is any art or fine art reproduction that is small enough to fit into a baseball card sleeve approximately 2.5 by 3.5 inches.

The most modern form of the  genre was developed through art sellers online to make art affordable for first time collectors and to introduce children into collecting original fine art and prints. It's actual introduction as a format happened in the middle ages when  artists wanted to share their working style or allow new patrons an opportunity to see samples of their paintings. Today we would use a portfolio, email or CD to share our work with prospective clients. According to one account I read some years ago these artist's calling card were scraps of paper or board that easily fit into the artist's wallet  so when he met someone who was a perspective patron he could share a sample. Also the artists would trade them among themselves, using them sometimes as currency at the gaming tables at the local bar or public house.

A few years ago I saw something written about miniatures in general and discovered that many were the size of these "artist's calling cards". During the Victorian and Edwardian ages art cards were collected among the growing middle class and the gentry. I  saw one illustration of how the collections were so large that not only did they cover the entire walls of their drawing rooms with framed art but they collected groups of these miniatures to sit on  pianos, mantles and small tables or sideboards. Sometimes they would switch out these small collections based on the times of the year.

If you would like to see more of my ACEO Miniature work please feel free to stop by the ACEO Store on Etsy as well.

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 If you are interested in a portrait of your horse or pet please email me at
info@llmartin.com

LindaLMartin©2015
All North and South American World and Electronic Rights Reserved.