Season's Greetings

 

 

 

I wish you all a

Merry, Merry Christmas

and a

New Year filled with blessings!

On Cloud Nine

On Cloud Nine
© Anita Jesse

"On Cloud Nine" is currently displayed as a 12x18 MetalPrint on an 18x24 coffee brown suede leather-covered back. This piece is available at Gallery 'N Gifts, Tehachapi, CA. Prints are available in various sizes.
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When I was selecting work for our December, First Friday, I knew that I had to complete this piece. I don't want to admit how many times I had scrapped it and started over. For me, this one was elusive. I had taken quite a shine to this horse and the final image had to be just right. Otherwise, I knew that I would scrap it again.

Finally, I put all my preconceptions aside and spent some quiet time with the original image. I had gotten tangled up in trying to make it right. Instead of hoping I could produce something that would measure up to how much I liked the horse, I took time to reconnect with the sight of him prancing with head and tail high; the sounds he made—hoofs pounding and snorting at imaginary demons; spooking at nothing more than the breeze; the dust he stirred up with his dance; the ripple of the muscles under his golden coat. I let myself fall in love again with all that attracted me to this animal, in the first place.

Finally, I began to find my way to something that pleased me—something that brought back to me those impressions made on that beautiful spring day. We ended up On Cloud Nine.

Sometimes, What's Old Is New

Profile in Bronze

©Anita Jesse

A matted and unframed 5x5 print on Kodak ENDURA paper of "Profile in Bronze" is currently available at Gallery 'N Gifts.
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The last few months have kept me busy doing my best to get just one tiny step ahead. But, rather than catching up on old goals, I can't resist adding new ones to the stack. I think that is healthy—up to a point. You know what I am talking about. Not resting on laurels, aiming high, not settling for second best—all those bits of advice each of us has floating around in our heads.

Eventually, however, there is potential for overload. Ideally, we learn to prioritize. That is where the real struggle is for me. I haven't given up on myself yet. The last few months have been an example of this struggle. The goal setting part is going pretty well. The prioritizing business—not so much.

The October goal was the addition of matted, unframed prints to my exhibit at the gallery. Goal achieved. So far, they aren't running out the door, but I have sold two. The image below shows one of the prints that has sold. For some time we didn't have any quail on our property and I felt quite left out, since the birds seem ubiquitous in the valley. Finally, this last year, we apparently won the seal of approval and enjoyed our own little flock. I look forward to seeing them again in the spring.


Family Confab

©Anita Jesse

Next goal: new top of the line presentation for two of my favorite pieces. Check. For the November First Friday, I was able to exhibit two previously shown pieces in a new presentation format. Those pieces are work you have seen before—Blue Horse Dreaming and A Cloud of Dust.  Both of those pieces were printed on metal, then mounted on leather backings and both sold within a month of display.

Third Goal: new work for December's First Friday. In the next few weeks I will show you more of what was added at the gallery.

Finally, I more or less got talked into adding greeting cards to my list of offerings. (There are some very persuasive people managing affairs at the gallery.) The cards have been on display less than a week; so, not much feedback yet. The jury is out, but the project has been set in motion.

I wrote the rough draft of this post a few weeks ago. That was before I was struck by the fact that I really should have a newsletter. The first edition is out there in the cyberworld and I have added the subscribe button on the front page of my blog.

There you have it. Several goals set, met, and some degree of success. Now, if I can just get a better handle on this business of identifying the most significant goals and develop a real resistance to the temptation of "What would happen if I?" or "Maybe I should try". If I could cultivate that resistance, I would likely update my blog more often, for one thing. Ah, well, I will keep working on this one.

Sugar with Lots of Spice

(Click on the image for the larger version)

A 12x12 print on Kodak ENDURA paper of "Sugar with Lotsa Spice" will be exhibited beginning December 6, 2012. This piece will be shown in a 16x16 walnut frame.
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I have other pieces featuring this horse, but wanted to try some new techniques and started this piece purely as an exercise. That is the mindset that frees my creative spirit. And, that explains why I most often avoid commissions. Every time I am approached to take on a commission, I feel my gut twisting into a knot and know that saying "Yes" means I will have to struggle with the voices reminding me to please the buyer. More often than not, I chicken out and say, "No" to the commission.  

Too often, I have let the pressure to please the buyer shut me down. The voices in my head warn, "Be careful. Stay in your comfort zone. Go with proven techniques." No good can come of that sort of thinking.

My favorite pieces—and the ones that most successfully connect with other people—are almost inevitably images that resulted from exploration and permission to experiment with new-to-me techniques, take risks, and test ideas that, at first, seem a little crazy.

Only when I give myself that unconditional permission to fail miserably, only when I allow myself to play with an image, to spend unlimited time with the piece and abandon all expectations—do I have any hope of coming to some understanding of the elements before me—only then can I remember the dream, capture something of the feelings of the moment, and manipulate the colors, light, lines, and textures into something that makes me happy.

Furthermore, if the final product doesn't make me happy, I can't bring myself to show it to anyone. The time invested is chalked up to learning. I move on and tackle a different piece. Sometimes, I don't get back to the "learning exercise" for months. Sometimes, a fresh look offers new insight and the piece comes to life. Sometimes, the image goes back in the file and waits. I'm not very good at predicting how an experiment will end.

Art Show Updates

A 9x12 print on Kodak ENDURA metallic paper of "Just a Little Nip" will be exhibited beginning June 1. This piece will be shown in a 12x16 walnut frame.
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I am so far behind on posting that I missed sending out any news about the Bear Valley Springs Cultural Arts Association 2012 Spring Art Show. An update is overdue. I recovered from a nasty flu in time to deliver all my art to the venue on the morning of Saturday, March 31 and got back to the reception that afternoon. Happily, I added a new member to my growing "Art Family".

I couldn't get a decent snapshot of the piece that the art collector bought; but, since it is a three-dimensional piece, it would require some description anyway. The 16x20 piece of wood that serves as frame and mat is covered in a rich chocolate brown suede leather with antique brass upholstery nails finishing the outside edges of the frame. Floating on the leather mat is "Eclipse—a Velvet Darkness" printed on metal. I am delighted and relieved to report that the piece created quite a stir upon delivery and sold the moment the doors opened. Fortunately, my gamble on something radically different paid off. The new owner of this latest piece of work, finished just days before the show, has invited me to see the piece hanging in her home, and I look forward to taking her up on her kind offer.

I had been asked to donate a framed print for the raffle that is part of the day's event and it happens that I know the couple who won. I enjoyed the banter between them as he explained that while his wife had technically won the piece, he planned to hang the print of "Autumn Splendor" in his office. (Perhaps I will have an opportunity to check later and see where the print was actually hung.) The reception was busy and I met new friends as well as visited with old friends in between admiring the work of the other participating artists. It was a wonderful evening—as the reception always is.

My next art show will be at Gallery 'N Gifts in Tehachapi. The opening night gala will be held on First Friday, June 1 and that deadline has me working hard to get enough work ready. I hope those of you within driving distance will put the date your calendar. Soon, I will post more information (including links to a map, etc.).

Blue Horse Dreaming

(Click on the thumbnail to see the larger version)

"Blue Horse Dreaming" is currently available. For exhibition, this limited edition 12x18 piece is printed on Kodak ENDURA Metallic paper and will be shown in an 8 ply museum quality matte and a 20x26 frame.

                                                                                                                                                                

Typical of my process, I am not entirely certain where the idea of using these colors came from.  While working on the rough draft of this piece I wasn't certain where the image was going, but I knew it was calling out for something that I hadn't yet put my finger on.  Eventually, moonlight popped into my mind and that is what I felt triggered the blue. Now, I am not sure which came first— the color, or the word moonlight.

This gelding is an explosive horse—full always, it seems, with almost more energy than his body can contain. He loves to run for the sheer joy of feeling his hooves eat up the space and releasing some of that energy that he is bursting with. With him coming straight at me, raising dust around him, it was if he looked me in the eye and said, "Take note of my power. Make room for me." 

Blue is often associated with calm and peace, but according to some it is the symbol of freedom, independence, and power. (Note how many state and national flags contain the color.) I don't think that in this case, the color has much to do with peace. Perhaps, this horse had some voice in choosing the colors that made their way into this image. Maybe the notion of moonlight was only a hint that took me to closer to the story. I wonder what stories this piece tells you.

Equus Cirruscumulus

(Click on the thumbnail for the larger version)

Equus Cirruscumulus is available. This 10x10 limited edition is printed on Kodak ENDURA Metallic paper and will be exhibited in a 16x16 walnut wood frame.
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"Equus Cirrruscumulus" can be loosely translated to "Cloud Horse". This piece has kicked off a new series for me. Actually, I think the collection had its beginnings with "Beach Ball Classic" posted on 1/19/12. But, with this piece—a departure from my typical darker, bolder, and dramatic style, the passion for this airy look hit full force. I am currently working on several pieces that will likely compose a group consisting of six prints, or more—all fitting into this "bathed in light" feeling. A portion of this series will first be exhibited early this summer. More information about that show coming soon. First, I have to deal with the show coming up the end of this month.

By the way, I am still struggling with descriptions for this collection such as "airy" and "bathed in light".  If you have suggestions for a name, please share. I am definitely open to possibilities. Any ideas off the top of your head? I would love to put them in the hopper to consider.

The young gelding in this image is half American Quarter Horse and half Arabian. He is a golden Palomino with personality to spare and I am sorry to say that he has been sold since I saw him, and I doubt that our paths shall ever cross again. I will do some pining over him, I am afraid. He moved so beautifully with such joy and obvious celebration of his power and ease. On multiple occasions, I have mentioned that I frequently fall in love with horses at first sight. This one stole my heart immediately. He danced, pranced, and showed me his best while I not only pressed the shutter button over and over, but became more infatuated with his beauty and spirit. Yes, superficial, of course—all about good looks. I have no experience with the Palomino's personality in hand, much less under saddle. Still, it is probably a good thing that I am not wealthy. Horses like him would rapidly make me horse-poor.

Dark Horses and Goblins

(Click on the thumbnail for the larger version)

A Dark Horse Came Running is currently available. This limited edition is printed on Kodak ENDURA Metallic paper and will be exhibited in an 11x14 opening in an 8 ply museum quality matte and a 16x20 frame.

                                                                                                                                                                

In mid-February we had house guests and the last wave of that adventure was the arrival of one of my  ex-students. S. is an absolute delight and we were so pleased that she took time out of her busy trip to California to spend some of it with us. As noon last Wednesday approached—her scheduled time to hit the road, she announced that she needed a few minutes to browse through my prints once again. I was thrilled that she wanted to spend a few more minutes with my work and I encouraged her take her time with her final tour. After all, her energy was a tonic for us and I hated to see her leave.

She moved slowly from one viewing section to another, hall to room to another hallway, then said, "I brought one blank check with me just on a whim." For several minues, I didn't grasp the meaning of the sentence and how it connected with her tour of the prints. It turned out she wanted to buy a framed print. I was taken aback, but obviously pleased at the turn of events.

After considerable deliberation, she returned again to the image above (previously posted at my journal blog), and said that she couldn't resist the one with the gremlin on his back. I chuckled because when I completed that piece, I hadn't a single thought about gremlins. Then a friend posted a comment and asked about the goblin on the horse's back. Well, of course, since that time, I can't not see the beast. How I ever missed it is now beyond me.

After the comment,  my first impulse, frankly, was to fix it. I seriously considered reworking the piece immediately, reprinting, and ridding the  horse of his gremlin burden. But, the more I thought about it the more I knew it wasn't the right thing to do. That gelding has had a demon on his back for years. He was, apparently, mistreated as a youngster and never fully regained his trust in humans. He was a one-woman horse. Had you ever seen the animal, you would have immediately sensed the wildness in him. Since I have often talked about allowing my subconscious mind to play its role in my creative life, it seemed quite hypocritical to deny all that by throwing out something that made it all the way to print and exhibit without my conscious mind ever catching on. To deny my work philosophy along with the horse's story and erase these influences after the fact didn't ring true. Ultimately, I let the work stand.

It seemed fitting that there was surprise to complete the strange story of this image. The last thing on my mind while our charming guest was with us was art sales. Her purchase was a delicious surprise and I shouldn't have been shocked that she chose a piece that had already offered some surprises.

A Cloud of Dust



(Click on the thumbnail for the larger version)

A Cloud of Dust is currently available. This limited edition is printed on Kodak ENDURA Metallic paper and will be shown in an 11x14 opening in an 8 ply museum quality matte and a 16x20 walnut frame.
                                                                                                                                                                

I love watching a horse just turned out and eager to work out the kinks. This gray is feeling good and relishing every moment of his freedom, as he unleashes all that pent up energy. The way the
light plays on the mane and tail along with the one eye in sharp focus are the visual focal points for me and underline the power in the gelding. You can almost hear him snorting and whistling as he kicks up the dust while coiling and uncoiling those muscles.

This one makes me smile each time I share in this animal's celebration of freedom.

Beach Ball Classic

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Some horses, like some dogs, love playing with toys. These large balls designed to look like beach balls are popular examples of toys that provide long periods of entertainment for some horses. Our horses have not shown an interest in toys, but play "war games" with one another. They play combat and pretend they are prepared to fight to the death one minute and the next they go back to grazing side by side.

The mustang pictured here is one of those horses who is attracted to toys and was having a wonderful time with the brightly colored ball. That is when he wasn't running around the turn-out ring, chasing—or being chased—by a couple of dogs. Or, running just for the joy of having more space than usual and running to be running.

Eclipse - A Velvet Darkness

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I had never met this horse until April 2010. It was love at first sight—but, then, I have been known to fall in love at first sight before—with horses, that is. It doesn't hurt that he is owned by a dear friend. The black gelding has an air about him of being quite in control of himself and somewhat detached from his surroundings. His energy and athleticism are intoxicating and who could resist those delicate little ears?

A print of my impression of Eclipse sold at our Autumn Art Show, October 8 and 9. The lovely lady who bought the print was buying her second of my prints to add to her sizable art collection. I always feel fortunate to send a print to a home where it will hang with a nice collection of art on the walls. May it bring years of pleasure to the new owner.