A Horse, A Horse!

The first thing I can remember asking for as a little girl, was a HORSE . . . .  I want a HORSE for Christmas, my Birthday, for Easter, PLEASE!  Although I don't how the Easter Bunny was supposed to carry a horse in his little basket of eggs.  Hey, I was only three - I had no idea.
I gave my family members grey hair by racing off to try and touch every horse we came across, and kept hearing, "They'll bite you, they'll kick you, they'll roll on you!", but fortunately I was selectively deaf on this subject.  In the end, I was an adult before I got my horse, and what an adventure he was.  We were together for 19 wonderful years, and I'll miss him until we are riding Heaven's trails together.  (Presumably, my Sweetie will be playing heavenly baseball while I'm riding.)

For years, my painting focus was Horses, and I had the MOST fun going to horse shows big and small,to Jumping, Dressage and Evening, to harness tracks, to county fairs where there was a horse draw, to the harness track and  the Polo matches.  I boldy contacted people who had different breeds of horses to ask if I could visit and take photos of their horses, and nearly all of them were generous enough to welcome me.  I had the joy of hanging out with Friesians, Morgans,  Canadians, Quarter Horses, Paints, Percherons, Connemara Ponies, Saddlebreds, Andalusians and Arabians, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some.  Two major thrills from those days were two stallions, an Andalusian and an Arabian, because both of them were gentle and well mannered enough that I could stand with them and pet them.  Oh, Wow.  

I'm painting mainly dogs now, but every so often, I still need to take a trip down memory lane and paint a horse memory.  And every so often, I need to get to a horse show and find a horse who needs a soft nose rub.  These beautiful creatures have been part of  my life, one way or another, all my life, and that won't change.

Cheers,

Heather                        www.heatheranderson-animalart.com

Commissions

It's always a joy to be asked to paint someone's beautiful dog, cat, or horse.  But I am an artist who finds Commissions very stressful.  Maybe it's the perfectionist in me.  Years ago when I was doing a lot of shows that ranged from CKC All Breed Dog Shows, to major horse shows in the area, to art shows, I would almost always leave a show with commissions.   It became something of a tradition at the big dog show I went to each year, for a dog to finish their championship and the owner would come to me for a portrait.  I always had a waiting list in the Fall, and I reveled in it.  Until I didn't.  At some point, the pressure got too much for me and I severely cut back on Commission work.   I still do Commissions, but far fewer than I used to, and I'm enjoying them so much more.  I also decided it was time to leave the shows.  They just weren't fun anymore, and you need the fun aspect to counter the massive amount of work that goes into them.

So how do I do a Commission?  Where do I start?  First I need several good photos, as one picture never tells the whole story. And using several photos enriches the creativity of the piece.  Once I've decided what I'm doing, I do a detailed hand done drawing on newsprint - I make most of my mistakes there, as they are easily erased and re-worked.  Then I  trace my own image using tracing paper that I then cover with graphite and re-trace onto the watercolour paper or canvas.   If any of the lines are too dark, I will use a gum eraser to pick up some of the graphite.    Then I begin painting and slowly develop the colour.  Naturally, by this time, I already have the client's intitial approval.                                                         

It can take weeks sometimes, to get to the point I can call the painting Finished.                                                              

One of the tricky little things about commissions is that it's not enough for the dog to look like the breed, if indeed, you are painting a pure bred.  Each dog within a breed has his/her own looks, and it's imperative to catch that difference.  I'll close by showing you two portraits I did of two sweet Cocker Spaniels, each the same colour, but each one has a unique face.

Cheers                                                                             

Heather Anderson                 www.heatheranderson-animalart.com

               

                                                        

FOUR PAWS GOOD

I believe I was born loving animals.  I'm pretty sure that a deep love of these four legged creatures is born in you or it isn't.  People can be neutral about them - " animals are fine if you like them, but not for me thanks ",  or they can enjoy having a pet that remains a creature, something to treat kindly and responsibly but as something that you don't really communicate with other than to train it and make it do what you expect of it. And there's nothing really wrong with that if that is the way you connect with other species.  But there are many people like myself who see animals as fellow travelers on this planet, as creatures with their own way of communicating and doing things, and with thoughts and feelings.  I love learning to understand how they think, and how to communicate with them, using both my language and theirs.  
While I respect and enjoy the wild ones, especially the small ones (birds, squirrels, chipmunks etc) that come to my garden, it's the domestic animals that I feel a deep connection to.  There has always been a deep love of dogs, cats, and horses within me, and from the time I could talk, I begged for a dog of my own, a cat and a horse.  It took a while, but I got all three.  Since I was a teen, there has been a dog -at least one, usually three or more at a time, and as an adult, I added cats, and finally, my longed for horse.  All during these years, I read about them, learned about them, and painted them.

For a long time, I focused on painting horses because I wanted one so desperately, and then there was the giddy celebration when I finally achieved my dream.  Now that my dream is over, I still love horses deeply and still paint them once in a while, but it was time to give the other dearly loved animals the spotlight.             When I started painting animals, outside of Western Art and     Sporting Art, there wasn't much respect for painting the companion animals - the dogs and cats.  But they were what I was driven to paint, and so I did.  

                                                                  

I love painting dogs and cats, especially dogs, with all their various looks, personalities, and histories. There are so many coat colours and textures, so many body shapes - there are even three different skull types.  So much to love looking at and drawing, so much to learn!    And most especially, I love Shelties.  We have had Shelties for over 30 years and hope to always have at least one by our side.                                               

         

                     

When it comes to animals, the title of this painting says it all:  It's About Love.

Have a lovely day, anyone who is reading this!                       

cheers,                                                            

Heather                                                                www.heatheranderson-animalart.com                                                   

Almost There

I love the line from  Shelley's Ode To The West Wind, . . ."If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?"   This year, the answer would have to be "Yes!"  We have had the longest, harshest winter in many years, but I think (Shhhhh!) that it's finally on it's way.
                      

We aren't quite at this point in my garden, but if things keep going the way they are, we should be seeing snowdrops  sometime next week.  I love the early spring bulbs, both for their own sakes and because they inspire me to think and paint SPRING!  I get the same feeling seeing the new clean little calves in the fields and  of course the wobbly foals.  I love when they decide they are quite grown up, thank you, and take off across the grass like little wind up toys.  They never go far before Mum calls them back and they tumble down at her feet for a nap.  There are SO many wonderful things to see and experience in Spring, and I wouldn't want to miss a single one of them.  Hope where ever you are, you can get out and be part of some spring magic yourself :) 

Cheers,                                                                                                 Heather                                                                                             

www.heatheranderson-animalart.com                                             

Comfortable with Me.

There is a wonderful saying in French that translates loosely as "Comfortable in my own skin".   I think that's an important thing for an artist to feel.  After years of wondering how I should look, how my art should look, I finally did get comfortable.  Maybe it started with my horse, because when I was with him, I was no fashion plate, with wind tossed hair and faded jeans pockets stuffed to overflowing with apples for treats and Kleenex to wipe his often runny eyes. And I was as happy as could be!
The painting comfort was a little slower to come together.  For so many years I felt I needed the validation of art shows and competitions.  I was part of a great many art shows and never really enjoyed them, and was accepted into  a good number of competitions, and even won some ribbons,  but there was never the expected rush of "WOW!  I DID IT!!"  Instead, it was always a case of, "Well OK, I'd better get the painting ready to ship", or "that's nice, a ribbon".  So why was I going to the effort and expense to enter these things?  

Maybe it was simply time that brought me to the conclusion that my work is very good, (I don't need to be the best animal artist in the world, but I know I'm good) and that sense of confidence let me walk away from the shows and competitions.  Don't get me wrong - I'm not knocking them.  If these things are something you love to do, that's wonderful and Good Luck.  But not being a super competitive person, those venues are just not for me.  I still get invited to enter several shows/competitions a year, and I never do. 
 I prefer to paint quietly, show my paintings on my website and social networking, and once in a while, put some work in a local gallery or two.  I'm also starting off in my own Etsy Gallery - The Dog Art Gallery, and I love posting new work for sale there.  Selling my work gives me a big high too, and I love to hear nice comments about it.  It's these quiet things and doing the best work I can do, that make me happy with my paintings.   I think I have achieved comfort in my own skin.

cheers,
Heather
www.heatheranderson-animalart.com

The Winds of Change

First, I have to tell you that I borrowed this title from a book one of my High School history teachers wrote.  I've always loved it, and the book was well done too.  Change is constant - just look at the clouds for a minute or so and you see change right before your eyes.

Life seems to be all about change . . . . how we change and grow as people, the situations we find ourselves in, even the people we know. 
 When a loved one is lost, well, it's the most horrible of changes, and it tears at our hearts, but it is a sadly inevitable fact in our lives, and perhaps in time it leads us to be gentler with those we still have around us to love, and helps us appreciate that every day with loved ones is a treasure.
Sometimes we lose someone because they don't want us in their circle of friends anymore, and then despite the hurt, we have to say "Thank you God, you know best", then cowgirl up and get on with all the wonderful things in life.  And there are SO many wonderful things! Change can be a wonderful thing if we let it.

Over the years I've seen how my art work has changed.  In the beginning,  I was always in a hurry. 'Get it done, get on with the next thing!!'  Now I take my time, savouring every brush of paint I put on the paper.  I used to experiment with different mediums, different realistic styles, but now I've settled confidently into  watercolours and into graphite as my favourite mediums and into a style that people tell me is recognizable as a Heather Anderson painting.  There will always be a brief foray into acrylic and ink, but they are not my mediums and I know it.
Maybe my biggest change has been my subject.  For years, I painted  almost exclusively horses because I simply, flat out, loved everything about them.  Oh,  I painted lots of  dog commissions and  set up at lots of dog shows with paintings of many breeds, but my imagination was filled with horses.

 A funny thing happened as the years went by . . .  more and more, I wanted to paint dogs, the loyal companions that sat beside me every day and snoozed beside our bed at night, sharing my joys and quietly offering the support of a damp tongue and a warm furry shoulder in my sorrows. I've always loved them, I've had a dog since I was a teen, and their warm, loving presence finally overtook my desire to paint horses.  Dogs are now my main subject with a little room now and then for some cats and horses, and I'm happier with my painting than I've ever been. 

Change can be difficult, painful at times, and it can catch you by surprise and be a huge challenge.  But it can also lead you to a wonderful place where things are better than you ever thought they could be.
Cheers,
Heather
www.heatheranderson-animalart.com

Awash With Colour

Watercolours speak to me the way no other medium does.  I specialized in it -along with drawing - at art school, and I've been hooked ever since.    I love the flow of the paint, the fluid washes of colour, and the brilliancy of the paint itself, especially when the bright, white paper is shining up through it.  After all these years, I know it's tricks and idiosyncracies, and I feel very much at home with it.

I agree with what I've read and heard about the various colours.  For the most part, the earth colours, the blues, and the yellows are quite friendly and agreeable, although the granulating colours within those groups can get a bit tricky.  But the greens and reds can be bullies if you are not careful.  Green can get over-GREEN or go acid very quickly if you are not careful, while red can get very heavy very fast, and it's also rather mobile if you accidentally sweep the edges with water, and you'll end up with colours running where you don't want them.  True of any colour of course, if the situation is right, but I've had the most trouble that way, with red.  Handled skillfully, these colours glow, and I am still working on getting a glorious, glowing red.  Baby steps - red insists on taking baby steps.

With all the juicy colours dancing on the palette, it's tempting to boldly sweep it everywhere, but some restraint is necessary if you want your subject to stand out.  You have to make a difference in the colour and amount of detail if you want any one thing to become the main focus.  And the eye needs a place to rest - a place where the colour is quieter and the detail fades away.  You want to dazzle the viewer, not blind them :D

I'm still working on these things and I always will be. There's always something new to learn and something you can do better.  And isn't that GREAT!!
Cheers,
Heather
www.heatheranderson-animalart.com

Water, water, everywhere . . . .

I'm sure Coleridge had enough of water, judging from my title line borrowed from his poem,  but when it comes to painting, I'll never get enough of watercolours.

                            Shetland Sheepdog

I love the clarity and brightness of them, sitting as they do, on white, white paper that shines up through the often translucent paint.  I love the challenge of them.  They are not an easy medium to master - not that I've done that yet, but after so many years, I have a pretty good idea how to make them behave and do what I want.  There is still a lot for me to learn though, as it is a tricky medium full of surprises.  So I study the works of some of the major watercolour artists, - two American and one British gentlemen in particular to see what they choose for colours to create atmosphere in any given scene and how they apply the paint.  Then without any sense of copying, (horrors!) I struggle to apply what I've learned from studying their work, to my own paintings in such a way that I am creating my own path through the water world.  Life is an ongoing lesson, in paint and in real time.

                            Australian Shepherd

I love the wonderful washes of juicy colour I can achieve with this medium, and it's just as great at doing the detailed work I love to add to each painting.  
Occasionally I dip into another medium for a change to help keep me fresh, but I consider myself a watercolourist first and foremost.  It's only by putting in consistent, long hours that you can move forward with something - anything, that you want to do well. 
The only thing that bothers me just a tiny bit about watercolours is that in some circles, it is looked on as a slightly inferior medium . . .  that artists who paint primarily in watercolour are not "as much an artist" as those who choose oil, acrylic, etc.  Well, I politely DISAGREE!   Watercolours are quite permanent if they are done with quality pigment on a high quality linen "paper" such as Arches (or a few other fine watercolour papers), and if  they are properly framed/stored.  We (collectors and museums) still have some watercolours from the 1700's when the medium first became popular and advances were made in the paint's production. This medium takes skill and dedication to master, and though I don't feel I'm quite there yet, that's where I'm heading, or as close to it as I can get.  It's a demanding, challenging medium that tests the mettle and skill of the artist and totally enchants me, and I hope I can pass that enchantment with them on to you, the viewer.  I'm a Water-girl, and proud of it!

Cheers,
Heather Anderson
www.heatheranderson-animalart.com

Looking At Winter,

Are we tired of Winter yet?  I'm tired of the cold and the wet and the grey.  In the words of one of my favourite authors, (Albert Payson Terhune) ". . . . there comes a time in late winter when the cold stops thrilling and begins to hurt." Oh yes.  But although I 'm shivering and wishing for Spring like everyone else who lives in a cold climate, I never get tired of the incredible beauty Winter brings us.

Wake up one morning to a world covered in Hoar Frost and you feel that you've awakened in Faeryland.  You must get out quickly to enjoy it, because as soon as the sun is high enough in the sky, the icy magic will vanish.                                                                            The light on a late Winter afternoon, when the sun is low in the sky, and just before he begins  his descent to below the horizon is often nothing short of spectacular.  I love being out between 4 and 5 o'clock in February when the show begins.

And night brings it's own  frosty beauty.  That's when the deer slide out of the dusk to come to our garden for food.  They are amazing creatures.  One minute they are there, and the next they have become part of the shadows again. (This photo was taken just at dusk, but they usually come later in the evening as well.)

And the Winter moon is incredible - icy white and shining down, spilling silver across the fields and lighting the night with enchantment.

 It's looking for these lovely images that helps me get through the freezing times, so I'm not tired of Winter's beauty, but am I ready for Spring?  Oh,  YES!!

Cheers,
Heather
www.heatheranderson-animalart.com

Line by Line

There's a new painting on the drawing board today.  I love that - "the DRAWING board".   I love to draw, always have.  And I'm good at it.  Put a pencil in my hand and I'm happy.                                

It seems to be the fashion today for many artists to say, 'well I know I can draw the image, so I'm not going to waste my time, I'll trace/project it instead.'  Well,  . . . . OK.  If that's what works for someone, go right ahead.   But for me, that would feel wrong, and it would take away at least half the fun and satisfaction for me.  I take pride in doing something that I worked hard to learn how to do.

When I draw something, putting pencil directly to white paper, I am able to connect with the subject in a way I couldn't do if I was confined by tracing paper or a projected image.  Oh, I do my initial drawing on newsprint (finally learned it's better to beat up a sheet of newsprint getting the image right than to ruin a sheet of watercolour paper!) and then, when the image is finally correct and the way I want it, I transfer it to the watercolour paper, so yes, there is a tracing step for me, but I'm tracing the image I've just put hours, sometimes a day or two, into drawing.

I love the painting process too, I'm addicted to soft, juicy colour and love to sweep watercolours onto paper to bring my image to life, but I need to think out the entire painting before I begin.  I didn't always do this, I'd be very careful with the main image and let the background take care of itself, but once I started to take the entire image seriously and draw everything but the tiny details before I started into paint, my overall painting took a leap forward.

So I willingly take the time to draw my images for a painting, I draw to work out ideas, both in art and in life, and I doodle or sketch when I'm waiting on the phone or as passenger in the car.  I'm enchanted by lines.  Pick up a pencil and have some fun :)

Cheers,

Heather

www.heatheranderson-animalart.com

FAITH

                                     Chinese Lanterns                                      Watercolour

These past couple of weeks I've been doing something more or less new with my painting.  I've been painting some of the little treasured moments in the garden that have always delighted me.  I'm not a Floral or Landscape artist and have no wish to seriously go in that direction, but I do love doing these little ( 5 x 7) "Gardenscapes. Most of my dog and horse paintings are thought out in every detail before I begin - that said, suprises always happen!  But these Garden paintings are more spontanious.  I'm concentrating more on colour and overall impact than botanical detail.  Oh, I plan them out and  draw them in moderate detail, but once the colour starts to go on, I tend to simply have faith that the the paint will go where it should to look it's best, and that the painting is going to come together and turn out looking good.  "Paint by Instinct" I guess you could call it. Although I like working this way for the gardenscapes, it will never be my way to do the larger animal paintings.  But even there, painting is an exercise in faith.  As in Art, so in Life.  You've got to believe.

                                                River Reeds                     Watercolour

Cheers,
Heather
www.heatheranderson-animalart.com

The Icy Breath of Winter

To quote an old song, "Baby it's Cold outside".  The wind has been howling all day and we've been snugged up in a warm house with the dogs and cats close by.  So what does an artist do in the deep mid winter besides stay warm?

                              

                 Winter Path                           watercolour         

Sometimes I take an art path I seldom explore, something like the little landscape above.   The country enchants me, and there are so many little treasures I see  and photograph on our drives, and once in a while, the need to paint them takes over.                                        Sometimes, while the wind blows and the temperature drops, I try out different ideas for paintings, and sometimes they work, and sometimes, . . . . .. .  .   Well, better find out at the doodle stage  that something isn't going to work out!  I like to explore my options in art during January and  make plans for the painting year ahead.      On a really frigid day like this, when the cold bites and

 burns and stings, I admit to dreaming about warmer places, but when it comes down to it, I love our winters and wouldn't want to miss them.   I'd miss the sparkle of snow, the winter blue of the sky on a sunny day, and all the feathered visitors to our bird feeders.  If I wasn't home in winter, I'd miss the deer meandering down the road under the streetlights, anticipating the dinner of cracked corn some of us leave out for them in hard winters like this one.  And I'd never want to miss the delight our little dogs take in racing through the snow, barking and rejoicing in the thrill of the race.   January is a cold, challenging month, so put on a cozy sweater, curl up in front of a  window where you will be warm, and enjoy it's gifts of icy beauty, just as beautiful at night under a full moon as they are during the sun sparkled day.                          

                                      

Winter Night                 waterclour

                                    

Cheers,                                                                                 

       Heather                                                                                                 www.heatheranderson-animalart.com

        

Old & Familiar and Something New

Well Happy New Year everyone!  I hadn't planned on doing a new blog until next week, but suddenly it felt right to do it today.  New Years is so full of intentions and plans . . . so energizing.  I'm not stating intentions - haven't done that in years, but I am making plans for the upcoming year. The most important plan is to  make sure I am connected to every day and to my loved ones, not letting the days slip past in a blur of busy-ness.  Each day is precious.  Each special day needs marking and celebrating. Our loved ones need to know they are loved each and every day.
And with my painting, I want to have fun again.  With that in mind, I have lots of the usual things I love to paint on my list.  The Dogs, especially Shelties, the horses and cats and the country way of life I so love.  If you enjoy my work and these types of paintings, I'll have lots to show you over this coming year.

                            The Lavender Path       Watercolour

Naturally, I love painting Shelties,  They have been our dog of choice for over 30 years, although we have also enjoyed the company of Collies and a few other breeds during that time.

  

                         Heading Home          an older watercolour


The sight of a horse always brings a smile to my face and quickening of my pulse, so I guess I will always want to paint them now and then, either by themselves or in the rural setting that surrounds me.  But dogs remain my main focus again this year.

But every now and then, I need to take a flight of fancy and dip into Fantasy.  I did several Fantasy paintings a couple or so years back, so don't be surprised if I wander down the Faery path now and then during the upcoming year.

Lady Iris     Watercolour

                             This is a little series of Medieval Knight paintings that told a story of a Knight going out on a Quest all the way from him starting out, to meeting a baby Dragon, to his being home with the Lady he saved when he jousted a rival knight.  And on to his Ghost horse still protecting the Castle ruins.  Great fun!  And each of these little paintings was only 2.5 x 3 inches big!  I have a new idea or two, so don't be surprised if the story of my Knight and his Lady is continued.  Did you realize she had been captured by . . . no, I'll wait and let you see it later in the year!

So I hope you will follow along to see what's happening . . .  there will be another surprise or two ahead, I promise!  And if you enjoy the blog and my paintings, please share with your friends if you think they'd like them too.

cheers
Heather
www.heatheranderson-animalart.com

Are We Ready?

It's coming  - feel the bitter bite in the wind, and you will know that, even though Winter is a month away, The Snow Queen has sent out her advance publicity.  I don't mind Winter, in fact, I enjoy it as I do all the seasons.   Not that I'm a hearty outdoor type.  But I love the feeling that Home is the place to be when the snow blows and cold settles in.                                                                                    Getting ready for Winter during the short November days is a ritual I enjoy.  The house, including the fireplace is ready and the garden is sleeping, there's a good supply of necessary meds, of food, pet food, and the thing you really don't want to run out of . . . Cat Litter!  It's time to settle in the studio and spend peaceful, happy days painting, with the fireplace making things cozy and the dogs and cats snoozing in their favourite spots.   It's a good time to update my Art Journal with all the things I haven't had time to enter for a while.

                                                                                               

I've kept an Art Journal for quite a while - I'm on my third one now.  I keep a record of my work, nice emails that praise my work, (love those!)  jot down my thoughts on things, and keep track of what is happening in my part of the art world.  Uh-huh, there's a juicy tid-bit or two in them, but my lips are zipped!  :0

I'm stocking up now on watercolour paper, paints, brushes, pencils, etc.  and I'm planning on getting to grips with some acrylics this winter.  I have a number of dog, horse, and country type painting lined up to do as well.  Can't wait to get at them!  There will be books to read too, during the cold evenings, and  movies to watch while cuddled up with my Sweetie - and the dogs.  

Even if you are not one to swoosh down the hills on a pair of  narrow slats, (OK, I'm not a skiier) winter can be wonderful if you find a quiet, toasty corner, know that the pantry is full, and you are set up to do something you enjoy. Are we ready for it?       

                                                                      

Cheers,                                                                                            

Heather                                                                                           

www.heatheranderson-animalart.com