Beaming!

I have another post in the works (it's my yearly Rolex prediction post) but I wanted to recap my amazing day from this weekend!

My friend asked me coyly if I had any plans for Saturday. She's a constant trouble-maker (of the best kind) so I sorta knew where she was going with it, and I responded, "nooooo". Then she wrote back asking if I wanted to take her 4 year old on a hunter pace with her fellow business partner, E. Um, yes please.

Hunter Pace -- you betcha!

I was asked if I'd like to take a 4 year old to his first hunter pace tomorrow. What am I going to say, no? Don't be crazy! Any chance to ride is good enough for me. Plus, I have a real soft spot for this guy. I've ridden him once and although the steering/bending isn't there and he's wicked green, he's totally game and sensible. Bring it on.

All I ever want in a horse is one that will meet me halfway. Gotta love greenies! Wish me luck and I'll follow up with a full report!

Make jumping the reward, and other Wofford-isms.

As I mentioned before I took the day off Tuesday to audit a Wofford clinic. Having never seen him teach in person, I jumped at the chance to go watch! My friend was riding in the Green Bean class and the Novice class (held at either ends of the schedule) which meant I got to stay and watch all of the classes in between. I'll admit, it felt slightly criminal sitting there watching him teach all day for free!

Because I am the biggest dork alive, I made a rough vector drawing of the course that was set up. The awesome part was that each group, (no matter what skill level) could ride a variation of this course. As the more advanced combinations came in, He would set various lines to challenge both the horse and rider, but he could essentially take everything down to ground poles if needed.

Spoiler Alert

I'm playing hookie from work tomorrow to audit a Jimmy Wofford Clinic, that's all for now.

30 year itch

On Tuesday I rode for the first time in 6 months. I basically grinned ear-to-ear all day long. My trainer throws a little New Years Day party each year, featuring games and food and fun times. It's a really nice way to kick off the new year and pretend like it isn't freezing outside. I had been at the farm the week before to photograph my trainer's family as a Xmas present for her Mother. After I was finished I walked around the property to say hello to all the familiar faces. I snuffled their fuzzy faces and took deep breaths of hay-filled air. I remembered.

I remembered. Like I did after the very first time someone hoisted me onto a pony. Like I did, dressed up with my very first lease horse for a fancy dress show. Like I did the very first time (after 11 years of riding) that I found myself in the dirt after being dumped by a naughty pony. Like I did the first time I breezed a racehorse in North Carolina. Like I did jumping through a 4 foot gymnastic on an opinionated Thoroughbred for the first time. Like I did when I came back to riding after so many years off and galloped draft horses for fun, bush-wacking and giggling through the Pennsylvania woods. Like I did when I met Kiki the first time, tied in her stall, white-eyed and skeptical, pawing at the ground. Like I did when I kissed her soft muzzle goodbye.

Like I always did, and always will.

I posted this photo to Facebook after my ride:

Happy to be back in the saddle (on a little pony!)

My brother commented: "Haha...you look just like you did 20 years ago...better than any anti-aging remedy!!

I doubt if a truer statement has ever been made about me. I've officially been riding for 30 years -- that sounds crazy to me. Getting older is a strange thing... but as long as I have horses in my life, I'll always feel young.

Trio!

I was asked if I could make a single portrait from three separate photos recently as a commissioned piece. I asked the client to send me photos of the horses that she had in mind and I crudely made a mock up of all three, sent it back for her approval and I began nervously working on it. I'll admit, it was one of the most difficult pieces I've completed!

Here are the three horses (2 of them are Standardbreds!)

Resizing each portrait to size was pretty tough, but the most difficult part eliminating tack in the portraits (at the request of the client). That took some creative improvising on my part! *It's also very hard to ignore those lines when you're cutting things out! I am really happy with out it turned out.

I have a few little tweaks to make before I sent it off to her, but what do you guys thinks?

I can still make some for Christmas if anyone is interested!

She doesn't have hooves, but she's perfect

Meet Lucille Pupperton, Duchess of Lansdowne.

Lucy.

ROAR

Hugo is going as a lion for Halloween, whether he likes it or not... love this guy.

I made most of this while I was in Chicago and fit it to him when I returned -- he's so happy about it.

awwwww.

You're killin' me smalls.

How I got my groove back

It's true when they say, "once a horse girl, always a horse girl". Reading through so many of your blogs I find solidarity in the fact that MANY of us are re-riders, those who strayed from riding/horses for one reason or another, but found ourselves bitten by the horse bug once again, falling as madly in love as we did as children. We might be a bit more sensible these days, but something about horses throws all sensibility out the window.

More paper cuts!

A little shameless self promotion here. It's nearing the holidays, so if you want a portrait made of your lovely 4-legged friend (equine or canine -- maybe even feline) get in touch! You can email me at: xniamhx@gmail.com for more details.

*EDIT! I made a tab just for portraits! Checkity-check it out!

I just finished a portrait for Carly over at Poor Woman Showing of her former horse Red (aka, Eagles Hill). It's truly an honor to be a part of memorializing a special friend in someone's life. As silly as it sounds, I feel close to many of my blog friends... like penpals of sorts. It's really cool following along on everyone's journeys (especially while I sit on the sidelines NOT riding for now) -- it helps me feel still connected to the equine world! Carly sent me a few portraits of Red to choose from and I picked her favorite and the one that showed the most personality (in my opinion). I'm partial to red-heads to begin with, but it was a really fun portrait to work on.

Here he is:

This was the photo provided. I love his expression! I punched it up a little to bring out some detail.

Red, finished. Mounted onto handmade paper and matted.

It's funny, because every single time I make one of these I doubt whether or not it's going to look very good. I think it's partially because I am staring at it for a few weeks in such close detail I kinda forget the big picture! I'm really happy with how he came out.

Who's next? Anyone with a spotted horse? I'm dying to do one!

cool things.

Every now and again we get some items through the office that I find cool... Yes, sometimes I am impressed by ridiculously expensive books from various fields, but after seven years of handling books worth more than my home I'm a little jaded, and at the end of the day they're no horse book. Ha!

Recently, a client contacted us trying to sell her collection of Misty (by Marguerite Henry) books and related items. Much to my delight, this included a whole history (in photos) of the Chincoteague ponies and Misty herself. We haven't decided if it's an item we'd like to carry, but I got to leaf through the whole collection today. There's even a first manuscript of Misty with annotations and corrections!

Here's a few photos!

Those are original photos photo-cornered into a first edition copy of Misty (that's Marguerite Henry on the right)

The first manuscript

Oh, and I've been working on another papercut...

You may remember her from a previous entry

Almost finished, she just needs a background! Also, her muzzle is actually pink, Instagram just made it look weird.

What my life looks like right now

Kinda working, kinda not.

Wishing I was either in that Wyeth painting, or in London

Hoping to get back in the saddle soon, life has been very, very busy!