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Karen Brenner's Horse Paintings Blog - May 2009 |
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It's not fair! This Oscar Wilde quote is a brain twister. "Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not." If you're like me, after reading the part of the quote, you mind might have jumped to a situation where you ended up with the short end of the stick. Not fair! But the second part of the quote brings on a new perspective. How many times have we been "lucky" even when we didn't deserve it. Life is not fair. This week, I hope we are able to recognize and be thankful for the times when the balance of life lifts us upward and we end up with the "long end" of the stick And we can say, "It's not fair!" with a smile on our face! Click here to download and print the newest quote/painting/to-do list. posted by Karen Brenner 0 Comments -- Click here to add your comment
Little Paintings . . . Featuring Horses of all Sizes! As you might know, I've been working on a series of Mini Paintings. Mini for me would be 8"x10" and 9"x12" sizes, because I usually paint way larger than that! I'd planned to kick off the series with a painting of a darling mini horse and her foal, but that painting is taking way too long to complete. It's still in the studio. So, I decided to introduce the min series with horses from the other end of the size spectrum! These horses were pulling a wagon at the Delaware All Horse Parade last summer. . . . I know, my mom is always complaining about paintings I do featuring this view of the horse. "Couldn't you paint the front of the horse?" is her favorite comment about my work. I think horses look great from every angle.
This painting and others in the series will be posted on the New Paintings page of my website, where you'll find information about purchasing my latest paintings, and links to lots of other paintings. posted by Karen Brenner 0 Comments -- Click here to add your comment
Fire at Change through Chance Change through Chance is our local therapeutic riding/youth mentoring program. It is making a difference in many lives. It's a great program! This morning I had some shocking news. The bank barn, which is adjacent to the stables, was destroyed by fire on Memorial Day. Fortunately, the horses were outside in the pasture at the time, so they are all fine! And the program is determined to go on, despite the set back. You can see photos of the fire on the Change through Chance website. posted by Karen Brenner 0 Comments -- Click here to add your comment
Wishing You Much Joy! "Joy is not in things; it is in us." - Richard Wagner If that quote is true for you, please take a moment to smile -- and share your joy with those around you! Click here to download and print the newest quote/painting/to-do list. posted by Karen Brenner 0 Comments -- Click here to add your comment Check out my newest video!
posted by Karen Brenner 1 Comment -- Click here to add your comment Very nice video, Karen very clear. It was lovely to watch all your paintings stream along while you voiced over instructions. Sounds like you are doing well, lots of new and beautiful work! - Judy
"A horse is a thing of beauty...." Xenophon wrote: "A horse is a thing of beauty ... none will tire of looking at him as long as he displays himself in his splendor." Xenophon's life spanned from 430 - 354 BC. It's amazing to think about life over 2,000 years ago when Xenophon a soldier, muse and historian in what is now Greece. Even then, horses were admired for their beauty. It seems that though the external conveniences and complications of life have evolved drastically, our internal beings remain true -- seeking good things like beauty and love. I wonder if ancient people had more time to appreciate the wonders of live.....or were they too constantly striving for more. The horse in this painting, Gabriel, is one I would never tire of watching. A champagne Tennessee Walker, he is part of my "Beautiful Horses of Michigan" series. Click here to read more about him. Click here to download and print the newest quote/painting/to-do list. posted by Karen Brenner 0 Comments -- Click here to add your comment
The Thinker The horse in this painting was patiently waiting to be lead to the show ring at the Fiesta Midwest Andalusian show. As her decorative bridle rosette ribbons twirled in the breeze, I had to wonder what was swirling through her mind. Anyone who owns horses knows they are great thinkers. It seems mine are usually thinking, 'What's for supper" or something food related. But Sorpresa has proven to be a deep thinker and planner. Usually after schooling her in our arena, which is located on the one flat area of our property that is NOT in the front yard, I let her nibble her way through four different gates, from the arena through a pasture through the small square pen and out into the backyard. Getting to snack on yard grass is her reward for a job well done. On this particular day, she'd been plotting. She'd noticed that Echo, who I'd ridden the day before got to snack in the side yard -- rather than the backyard. Obviously Sorpresa decided this was not fair, because when I freed her in the arena after riding her the following day, she bolted - like a streak of lightning - up the hill through the pasture and square pen, through the back yard to the side yard, and made a sliding stop -- skidding to an abrupt halt-- making divets with her knee and her forehead -- in the exact spot Echo had been grazing, and quickly proceeded to start eating. I think she'd used her imagination to plan her flight. I had to use my muscles to walk her all the way down to the pasture and give her a little training session on how to walk through a gate. She was extremely hyper, and tried a couple of times to bolt out the open gate. Then I had to use my imagination to come up with a new procedure for ending a lesson with a reward. Here it is: she is lead up to the barn and gets tied for a few minutes after each lesson before getting to munch on lawn grass. Henry David Thoreau wrote, "The world is but a canvas to our imagination." May your imagination paint beautiful thoughts! Click here to download and print the newest quote/painting/to-do list. posted by Karen Brenner 0 Comments -- Click here to add your comment
Dreamers and the art of riding . . . This quote is wonderful for both riders and artists: "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." - Anatole France Many great athletes practice mentally picturing themselves performing to perfection. Could this be a form of dreaming -- incorporating planning -- that leads to confidence and believing? Have you tried it with your riding? During my riding lesson yesterday my instructor was telling me about a seminar she'd just attended where the emphasis was on mentally communicating with your horse. This seems to parallel the ideas in Anatole France's quote. Artists are all about dreaming up creative ways to make outstanding artwork. This painting features the dreamy Hereje, an Andaulsian stallion from Herradura Andalusians in Texas. I believe he is one of the most photogenic horses on the planet! Click here to download and print the newest quote/painting/to-do list. posted by Karen Brenner 0 Comments -- Click here to add your comment
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