The Light of the Moon

Moonlight fascinates me.  I'm always trying to take a great photo or paint a lovely moonlight painting, but Moonlight is an elusive thing.  When I was a child, I would sit out on the back porch with my Grandmother while she told me stories about the faeries and we would watch the big old summer moon together.  Now every full moon that arrives finds me out watching, or at least watching from the sun room windows if the weather is way too cold to venture out.  Did you see the spectacular moon these past few days?  So bright and big!

Last Full moon, there was a dance at the other end of the village, and the music flowed up along the riverbank to our garden.   My Sweetie let the dogs out for their night time business, then came in and asked if I would like to go outside and dance, and that is just what we did.  We had a lovely time, just the two of us, while we danced by the light of the moon.  Romance is alive and well at Sheltie Hollow :)

I hope all of you enjoy the rest of the summer, and remember, there will be another full moon in September, so get out your dancing shoes!
Cheers,
Heather Anderson
www.sheltiehollowart.com

Splendour

It's nearly Midsummer.  You can feel that Midsummer magic all around you if you stop, look, and listen.  The birds sing their lovely chorus early in the morning and then a quieter version in the evening after their busy day of food gathering and chick watching is over until tomorrow.  The air is soft and sweet with the fragrance of flowers, both garden and wild, along with the unique scent of newly mown hay.  The little sheltie noses here at Sheltie Hollow never stop twitching, trying to take it all in.

Everywhere, wildflowers are springing up, almost as if everything has suddenly answered a Faery trumpet call.  Overnight there are huge drifts of wild phlox, billowing in the breeze, and frostings of daisies are appearing along the fence lines and road sides.  And don't forget to look for the Fire Flies flickering across the darkness of a mid June field or garden.  These little characters always thrill me.  I like to think they are on their way to light a Faery Ball.

This is a beautiful and bountiful time of year - think asparagus, new lettuce, and strawberries.  Take a moment to stand still in a quiet spot, look around you, listen carefully, and take a deep breath.  The rewards are great.  Oh, as to the name Mid Summer, when it is really the first day of  summer?    The ancient Celtic calendars had Spring arriving in February, so by June, it would have been mid summer by their calendar.   Some things are just too much fun to change.                                                           

Cheers,                                                                               

Heather Anderson                                        www.heatheranderson-animalart@sympatico.ca                                                                            

                                     

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

               

                                                        

April Showers

It's raining again today, but in light of the weather so many people are dealing with, I'll make no complaints.  In Spring, rain means a day I'm not tempted to keep running out to the garden to dig up this young weed or trim back that rosebush.  For one thing, digging up a young weed now can cause angst in a few weeks when I'm wondering where on earth the Bea Balm went, and then the slow realizaion that, at some effort, I dug out that blasted clump of weeds in April.  !!!!!!  Oh, trust me, it has happened. :(                  The other thing is that I'm eager to get on with another painting.  There have been so many time and spirit restrictions during the past year and a half, that I'm near to bursting to get back to a solid painting routine, and to get my website remodeled and my Etsy store looking more full.  I had just got started on setting it up and then had to leave it to float on it's own for months.  Now I'm getting more things ready to post.  I'll let you know when the "shelves" are fully stocked.                                                          One of the things I love most about a rainy spring morning is the intensity of the colours.  Everything looks so fresh and new.  And it's BLUE BELL time!  A flock of tiny Bluebells, blowing in the wind as they nod among the new grass and old leaves always gives me joy.  I hope you come across your Joy today and have a really good day.

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                                             

ART AND MORE

Gosh, it's another very cold day here.  This winter has been fierce.  It's not personally terrifying like last year, but the winds howl, ice coats everything, and it's bitterly cold.  Still, I'll take it over last year.  To banish the lingering dark memories of last winter, I decided to try to really focus on good things, and to help myself get there, I went to my sketch book.  I spent 15 or so minutes sketching  things that bring peace and contentment into my life.  It's set it up where I can see it often and when I look at it, I consciously relax and think good thoughts.   It's not a finished painting or even a decent drawing - it's rough in the extreme, yet it has become something important that I enjoy looking at and that gives me something I need.  Maybe this is part of  what Art Therapy is.          Art is so much more than just a decorative image hanging on your wall.  If you choose something that you love, it will give you comfort, joy, and a pleasant thought every time you look at it.  Naturally, most of my wallspace has my work hanging there, but over the years I've bought work from different artists -small originals from  friends and prints of work from the past of artists I admire, especially the Impressionists and the Pre-Raphaelites, and each piece says something to me.           
 Most of the time when I paint, I want a good, clear, clean, accurate image of my subject, I want to apply the paint carefully so that it enhances the image and is put on correctly, and I want the narrative of my painting to be clear to the viewer.  The 'feeling good' sketch I did has none of these things, yet it speaks to me, and only to me, of things I need to hear.  So the near-as-possible-to-perfect  painting (at this time) is not the only way to go to produce something that has value to me, and that has been an interesting lesson.
But now I'm back to my usual work, and loving it as much or more than I did last week. (Before the 'Revelation' :D)  I'm still painting Dreams and Dogs and Horses, but now from time to time, and just for me, I'll be painting personal emotions.  There is so much more to Art than you would think.

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

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                                        

RED-BIRD!

It was  bitter this morning, cold, windy, and grey, and it left no doubt that Winter is on the way.  Then I looked out the sun room window to the big old lilac bush, and there was the season's first CARDINAL peering in at me!  It's amazing how that brightens the day.  I always think of the first Cardinal as a sign of good luck.  I grew up without Cardinals, but once I read about them in a bird book and saw how beautiful they were, I desperately wanted to see one.  That was back when I was a child, and it took a very long time until they moved into our area and my wish was granted.

                                                                                    photo copyright Heather Anderson

Many years ago now, I was casually looking out my studio window while I was on the phone, and suddenly, the garden seemed to explode with red.  First one, then another bright crimson cardinal landed on the bird feeder, and soon their 'wives' (as I enjoy thinking of them) arrived.  I'm sure the person I was speaking with must have thought I was very strange indeed, as I enthused and laughed and generally expressed my delight.   The Cardinals must have decided that we ran a decent establishment, with lots of good food and natural shelter, and as much protection from predators  as possible, because they  have come back every winter, with  their numbers steadily increasing.     To me, one of  the most exciting winter sights is a flock of brilliant red Cardinals against the white snow, with their lovely ripple of song ringing out in the cold air.  With these beauties around, I don't find Winter dull at all.

Cheers,                                                                                            

Heather                                                                                           

www.heatheranderson-animalart.com                                              

Brilliant Orange

I am MAD about ORANGE!  LOVE IT!!  I love every juicy hue, tone and shade of it.  I couldn't live with it indoors - it's much too strong and active a colour, but outside, in the crisp, clear Autumn air, against a background of burning blue or mysteries-of-the-ages green,  it fills my soul with a frenzy of delight.

                                                      

I love it in a wild tangle, as in the Chinese Lanterns  above and below, spilling it's bright abandon where ever it feels like roaming.                      

                                                                                                   

And I love it tamed, well, (as tamed as Orange ever gets) in a glory of copper pansies.  Last year, I found some spectacular ones in Orange and Black!

          

Orange of course,  is the happy marriage between red and yellow.   You  can buy it in a tube or you can mix it yourself.  There's really no shame in using tube colours!    They have been carefully mixed by people who know what they are doing, and each quality company produces results you can count on.  But if you are the sort who likes a walk on the wild side now and then, you can mix your own secondary and tertiary colours.   ? ??   Many of you who read this are artists, but for those of you who are not, a Secondary colour is one that is created by mixing two Primary Colours.  A Tertiary colour is created by mixing a Secondary colour with a Primary.    Red, Yellow, and Blue are Primary colours, and you either buy them in a tube or you get hold of the correct minerals and suspensions and a grinding stone.  These colours can not be created  by mixing other paints.  But mix a Primary (Cadmium) Red with a Primary (Cadmium) Yellow, and  ORANGE blossoms forth!!!    Change the recipe a bit by using more red or more yellow, and the orange hue changes.  Add a little of it's complimentaty colour - blue - and you tone it down.  Set the complimentary colour beside it, and both colours blast.  I love colour magic!

I'm going to take a quick ramble through the garden now, to soak up the glory of orange. 

Cheers,                                                                                                                                            Heather                                                                                                                                           www.heatheranderson-animalart.com                                     *  All photos are copyright Heather Anderson

THE QUIET LIFE

My husband and I love our quiet life in the country.  We both enjoyed the attractions of the social whirl when we were younger, my Sweetie going to sports events and me to the ballet.  He enjoyed venues where he could listen to rock, and I went to the symphony.  I should point out that at  that time,  that we hadn't yet met each other :0  But underneath the fun of going places and seeing things, both of us had a deep seated craving for the quiet of country life.
We moved to the country many years ago and we've never regretted it.  He has loved being able to walk to work in the little village we settled in, and I wanted the time to stay home and paint every day.
 We were warned that the country was beautiful in the summer but bleak and harsh in the winter, but we haven't found it so.  We love all seasons here; the lushness of summer, the glories of spring and fall, and the majesty of winter.

I think we are positively addicted to the big skies, where  we can often see a Splendour of wings overhead,  and there is always time to stop and  listen to the birds, sometimes the rackety gossip of gulls, but more often the chorus of field and garden song birds, each one singing out their joy ..  "Rejoice, we woke up alive this morning!".

I guess the thing we love the most about our quiet life are the evenings, when there is a lovely hush, and with night coming on, we go out and walk in the garden with our shelties to enjoy magic of the gloaming.

                                                Evening Walk                        Watercolour

Where ever you live, I hope you find peace and joy in your daily lives.

Cheers,
Heather
www.heatheranderson-animalart.com

THROUGH AN ARTIST'S EYES

Because I'm an artist, I work hard at seeing the wonders of the world around me, sometimes things that most "normal" (ha,ha!) people don't notice.  Yes, those eyes are mine, albeit, in a photo taken a very long time ago.  That was all there was to the photo - just the eyes.  I've always rather liked it, because being an artist, I'm an observer.  The world comes to me through my eyes.  And I've learned that not everyone sees things the same way.
I used to attempt to place my art in shows put on by NATURE people, and was always turned away, not because the art didn't hold up to that of the other artists, but  because my subjects were horses, dogs, and cats.  They said that my subjects were not part of the natural world.  It didn't matter that I had backgrounds of fields and forest, lake and stream. I was not considered a Nature artist because I didn't have a wild animal in the painting, and because I wasn't a Naturalist -I never went out on Field Trips to swamps or the deep woods.  OK, I admit it, hiking through the bush, camping out, is just not me - my idea of roughing it is unchilled champagne!  I never wanted to study a dead animal if I came across one - I wanted to give it a respectful burial.  But that doesn't mean that I don't see and cherish the natural world.
 I discovered  nature from the back of a horse.  I'd never have been in  the woods, the open fields, and even some watery areas if not for my horse.  I'd never have traveled through the magic of a Trillium Wood in Spring and heard the spring creatures singing their joy in the season, or seen the sea of Trilliums waving around us, or experienced the magical green-lit  hush of the deep forest.
                                                           

I'd never have ridden beside late autumn corn fields with Canada Geese coming in to land for the night, or had the fun of a gorgeous fox inviting me to play follow the leader - FOX of course, led the game and vanished in a heartbeat when he grew tired of it.  I learned to look at and appreciate the woods and pastures, but I did it in my own way, and expressed my love of these things  in Equine Art.
The garden here at home opened my eyes to nature as well.  So many bugs, bees, birds and little critters (I'm talking mostly about little things with fur!) to enjoy and watch.  The dogs get me out in the garden every day, even if there is no garden work to be done, and they often point out something of interest.  If I didn't watch what my curious dogs were doing, I may never have seen this handsome little guy.
                                               
So I  have just never understood why a love and appreciation of the Natural World is, in some circles, considered invalid simply because it's seen from the back of a  horse or  while larking about with a dog . They were the instrument to get me out there to discover and enjoy all the wonders.
This isn't a rant about the Wild Life Art people - I love the paintings in their shows, and they are good people trying to awaken us to the wonderful world around us.  So I enjoy that type of  show, real time or on line, and then go back to my own path,  recording in my paintings, the world the way I see it, knowing they will be enjoyed by folks who appreciate nature the same, gentler way I do.
Keep looking around you  . ..  you never know what you'll see!
cheers,
Heather
www.heatheranderson-animalart.com

August in the Country

I love living in the country all year round, but August can be particularly beautiful to me.  By August, Summer has usually lost the searing heat of July, and although it can be too humid for my comfort, as long as I can get inside in some nice arctic AC, I'm happy.
I love the golden fields of grain and hay.  They speak to me of a season of plenty in the cold months ahead - food for the beasts, food for us.  The rich golden hues fill me with peace and contentment, just to look at them.
                                   

Every once in a while, if I'm very lucky, I come across a scene that defines a peaceful country afternoon for me.  I see cows relaxing by a pond, wandering in to get a drink and to cool off.  It's a timeless image - go have a look at some Constable paintings and you'll see that he must have felt the same way.                                                   OK, that does it.  I'm going to have to start a little landscape of the August fields I love.                                                                            

Cheers,                                                                                             Heather                                                                                   www.heatheranderson-animalart.com                                             

                                                                               

                                                                                             

      

                                   

                                                    

Friends Who Drop By

     One of the things I love about Country living is the friendliness.  Your neighbors think nothing of dropping by and if invited, they'll stay for a bite to eat.  We have a whole host of  furred or feathered neighbors who come by at least once a day to visit the bird feeder, to have a drink or a swim, and maybe catch up on the Sheltie Hollow gossip.
I'm talking of course about the squirrels, the birds, and my particular favorites, the chipmunks.  They give us endless amusement with their antics and little scuffles, and all for the price of bird seed.  We have planted the garden with things they like to ear, and added a lot of trees for shelter over the years to make this a safe habitat for them, and they seem to like it here. We have a couple of  bird baths in the summer and we put out food all year round, and of course, our cat is an indoor sort of guy who does his bird watching from behind the sun room windows, so there is always someone dropping by.
This summer, we have a family of RAVENS, a first for us.  We feel very honored to think that these intelligent, beautiful birds have found our garden to their liking.  These birds are HUGE!  They are also very timid and polite, and will willingly eat beside the other birds, the squirrels and the chipmunks.

The Chipmunks and the Red Squirrels are not as polite, in fact, they wage a constant battle as to who will get to the feeder first. Sometimes there are fisticuffs, and other times, a truce is called.  There really is enough for all.

  These little characters often give me something to paint . . . just a whimsical  thought that they spark, that ends  up  as a "Biff and Jo-Jo" cartoon. I love doing them, and  People seem to enjoy these little  characters as much as I do.  Jo-Jo always seems to be playing tricks on Biff, just like their real life counterparts do - although the real little critters may not be quite as colorful. :0                                                                                                                               

Before I sign off for this week, I must add that we have some wonderful Human neighbors too !

Cheers,

Heather Anderson

www.heatheranderson-animalart.com

Jungle Rhythms

Jungle rhythms, that what my garden looks like in July!  I look at the flowers that were neat, pretty, and in (mostly) weed free beds just a few short weeks ago, and shudder.  What happened?!
                     

   It's July, with it's super heat, humidity and often very heavy rain.  I have to stay inside a lot to keep away from it, and the garden takes advantage.
Yes, I know the image is blurry, but that's the way the flowers strike me just now.  It's a jungle of blossoms and unidentified green things that I know in my gardener's heart are weeds, just waiting to effect a Coup.  It has it's own sort of wild beauty, but I'm going to have to sort this out the moment the heat turns down the broiler.
Life can be like that too, can't it?  Things pile up, crises happen, tempers stretch, and all of a sudden, everything is out of control.  When that happens, I am learning to treat it the same way I do the July garden.  First, I just hang in there as best I can and wait for an opportunity to start putting things in order.  Then I handle things, one at a time until life is running smoothly again. No one said it was going to happen over-night. It's a job and a half!
In the garden, the opportunity to get things sorted is coming little by little, day by day as the weather moderates, and by August, I can  get out there and really go head to head with the remaining weeds and over-grown flowers.  Soon things will be neat again, orderly, and with an August mellowness,  just the way I like them to be.

Cheers,
Heather
www.heatheranderson-animalart.com
   

                                                                                     

ALLEGORY OF LIFE

I've been spending quite a bit of time in the garden lately, getting the weeds before they get me.  It's one of the unlovely chores that must be done, but I confess, I have to drag myself by the collar to get out there and do it.  And the flowers are SO ungrateful!  I end up with scratches, cuts and bruises, and I limp in, declaring that I am finished for the season, yet the next time I walk along one of the paths and see a weed, I feel compelled to reach in and yank it out.  I remember one totally embarrassing day when the weed won and dragged me head first into the Bee Balm.  Oh, I HOPE no one saw me!
And Roses are plain and simply malicious Divas.  No matter how much I weed, feed, and coddle, they reach out to snare me with their thorns, tearing my clothes and my skin.  And  they do it because they know they can.  With their beauty and glorious scent, I'll never send them packing.
I plant things that I love to look at , love to have scenting the air, and flowers that will make nice backgrounds in paintings.  Thoughts about painting are never far away.

It strikes me that a garden is an Allegory of Life.  You need to be careful what you put in it.  Plant a bully of a flower or neglect a weed so that it takes over, and it's the same as letting people into your life who will verbally bully you and fill your head with negative thoughts - "no you can't, no you aren't"  and pretty soon, it's as if you were wrapped in bindweed, you just can't move forward with your life.  But plant beautiful things, nurture them, and love them, and pretty soon they will bloom, just as we do when we are surrounded by supportive, loving friends.  A garden and life both take a lot of work, but if you plant carefully and work hard, and  have faith,  your garden and your life will be beautiful. At least, that's my thought.

 Cheers,
Heather Anderson
www.heatheranderson-animalart.com