Watercolor Jumper WIP

     After working with acrylics for the past week I find I must get back to the watercolors. It is my favorite medium. I am once again working large and this painting measures in at 22 x 30. This is a full sheet of Arches 300 lb Hot Press paper. Which is my favorite support and is a super heavyweight, archival, smooth paper. It is really fun to push the colors around on the paper. If I dampen the paper first and drop in pigment the colors will mix and mingle on their own creating wonderful effects.

     I always think it is kind of cool in watercolors how my horses start to appear out of the paper! :-)  This first step is the intial glazes of color. Just trying to find the light. I went ahead and added the darks of the riders helmet because I had such a nice mix of colors left on my palette. I don't know how I  made that one..a lttle of this...a little of that. I believe the primary colors are burnt sienna, alizarin crimson and Ultramarine blue but then I dropped in some partially mixed violet and let it mingle on the page.

Untitled, watercolor 22 x 30 WIP 2

   

      In watercolors I work from light to dark. I rely on the white of the paper for the white as opposed to acrylics where you mix with white paint. I use mostly transparent pigment. I do sometimes use some of the cadmiums at the very end of a painting when I am adding the details. The transparency of watercolor paint is what gives a painting such a beautiful glow.

  This horse has the scarey mask thing going on because I haven't addressed the eye yet. Once I have all of the lightest values completed I will move right in on the eye to give it some life. Then next comes the middle values then the darkest values and the fine detail. Not sure about the background yet...I am playing with idea of leaving it white or perhaps just the lightest hint of color..

    Going backwards here. This next image is the initial sketch. The rainbow of color here is due to upping the saturation in Photoshop so that you can actually see the sketch. The paper is white. I do a pretty light sketch first with wc.
  

    
      I am going to need a title for this piece so suggestions are welcome. All of these images are clickable so that you see a larger version. Til next time- Have a great day!

Deborah

Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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Victory Gallop

     I mentioned in a previous post that the model for the painting Victory Gallop was a horse that I used to have named Henry. I received several emails from you readers asking to know more about him. SO here  goes.
      Henry was 1/2 Irish Draft and 1/2 Selle Francais. He was imported from Ireland when he was just turning 4. He did not show much talent as a jumper so he was brought here as a Dressage prospect because he had 3 really nice gaits. It was love at first sight. I adored this horse. He was tempermental, funny, sensitive, smart and so willing to try anything that I asked him to do.
     For the first few weeks after he got there he was uncatchable when turned out. He had been rushed as a youngster and was overfaced with big jumps so being ridden was not something he enjoyed.
     I started out by bringing him lots of treats and I would just sit with him in his paddock. He got to the point, eventually, where he would come galloping flat out to me whenever I called and he would come to a sliding stop just inches in front me. He would follow me around like a puppy. I let him just be a horse for the first few months and developed a really good relationship with him on the ground before I even attempted to ride him.
    The first few rides were rocky at best, He had not been started well and instead of being taught what was expected of him he had been forced. So he just didn't understand basic aids. When he didn't understand something he would stop toss him head up and down several times and stomp his right front foot. A lot of trainers might want to smack him forward and get on with it. But I felt that this horse had been frightened with that kind of riding and needed patience and a chance to work things out with a calm, patient no-rush attitude. I would let him get over his little tantrum drop the reins and just ask him to walk on. Then I would back up a step and ask him to something really simple that I knew he could do well. By using this approach he learned to trust me. When he "got" something you could see how pleased he would be with himself when he got praised.
     When he progressed through the levels in dressage if something was a little challenging he still would do his little head toss and foot stomp. I used to joke that the tempermental side of him was his French side coming out and at those times he was known as Henri (pronounced with a Fren.ch accent).:)
     He eventually showed great talent as a jumper and we would play over the jumps but I decided that we could continue down the path with him as my Dressage partner. He was a BIG boy 17.1 hands and was just a late bloomer. One day he started having trouble getting his 3 tempis. For you non-Dresaage folks ..three tempis are multiple flying changes of lead every three strides at collected canter.It requires a lot of strength and precision from the horse to do them. Henry started have trouble with them one day. He had spectacular flyng changes and would really jump through them. But now he felt funny like he couldn't organize his hind end to even do one. Over the next few days he started to resist work and he seemed afraid to even go forward under saddle. He, also, got very clingy to me on the ground.
   
     It was eventually determined that he had EPM which is a protozoa that attacks the nervous system.  I miss him terribly.... He was such a great horse.

   I think one of the reasons I got out of riding was that I went through a string of loosing my own personal horses to a variety of illnesses and freak accidents. I get too emotionally attached and it just got too hard having to make the decisions to put the horses down or to give them up. I needed a break. I continued teaching for a while but then moved on to painting them.

     This is photo of Henry right after he arrived from quarantine. He is just shy of 4 years old (he had tiny little M & M teeth!), already 16.3 hands. I always seemed to end up with BIG horses. He has the big head that so many Irish horses have. Once he developed a good topline everything came into proportion. Oh, and he was not over in the knee..he is just standing funny in this photo.

Henry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      Last evening I worked on Victory Gallop for a few hours. I think that I have just about completed this painting. I need to let this sit for a bit in a spot where I can see it for a few days so I can decide what needs a bit of tweaking. The area to the left of the eye appears be a little flat and dead to me so I may do a little something there.I tried to get a better photo but this still has some glare on it. Victory Gallop is 24 x 20, acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas. That means the canvas wraps around the sides of the wooden stretcher bars and the staples are on the back. I paint the sides so framing is not necessary but it would look gorgeous in a wide barn board or gold Plein air style frame. This is available for purchase. Email me if you are interested in giving it a home.

Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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Victory Gallop WIP (Work In Progress)

Victory Gallop-

    It is back to the acrylics and going large again. After painting so many small pieces last year I am feeling the need to break free and paint bigger. I love doing these very close-up compositions on large canvases. Victory Gallop is an acrylic and is a 24 x 20 canvas. I used a reference photo of a horse that I used to have named Henry. I lost him to EPM.

  The first photo is the initial sketch done with a Sharpie marker. When working in acrylic I have pretty much unlimited freedom to move things around and experiment because I can go over things. If this was a watercolor this would be a pretty detailed pencil sketch. Watercolor is not very forgiving, you pretty much have the one go to get it right. With acrylics I really enjoy "drawing" with the paint.

Next image I have layed down mostly medium values. The main idea being to cover the white of the canvas. There is nothing worse than I white canvas staring you down. *shiver* This is the stage now where I get to make decisions on where I am going with this.

This piece is tightening up pretty quickly. I put a long night into this and needed to wait for the glazes to dry. I defined the musculature and found most of my darks here. I am thinking the markings on the horse's face are competing with some of the elements of the composition.  You can see in the next image how I have changed some things around. The joy of acrylics!

 

The glare is awful here but you can get a good idea. I created a blaze instead of the star and snip that Henry had. I think it works better.  I will be mixing my whites to warm up his face as right now the blaze appears to stark to my eye. The rider is pretty much completed. I need to loosen up the color on the lapel. I left things very painterly with energetic brush strokes to convey the motion.

Writing about my art while I am creating it is an odd process for me because I don't really think when I paint. I tend to just throw color here and there and then all of a sudden the painting is just done! I should have this completed this evening and will post the final.

Til next time,

Deborah

Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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Good Tutors and Good Students -Guest Blogger Charles Sluga

Fetch,-5x7 acrylic on cradled panel- SOLD

 

I am delighted to be able to present guest blogger Australian artist Charles Sluga. Charles is a wonderfully accomplished watercolorist and teacher. So without further ado....

Good Tutors and Good Students

I have been prompted to give my opinion because I conduct a lot of workshops both in Australia and overseas and have been teaching watercolour painting for many years. I have a number of pupils that have attended many of my workshops and continue to do so. Recently these people have been criticised or mocked because they choose to continue to come to my workshops. Mocked by students that seem to change their tutors as often as the wind changes.

So the question is - Should a student go to many different tutors to learn or should they stick to one? I think I have already indicated what I think, but let me expand on this.

Well from my experience and observation over twenty years of teaching I strongly recommend choosing one, but it is conditional. The student must try different classes until they find a tutor that they are happy with. A tutor than has the pupils best interest in mind and will push the student and point them in the right direction for them to discover their own way of expression...kind of like a guiding hand. A tutor that does not let his or her ego get in the way!

I think as a student if you find that your work merely looks like a second rate copy of the tutors work then I would suggest you find another tutor. It is not the tutors job to produce 'parrots" that mimic what they do. It is all about pushing, questioning and getting the students to explore possibilities until they start to discover themselves. If you can find a tutor that can do that then stick with them.

For those of you out there who criticise these students and call them
groupies, fans or try to convince them that they should go to someone
else, then I would say to you..."continue to go to your dozen tutors in
a dozen workshops and continue to produce inferior copies with no self
expression....you have missed the whole point of being an artist and
the journey that it involves".


Having said that, if that is what you want to do...go ahead ....it obviously satisfies some need, but be aware that others may wish to go further and demand more of themselves.

So in summary:
A good tutor:

1. Someone who pushes you to question everything!
2. Someone who does not paint by formula.
3. Someone who will not spoon feed you.
4. Someone who recognises your contribution.
5. Someone who is not there to boost there own ego.
6. Someone who takes there work seriously.
7. Someone who plans lessons well.
8. Someone who will give you time.
9. Someone who believes they are still learning.
10. Someone who doesn't want you to merely be a "parrot"

A good pupil:

1. Someone who will work hard.
2. Someone who will take risks.
3. Someone who will work in between workshops
4. Someone who will ask questions.
5. Someone who will not only be interested in the final result.
6. Someone who is persistent.
7. Someone who is open minded.
8. Someone who is not there to boost their own ego!
9. Someone with a sense of humour.
10. Someone who has a love of Art.

So these are just 10 points I consider important for both tutor and student (there are more!)

In closing I would like to congratulate Sharon...one of these so called "groupies" of mine who entered her first exhibition recently and won the award for best watercolour. The wonderful thing about that is that I had not input or influence over that painting. She did the whole thing on her own and it was her own expression in paint! Well done!
I also congratulate these group of students that do continue to come to my workshops and tours...I am looking forward to continuing the journey with you....you have become not just students but friends! So let us all ignore the comments from others and continue to do what we do best...work together and move forward!


By the way, just to make it clear - I don't mind who people go to! I am not saying it has to be me (because even though I am good :), my style of teaching may not suit everyone ). It is not about me...it is about you...the student!
See you at the next workshop :)
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This article is reproduced with permission.
Copyright 2010 - Charles Sluga

For more on Charles and to view or purchase artwork visit.....
Charles Sluga Website
Charles Sluga Blog

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Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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Life Goes On

      I have been getting  emails from so many of you these past few months and I just want to express how much I appreciate the support from each and every one of you. It means a lot to to me to know that there are so many people sending me good mojo! I am doing really well.  This divorce has been coming on for a long time and I am in that place now where I am n ot even looking back. No regrets, no sorrow.  I don't feel anything anymore. It is not numb. Already went there. Not anger. Already did that. I am not.....well.......anything. I believe the word I am looking for is apathetic. Let me put on my Google fingers and look that up.... yup ...indifference. The opposite of love... for me.. would be indifference.  It is a great place for me to be with this. I am happy and I have an incredible sense of relief and freedom.
    My little boy is having a harder time of it lately and he so anxious to move to our new place. So keep sending him those virtual hugs.

Our moving date is coming up quickly and I am still looking for other sources of income. My art is selling well but I can't live soley on my art income yet. "Yet" being the operative word.  I'll get there! I do have a few really good possibilities in the works. I think I would also like to teach some riding lessons again. So all of my horsey friends..if you know of anything...Please, send it my way!  But I am open to any and all offers of any kind either locally or online. If you know of anything email me deborah@deborahosullivan.com  I want to be able to completely support myself and my son asap.

So what does this have to do with art, horses or dogs? Well, my state of being has everything to do with what I create My art is becoming more spontaneous. I am having having fun painting again. My art is one of the ways I express myself and in that way my art helps define who I am.  You can always tell what kind of mood Deborah is in by what flies off the brush! I am increasing drawn to just working in watercolors now and painting the light. That elusive search for the light! It is so beautiful when you get it right.

This quick, little sketch is titled Pat's Rooster. Watercolor, 5 x 5 on Arches 30 lb Hot Press paper. This painting is heading off tomorrow to it's new home. Til next time ..have a great one!

Deborah

Bear Mountain and Framed Prints

A view from the tower

    It has been a couple of days since my last post so I thought I'd post a quick update before I go to bed. It is 1:30 a.m. and I am tired. I need to shift my days around and see if I can actually paint early in the morning. I have so much on my plate these days- between being a mom, painting, marketing, networking, packing for my move....there just does not seem to be enough hours in the day. 

     I headed out with my dog, Tess, to Bear Mountain today thinking it would be a fine day for plein air painting.  Boy, was I wrong. I need to pay closer attention to the weather forecast. What was I thinking? My brushstrokes were drying as fast as I layed them down. I did take some nice photos so I may try a studio painting. Thankfully, I had brought a picnic, a blanket, lots of water and a good book and I just settled myself under a tree and had a  really nice few hours! Even Tess wanted to just chill out. I did climb the tower and the views were just incredible. Plus, it was nice and cool in there.

Bear Mountain Tower

    I have two framed prints that are looking for walls to hang on! The first print image is a reproduction of a Bullmastiff watercolor titled - Waiting. The original is sold.  This image  measures
5 x 7 and is matted and framed with a black enameled metal frame. $30 includes shipping to the US.
If you would to purchase or see more photos email me!

Waiting

    The second reproduction is one of my best selling giclee dog reproductions. The unframed watercolor original is available here. The painting is titled A Matter of Trust. This is an archival 10 x 8 reproduction printed on acid free paper with archival inks and is framed, matted and signed. $50 includes shipping.  For more photos or to purchase drop me an email,

A Matter of Trust

 

   I am really off to bed now. Very sleepy! Good night!

All the best,
Deborah

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Leaving Things Incomplete

 Today's post is from Robert Genn's Twice A Week Newsletter. If you don't already subscribe, I highly recommend that you do. Click To Subscribe . I love what he has to say about leaving paintings incomplete. Enjoy!!


Leaving Things Incomplete

July 13, 2010

Dear Deborah,

These days I've been rededicating myself to less overworking and more understatement. In other words, trying to leave my work fresher, even at the expense of being incomplete. I believe it's an idea that a lot of us could profit by.

We all know the danger of keeping on going--adding detail or complexity when the idea we started out with is well enough expressed without the fiddling. In our innate human desire for perfection we can forget the hand of the artist, even the struggling hand, and the poetic justice of paucity. These elements have value for the second half of the creative partnership--the eyes of the viewer.

Here in Japan it's the principle of "Mujo" (moo-joh). It stems from the ancient Zen concept of transience and uncertainty. A related Japanese word is Mikansei (me-kahn-say-ee) which means "the state of being incomplete." In many ways, the western convention of abstract art fills this bill. In abstraction, you can't always tell exactly what it is you are looking at, and there lies its charm. Mystery builds viewer interest.

The Japanese are not always prepared to go that far. The suggestion of a waterfall or a few cursory brushstrokes indicating a tree or a flower may suffice to communicate a motif.

Here's how to put Mujo to work for yourself: Before starting in with the "busyness" of working, stop to think of the simplest and freshest way a passage might be conceived and executed. Very often a move up to a larger brush, together with a careful mixing of the desired colour, and an elegant, well-contemplated stroke or two can carry the day. Leaving a little primer showing through, or a slight error, a slub or a bump--so what. Even an inadvertent dribble-down or an indecisive painterly scrabble gives life where dullness might otherwise prevail.

We sometimes hear the argument that this sort of incompleteness or roughness only appeals to other artists. I don't think so. I find our world to be loaded and cocked with creator wannabees. We artists represent the last bastion of the hand of man. For others to see art in its freshness, failings and incompleteness may be the greater part of our winning hand.

Best regards,

Robert

PS: "The power of the mujo principle lies in quietly, serenely letting the viewer participate in the representation." (Boye Lafayette De Mente, from his excellent overview "Elements of Japanese Design")

Esoterica: Today I attended a show that included traditional flower arrangement (ikebana). Unlike the western burst of saturated colour and riots of variety--the whole garden in your face--Japanese floral designs tend to be sparse, subtle and simple. A single, tall orchid of an incredible, delicate colour set off by a few dry sticks that twist and struggle alongside, all set, off center, in a delicate and unobtrusive earthen vase. Such is the nature of understatement--an opportunity for the viewer to slow down, take part in, and love.
___________________________
Every day there are new features going into The Painter's Post. This online arts aggregator has links to art info, ideas, inspiration and unmitigated creative fun.

If a friend is trying to subscribe to the Twice-Weekly Letter via Constant Contact, please let them know that as well as subscribing they must confirm their subscription.

You can also follow Robert's valuable insights and see further feedback on Facebook and Twitter.

___________________________

(c) Copyright 2010 Robert Genn. If you wish to copy this material to other publications or mail lists, please ask for permission by writing rgenn@saraphina.com. Thanks for your friendship.
__________________________

Posted painting for the day. A super quick "incomplete" sketch from my Alvaro Castagnet workshop. This a watercolor using 3 colors...Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, Alizarin Crimson.

Rapture.. The Latest Painting by Deborah O'Sullivan

     This gorgeous weather has found me outside the studio working on my plein air skills. It has become quite an addiction! I adore getting out there with the watercolors and seeking out great painting spots.
     I always have two or three pieces going in the studio and I thoroughly enjoy working late into night with my music and Border Collie to keep me company. I have always been a bit of a night owl and find it easier to just get in the zone at night.
     I started  on this latest painting a while back and just hit a wall as to where I was going with it. So I let it sit in a spot where I could constantly just look at it to see what I could come up with. A few nights ago I just popped it onto the easel and literally with no plan just started throwing paint at it.  Literally!  I LOVE the drips on the bottom right and the way the rider just fades away. The horse is my focal point and I just wanted her to pop and not compete with the rider.
     This is much larger than I usually work. Almost a full sheet of Arches Hot Press 140lb paper. Available for sale unframed. The price will go up when I have it framed. MUCH more affordable to ship unframed! $850 includes shipping and insurance.  If you would like to give Rapture a home or would like more photos drop me an email! email  I will be happy to give you the details.Or click here to purchase

 Rapture

All the best,

Deborah

100 Degrees and Reworking Paintings

     Here in the NorthEast we are experiencing the mother of all heat waves.To borrow a line fro the movie Biloxie Blues..this is like Africa hot! One hundred degrees is just...well... unnecessary. What do people do down south who have to endure this kind of weather on a more regular basis?

I am definitely a cool weather person. Love my sweaters.

So what are all of you doing to keep cool? I took my son to a movie, went to a support group meeting and am planning to pull an all nighter in the studio. Okay..maybe a half nighter. I have an acrylic painting of a horse in half pass that I have been staring at for the past few weeks trying to decide what to do with it. I love the horse but the backgrounds just irks me. So I am planning on reworking this one. I like the arena but the rest has to go.  I will post the results as soon as I finish it! Oh , that is if I can figure out how to post photos from my iphone! :)

Now for my question of the day. Does anyone know if you can post photos to Blogger from your iphone? I can't seem to find any info online on how to do this. Anyone?


Now I know I said I would be posting details from the Alvaro Castagnet workshop but I have lots of images that I would like to include.  makes for a more interesting blog post. Don't you agree?

Stay cool!   :)
Deborah

Winter Studio Sale!

Winter Studio Sale

     It's that time of year again! I got bit by the spring cleaning bug and have been cleaning out my studio. This means I have a few offerings for an Ebay sale. I have listed my newest giclee reproduction of the watercolor original Power & Lightness. This is my newest Dressage reproduction. I have 3 listed with bidding starting at only $15!

 

I have also listed a couple of Daily Riding Essential Paintings, an original Viszla and an ORIGINAL 10 x 8 acrylic painting. I will be popping a few other items on during the week. So be sure to visit my listing page!

Click here to go to Ebay auction 

Other Studio News

 Artist Retreat

On another note I am super excited to be attending an artist retreat in May. A will be spending a whole week in the beautiful Catskill Mountains working with master watercolorist Alvaro Castagnet. I am looking forward to immersing myself in this wonderful opportunity to learn from such a wonderful painter. If you are not familiar with his work and are curious to know (and see) more visit his website here.

Dressage Horse WIP 2

I worked a bit more on this last night. It is starting to throw a bit of a shape now. Originally I was thinking of making this a grey horse  but things change! :)  I wanted it to pop more so I changed to a more vibrant palette. At this point I am working wet on wet. I wet the areas I want to add color to, drop in the pigments and turn the paper on end letting the colors mix on paper. I keep an eye on maintaining the correct musculature when wetting the paper. Wherever the paper is wet the pigment goes. The dry paper acts like a brake and stops the pigment from going any further by beading up.. This is super fun and I never know what I am going to end up with at this point but the paintings always seem to work out! Here is an example of where I am going with this from my website. Connection

Have a great day!

Deborah

Dressage Horse Watercolor, Dogs & Landscapes

I have to apologize for my blogging lapses. My little Apple laptop is not recovering from it's kernal panic attacks. I loose everything that I am working on when it crashes. There will be a new laptop in my future.
Art show deadlines have been keeping me busy and I have several pieces that I am completing. I have about 6 paintings I am working on plus a daily plein air. So I am busy, busy, busy again. I am going to be doing a little studio sale on Ebay in the next week so keep an eye out. I'll post info here and I will send out the info in a newsletter. You can have the latest info delivered right to your mailbox. Sign up here... Newsletter
The above image is a fun piece that I am working on. I am playing with this one and seeing where the water and pigment takes me when I push it around the paper. The eyes are in the initial glazing stage so they have a scarey mask-like appearance. It still amazes me how these paintings develop with each glaze. Sometimes I think they will never work out and then all of a sudden they start to throw a shape. This is painted on a quarter sheet (14 x 10 1/2) on Arches 300 lb, hot press paper. This is a super heavy, thick paper with a lovely smooth feel. Just wonderful for pushing paint around.

Still on the easel in my Newfoundland puppy. Starting to push those darks now. She is in the very blue stage! Many of my black dogs start out this way! Getting there!

Since the computer seems to be cooperating I will go ahead and post 2 plein airs that I did. En Plein Air means that they were painted on the spot and not from photos.
The first is a painting of our barn done from the driveway from our house. It was SUPER cold out and the painting water was icing up! But I did get to use my new Cheap Joe's Field Easel! This is a 7 x 10.

This second one is quite large. It meaures 14 x 12 (or there about) and was painted during a break when we had torrential rains that washed away the snow! This is a tree that sits next to my driveway. There is something about this one that I really like.


I don't want to push my luck and have a computer melt down! So signing off here! As always your comments are always appreciated! Have a great day!

Deborah

New Daily Riding Essentials

The holiday portraits are for completed so I have been playing around with some daily paintings. Back by popular request are the Daily Riding Essentials! How fun are these? This is another hoof pick brush – very similar to the one I did last year. Hoof Pick 2 measures 6 x 8 and is acrylic on canvas panel.

The second image, titled Show Sheen, is of a very popular equine coat polish. I love it for keeping tails silky and tangle free. I really like this one! Measuring 8 x 6 it is acrylic on canvas panel.

These paintings make really cute groupings in a barn office or tack room. If you have any requests pop me an email and let me know! These are $50 each + $4.95 for Priority Mail Shipping and can be purchased through my website here
Click to purchase Show Sheen
Click to purchase Hoof Pick2

     If you are interested in more than one let me know and I will generate an invoice to combine the shipping cost. deborah@deborahosullivan.com. Remember to bookmark and check back throughout the week for new Daily Riding Essentials.

Acrylic Draft Cross Portrait

Today's painting is a 14 x 11 acrylic portrait of a draft cross mare named Bonnie. She is a draft cross and this piece was a Christmas surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed doing this even though it was a real challenge getting it right without her owner's input! My final result brought tears of joy and a "it is perfect!" response from the recipient. That always brings me tremendous satisfaction.
On another note, I am having computer woes with my 7 year old Powerbook. It has been having kernal panics and apparently does not like my new Airport Extreme WiFi base. So I have a new Mac Pro laptop at the top of my 2010 wishl ist. If anyone has any suggestions on what I can do to help this one bring it on! :)

Hope everyone is keeping warm!

Deborah

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Book Review..Memoirs of a Bathtub Psychic

Today's post is a review of a super book. Okay, now I know it is not art but the author is an artist and the book is about dogs! I will get back to the art tomorrow. This book touched me on so many levels that I just had to share. I picked up this book called Memoirs of a Bathtub Psychic by Bethanne Elion  and I could not put it down. I read it in two evenings and loved it. This book is a memoir of how the author got started on her holistic journey to save her dogs and how she has come to terms with her psychic abilities. I have posted a full synopsis of the book below which explains the book better than I can. I am after all a painter not a writer. :)  This book is very informative and a real eye opener for anyone who manages their dogs conventionally.....ie kibble, full vaccinations, etc. You will laugh and cry as you read about  her journey. A real page turner!  If anyone is looking for a great read to cozy up with I highly recommend this one! You can get started by reading Chapter One at her website.
Chapter One

Enjoy!

Memoirs of
the Bathtub Psychic
The True Story of a Clairvoyant and Her Dogs
by Bethanne Elion

SYNOPSIS:

This debut memoir is the heartwarming true story of a woman’s relationship with her Newfoundland dogs, Sophie, Emma and Cubby. These “barking bears” teach her to trust her natural psychic ability, which leads to the discovery of a talent for animal communication and healing.

Afraid to acknowledge her instincts due to negative experiences as a child, a deep love for her dogs motivates Bethanne to open her mind and take unusual steps to improve their lives when they fall ill.

She begins to suspect that some conventional veterinary practices, especially vaccinations, may have actually caused her pets’ serious health problems. Following her intuition and signals provided by her dogs and the Universe, she starts down the path toward holistic medicine.

By opening the channel to psychic communication, Bethanne receives information about her previous incarnations and the lessons she must learn in her current lifetime. An enlightening relationship develops with her spirit guide (and love from a past life), a Native American entity named Gray Wolf who offers wisdom at key moments. She does psychic readings for farmers and pet owners while relaxing in the bathtub, when her third eye is open and important clues for her clients’ healing are revealed.

A compelling read for all animal lovers, this book will be of special interest to pet owners interested in holistic health, organic raw food canine nutrition, and critics of excessive vaccination. It is written in a dynamic, poetic voice and has been well-received by holistic veterinarians and professional psychics alike.


About the Author

Bethanne Elion has a BFA in writing and literature from Emerson College, in Boston. She was born in Danbury, Connecticut, and has lived in New Jersey, Massachusetts and California. Settled in Vermont since 1999, she shares a house and ten acres with her Newfoundland dog, yellow Labrador and three cats.

Bethanne has been deeply involved in animal communication and holistic healing for many years. She works as a nutrition consultant for private clients and for Volhard Nutrition, makers of natural diet and other whole health balancing products for dogs.

As a psychic medium, she incorporates her knowledge of the influences of health and nutrition on behavior in her intuitive pet consultations. Her clients include organic dairy farms, ill and recovering dogs, pets with behavior issues and their owners.

Bethanne is currently at work on her second book, the sequel to Memoirs of the Bathtub Psychic.

Bethanne's Website

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Deborah O'Sullivan
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Cheap Joe's Signature Field Easel

     Today I will be reviewing the Cheap Joe's Signature Field Easel. As soon as I saw this easel I knew it was exactly what I was looking for.  Those who know me know that I love pochade boxes. I have my little Guerilla Thumbox and my Alla Prima Bitteroot boxes. Both are great for acrylics or oils but were lacking for me for watercolor. It says on the CJ's website that this easel was designed with the watercolorist in mind. This looks very much like the easel that master watercolorist Joseph Zbukvic uses. I love this easel. It is super easy to set up and take down and it has plenty of workspace in all of the right places. The mast portion has a landscape orientation which I really like. You do need to tape your work to a board or use blocks. It can be set upright and flat as well. The legs are fully adjustable and super easy to fold up. The box also came with a free DVD that has set up instructions and a nice watercolor tutorial on painting trees. This is a great box for other medium as well but it may lack the storage space required for acrylic and oil. It is available in cherry or black and right now it is on sale for only $169. Cheap Joe's also often has great prices on shipping. I only paid $4.95  to have this UPSed to my home. Follow them on Twitter for some good coupon codes and art deals.

I originally bought this as an extra work station for my studio but I will definitely be taking this one outside to do plein air work. Overall- a super box for a super great price! I have a lot of photos below.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

The folded up box

 

 

Have a wonderful day!

Deborah

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Deborah O'Sullivan Website
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Happy New Year! Newf watercolor and Dressage Painting

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! Now it is back to our regularly scheduled programmimg! :) I took a holiday break and now I am back to work in the studio. 
I have some interesting blog posts coming up.. so stay tuned!
I've  got a wonderful new easel...The Cheap Joe's Signature Field Easel which I will review here with photos. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this easel
I will review a book that a wonderful author/friend wrote. The book is titled Memoirs of a Bathtub Psychic by Bethanne Elion. I know it is not about art (although she is an artist, too) but this book is a wonderful read.
I will be posting more about the painting process itself. Lots of WIPS and commentary on techniique and answers to some of my most frequently asked questions.

I am looking forward to creating some wonderful new art this year.  Here is the start of a new dressage horse and rider work in progress. This is very large 30 x 22 (full sheet) watercolor. This is the initial stages of glazes ...lots more work to be done on this. After doing so many smaller pieces last year I have been wanting go larger!

I also have a couple of pieces that I had started that got put aside as commissions and pressing commitments came in. One of them is Newfoundland pup that has been haunting me. I started the painting.. early last year (I think) and as I was organizing the studio it's cute little eyes (which I had almost finished painting) were peering at me over a stack of canvases. This one I will finish this week. I got a huge chunk completed last night.

The eyes are almost completed here. This painting will require a lot of glazing. This is my typical portrait style watercolor . I thoroughly enjoy doing these and I haven't done many of late because of my many acrylic painting commitments. I need to take my time at this point to lay done the initial washes of color. This will help to creath depth as the painting progresses and the values deepen. So does anyone recognize WHO this little Newf pup is?

Enjoying the process!

Deborah

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Deborah O'Sullivan
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Happy Holidays Everyone!

Wishing everyone a joyous and safe holiday season!

A HORSE(WO)MAN’S CHRISTMAS by horse trainer Doris Eraldi
It’s the night before Christmas, we’re out in the barn
Blanketing horses to keep them all warm
They’re eating their dinners, tucked in cozy stalls
Not aware that it’s Christmas or any special day at all

They can dream of spring pastures from their pine-scented beds
No visions of sugarplums dance in their heads
But we people are thinking of merry parties and such
Maybe feeling a little sad at missing so much

This season is special but the horses don’t know
We’ve got work to do before we can go
We finish the chores and head on inside
To get ready for dinner and our own yuletide

It’s nearly midnight, the carols are sung
I remember a story I was told when I was young
How at midnight on Christmas Eve
The creatures of the barnyard can speak to us with ease

I am called to the barn, I wade through the rain
I know I must go, I can’t really explain
I slide open the door, pause for a while
Then slowly walk down that dully lit aisle

A nicker from Casey, a wink from JD
Sleepy old Alibi waking to see
Tucker rustling his bedding, a snort soft and light
Each horse gave a greeting as I walked through the night

I thought about parties bright lit and warm
The ones we don’t go to ’cause we have the barn
And vacations and holidays that we don’t get
When we’re working long hours for bills to be met

Walking all the way to the end of the aisle
I stop to stroke Bonnie, it brings me a smile
She snuffles my face, hot breath on my skin
It starts me to thinking about my horses, my kin

I could be at parties with laughter and mirth
But where I am right now is the best place on Earth.

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THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS
'Tis the day before Christmas and all through the house
The puppies are squeaking an old rubber mouse.
The wreath which had merrily hung on the door
Is scattered in pieces all over the floor.
The stockings that hung in a neat little row
Now boast a hole in each one of the toes.
The tree was subjected to bright-eyed whims
And now, although splendid, it's missing some limbs.
I catch them and hold them, be good I insist
They lick me, then turn off to see what they've missed.
And now as I watch them, the thought comes to me
That theirs is the spirit that Christmas should be.
Should children and puppies yet show us the way
And teach us the joy that should come with this day?
Could they bring the message that's written above
And tell us that, most of all, Christmas is love!
~ Author Unknown ~


Warmest regards,
Deborah

Quiet Before the Storm

     We are battening down the hatches and getting ready to be blasted by a major snowstorm. Winter has come early or so it seems. The Christmas lights look so lovely in the snow. On that note, I thought I would post a photo of my tree! I have all the gifts wrapped, the cookies are baked and house decorated.  
   I am looking forward to going back into the studio and hit the watercolors. I had my new paper delivered from Cheap Joe's today. Lovely 300 lb Saunders Rough Press and Arches 300lb Hot Press paper. I do love the HP paper for my more detailed paintings. In my next update I will post some photos of a new work that is waiting to be completed.

Stay warm and safe! Enjoy the season!


Deborah

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Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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Last Commission Completed!

 I have been so busy painting, packing and delivering artwork that my blog writing has suffered terribly. I have finally finished my last commissioned holiday gift. This should reach it's destination before Christmas. I cannot post images of the latest portraits just yet. Don't want to ruin any surprises! After I deliver several packages to the post office I can take a deep breath and take some time to enjoy the holidays! I am also looking forward to hitting my watercolors again. All of the portraits have been done in acrylics. While I certainly do enjoy this medium I have to say that watercolors are my favorite!
 
On that note I have some plans for some wonderful new horse art.  Be sure to sign up for my newsletter for updates! Newsletter

I need to build up my inventory again as I have sold most of my original equine paintings over the past three months.  I want to welcome my new patrons! I am delighted that my work has touched you all.....


Reproductions are still available of my most popular images. I have had many, many requests for large format reproductions of Collection and Connection. I have set up an account with Imagekind to pruce these for me. You can order straight through them. I recommend you select the Ultrasmooth Fine Art Paper or the Somersett Velvet. You can select the paper by clicking on Customize rather than Add to cart. These two images have a lot of impact! So here you go guys! Enjoy! To order go to to http://Aquarelle.imagekind.com/ 

Collection

Connection

It certainly feels like winter has arrived in this part of the country. Sunday we got caught in what looked like some innocent light rain when the streets became glazed with ice. We (my husband, son and I) ended up sitting on the road along with hundreds of others motorists for several hours.  The salters and sanders couldn't even get anywhere! It was wild. But we came through it fine.

Yesterday we headed over the border into Connecticut to pick up our raw milk. I feel like a smuggler with contraband. Apparently it illegal to buy raw milk in New York. Anyway we stopped at a lovely park that has some gorgeous waterfalls for a nice walk. The falls are starting to freeze since the temps have been so low. So I took a photo for you guys to enjoy. This is my son giving the thumbs up!

Kent Falls

Hoping everyone is enjoying the Season!

Deborah

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Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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