Update and About Time/ May 2021

 

Hurray For Spring... big Mixed Media painting. Now at Virginia City Gallery of Western Art.

Click on images to enlarge.....

Pelican series. Click images to enlarge.

May 2021............ Geez!

 I can't believe how much artwork I've accommplished this and last year. Maybe its due to the scamdemic......or maybe it's just about time! Anyhow, I've had a LOT of work to do for commissions and galleries along with selling privately out of my studio. I think I've found my sweet spot and I'm enjoying it. (Providing it doesn't take too much' horse time' away!) Virginia City Gallery of Western Art is now carrying my work.The owner is fabulous and her handsome husband is a Veterinarian!How good it that!!There will be a big event in their outside area this week end. Hopefully I will have time to blog that next week. 

Jeffery at Artsy Fartsy jn Carson City is still selling well and secured me a nice commission this year. I just gave him a really fun series of goofy pelicans. I know they will attract attention if nothing else. See above. More to come so stay tuned. Ronnie

G'day! So nothing for anyone has gone as planned in 2020. So of course I never did have my show at Artsy Fartsy. However, Jeff is still working hard to sell online and however he can. I have at least 20 pieces there!Against all odds he has sold four of my paintings thus far this year. Yay! I hope people are buying other artist's works as well. It's hard enough in the best of times to sell art. I guess you could say that people need art in their lives more than ever now amongst the gloom of 2020! See below three of the four sold. Surviving the Fire is the Fourth. An older piece I can't find an image of right now.

2020 and the cancel of everything has at least kept me in my hermit cave I call a studio creating probably more than ever before. Here are three recent collages. I will be putting these into printed cards and may even do some prints with my new large format whizz bang printer. 

 And a fourth in process.....

Actually I decided to do some abstractions of this for cards.....

Click on images to enlarge. Please contact me at ronnieroo@hotmail.com to find out more or just to say G'day! Ronnie

May 2020 Up Date

So much for promising to keep up with this blog. Geez you would think with the COVID 19 'stay at home' issue I would be blogging like a banshee! No, I have lots to do at home with a new 5 year old gelding to train, my studio practise and the never ending list of domestic chores. I can no longer get away from any of this with the usual  trips into town with my buddy Donna.But that's ok. I LOVE in here in our little valley in my little dome with art horses and...hubby of course!

Anyway, artwise this is what I am up to. 
I completed the commission for the Raisbecks of Smith Valley and Mernie and our neighbor Cub skillfully installed it.That was a performance on its own and the Raisbeck treated us all to a delicious 'to go' lunch from Rosies Cantina. Everyone is happy and my studio has room to move around in again.I was suppose to get some bee hives from the University extention to paint but they never arrived so I'm taking a break.

Jeffery at Artsy Farty in Carson has 19 of my paintings but is still not opened. He is putting them up on line on FB. (Artsy Fartsy INC.) Take a look if you happen to be  wandering around FB looking for something fun and light hearted to steer you away from the politics!Or you could peek through the glass door of the real gallery. There is a whole wall of them right up front. 405 North Nevada St, Carson City. Fabulous gallery!

Some of the pieces at Jeffery's. There are 16 more. I've been busy!

There will be a show in Reno featuring horsey images for the 'was to be rodeo'. EQUSS.I should be in it if I can get some work there in the next couple of days. It's at Sierra Arts Gallery (17 So Virginia St) It will also probably be virtual only but who knows what may happen in the next couple of weeks. Peeking through windows there is always fun too!

I will be changing art at East Fork on my way to Reno tomorrow. They are OPEN. They're really dedicated artists and are pretty excited about this. East Fork is right on 395 in the little center where the Record Courier is.1503 Suite K.

Our SV group is supposed to have a show at the Sierra View Library in June but we are awaiting news about that too. Such is life right now.Stay tuned.

 

Done

 Bud and Kahlua.The two main characters. Three in the back are horses from Pete's childhood and Misty far in the back is an obvious kicker!Click on images to enlarge.

 Each horse has a story. Eg Sam (black horse head up front)would nod every time you say his name. See movement marks )). All horses have passed away now except the two ponies. They are alive and 'kicking'.Literally!

Little Joe in front is a huge buckskin. Gentle giant!

So Pete and Nancy's commission is done except for the clear coating to protect it and bring out the colors some more.It took 51 hours not including the preliminary discussions. Thirty one horses 
 Each with their own unique story. Hard work but very interesting and rewarding.A painting of fond memories for them in their golden years.

Big Commission for beautiful home in Smith Valley

 Thirty one horsse in all.The feature horses are staring to come alive with color little bit by little bit.

 Setting down the sky line. Bridgeport one end and Smith Valley on the other. The two converge on the middle panel.

 Thirty one ghosty horses waiting for their colors. Canvas's are 48' x 36" each. It's a big and high wall.

 The main horse on the right is Bud. Pete's horse, and his pasture mate and sort of look alike on the left is Cody.

The Bridgeport horses. Note the Crags in the background.

So this is what I am doing in isolation. It's a very nice commission for Pete and Nancy Raisbeck of Smith Valley. I've spent several hours sitting at their table milling over photos and hearing a collection of both funny moving stories about each and every one of the horses they want me to depict, as best I can, in my wild, quirky and colorful style. 
This will be a compilation of treasured memories of all the horse that have come into their family circle over a lifetime.Three of Pete's childhood horses are among them. I keep thinking what a fabulous thing to do and I really hope I can do it justice. They know I'm not a realist so are happy to have me conjure likenesses and personalities through gesture and actions. They told me I have until Christmas to finish it but I KNOW they want it as soon as possible.They are excited about it. I do work fast but had no idea how long it would take me. I told them errr about maybe 20 or so hours. I'm up to 30 already! I am hopeless with numbers. Stay tune for updates. R
PS. It goes without saying that my show at Artsy Fartsy is on hold. AF is closed until April 17th. We'll look at how things in the world of Viruses is going then and reschedule appropriately! 

More Artsy Fartsy Artwork

 Click on Images to enlarge.

These were really fun to do! The top one is a gelatin block ink print worked into with liquid inks, acrylics and glaze. The other two are inks and acrylics and lots of glaze on really top quality 300lb Arches watercolor paper. Thank you to my good friend and fellow artist Donna for buying it for me. What an Angel!
Yee hah!

Continued from last two posts

A thank you to my framer Theresa at Custom Framing and Design in Gardnerville for framing my work for this and other shows. She does a fabulous job and is very reasonable!!!She's a big part of my arty community!

I've three paintings on the easels and this one has just been finished. It's actually a redo. Sometimes I put a piece back on the easel for a face lift. For this one I added extra goofy bees and fluffed up the background colors. I really like it now and it makes me chuckle!Apparently it is simple ettiquette to let the bees know of any major events in your life like births, deaths, marriages etc. Personally I don't think they give a hoot but then again maybe they do! Oh, and especially when you die you are suppose to let them know you have gone!

Definitely lots of things that whizz and Buzz!

Click on image to enlarge!

 The Eye! (aka Stink Eye)
I've been working on this one for a while and now and it's finally done. Lots of layers and depth.Inks and acrylics and a load  of glaze. My young Arabian gelding 'Tush' has one eye that shows a lot of white. It makes him look pretty wild which he is not. Well about 99% of the time anyway. That 1% is a doozy though!

 And one happy little Sunday Afternoon painting.....Ya Don't Say!Click on images to enlarge.