Mostly art stuff, some horse stuff

Horse stuff:

Gene is looking great.  He's now receiving Equidae alfalfa along with Smartpak's SmartCombo Senior.  Kate, the trimmer, said that he looked 5 years younger at his last appointment.  His ribs are nicely covered and he's acting young and spunky.  Also, he loves his food.  Beware he who gets between Gene and his "kibble."

That's what the Equidae looks like: dog food.  So, it's known as his kibble around the barn.

I also had a long (email) talk with the barn manager over Gene and blanketing.  I finally laid it all out there and explained why I hate it so.  She was very agreeable so I won't have another winter of being told that he needs blanketing.  He really is a furry beast.  I have never seen such a natural coat on a horse.

Peanut isn't as fat as he's been.  His crest is very soft and indifferent.  He's still roly-poly, but I think that's just how he is with what I do with him.

He's been my hiking buddy lately.  For the most part it's a joy to hike with him because he's such a dork.  He's a doofy little snuffle-pig too, who must smell-hound his way around the trails.  He also adores going off trails in the woods and just exploring with his nose in the leaf litter.  My big dog makes me laugh.  :)

He still doesn't enjoy gunfire, and we had an unfortunate hike where he had a meltdown because of it.  At one point the incessant gunfire (shotgun?) turned into a very loud explosion and he was trembling on the lead.  I tried everything I could think of to get his mind back but it was out of my reach.  He was already on his way to the meltdown before the explosion, but that surely didn't help.  And, several minutes after the big bada-boom, the regular gunfire started up again.  Sigh.

Non-horse stuff:

Delaware has a First Friday-like phenomenon called the Art Loop.  As I was bumming around a local gallery/framing shop during November's, the owner was hinting about how a certain someone doesn't have a number of paintings done yet.  He framed the painting of Bonnie that I made for Richard, knowing that it was my first painting ever and I was embarrassed, but he instead offered me a solo show once I had a number of paintings ready.

I mentioned that I was still putzing around in b/w charcoal as underpainting practice, and he took notice.  He was planning a show of black and white drawings and now I'm one of the artists who will be showing.  It's scheduled for next August, but in the meantime he asked for one piece to put up in January as a coming attraction.

Well, I've honestly either given most of them away or the original picture is not my copyright.  Once he informed me that photos of sculptures are not copyrighted as I would be drawing the art contained within, it was decided.  Athena will hang there starting in January and be part of the August show.

I am now looking for complementary photos of statues to go with, and will have to go through my horse photos to see if there's anything good.  Marble statues of mythological figures and horses.... I can live with it.  It fits me.

I need to have 5 pieces finished and framed by the show (and he doesn't care who frames them or how shmancy the frame is).  Of course, now I'm not just putzing.  I'm now actively considering composition and lighting which takes the fun of the putz out of it.  Ah well.

In addition, I'm still chipping away at my neck/shoulder problem.  I've seen the regular doc.  I've seen an orthopedist, and I've seen a spine specialist.  I've had two x-rays and an MRI.  I am scheduled to have an ultrasound and an EMG (which sounds like a barrel of laughs).  This will then be followed by another visit to the spine specialist.

I've also been places and taken pictures of things.

Longwood

Longwood

Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge