Art Show Entry - "Balance"

I did this little centaurina not long ago, and, decided she would fit nicely in this show on EBSQ. When I think of 'Balance', dance is one of the first things to come to my mind. I think to be a great, or, even just a modestly good dancer, one must have great balance. And, what of a creature such as a centaur, if they existed? I have seen people dance, and, I have also seen horses dance...performing exquisite feats of strength, grace, and balance. What a cumbersome and un-balanced physique a centaur must be! How could it possibly be graceful enough to dance? My little 4"x6" oil painting "Exotic Dancer" shows it is possible!

See the Show:

http://www.ebsqart.com/ArtShows/cmd_208_Exhibition_Entries.htm

News Flash! EBSQ Blog Feature

Great news today! I am the featured artist on the EBSQ Spotlight on Animal & Wildlife Art on the EBSQ blog! Melissa Morton of EBSQ asked me to contribute something for the month-long feature on the artists of the Animal & Wildlife gallery, so...check it out!

http://blog.ebsqart.com/2009/04/30/ebsq-spotlight-on-animal-wildlife-art-kerry-lynn-nelson/

Dog Breeds - Yellow Labrador Retriever

I started this one a while back, along with a few other pieces for the differant projects, but, kept setting it aside to do other work, so, I finally finished it off. This is also an ACEO oil on birch, 2.5"x3.5". This is lifesized and a detail closeup.

New Work - Beautiful

I just finished this one today, another arabian horse! It will go up for auction on ebay at noon cst. for a 3 day listing. This is an oil ACEO on birch, 2.5"x3.5". This is shown life-sized and a close-up.

New Work - Silver

This is a new ACEO oil painting of a pure white, arabian I call Silver. This little painting ended up being repainted 3 times because each time I thought it was finished, I found something to fix! I am happy with him now, but, I had moments when I thought he wouldn't make it and would have to be 'put down'!

Sketchbook - Spectators

One more from the team roping crowd, a non-competitor just lounging in the sidelines.

Painting My Passion!

Painting animals has always been my passion. Since early childhood I've felt a very deep emotional, almost spiritual empathy for nature that I have always tried to convey in my artwork.

Majestic big cats, or, small rodents and reptiles, deer and antelope, and of course, the horse! I can almost feel what it might be like to be them sometimes, in my imagination...like a cougar, perhaps;

Weaving silently through dark trees and the cover of rock and shrub, she moves gracefully towards a spring, cautious and methodically searching. Then, upon a first glimpse of possible prey, a viseral reaction of flowing saliva and dilating pupils and she freezes motionless and breathless so not to warn of her presence. With unrelenting focus, every movement calculated, and, every advantage of cover taken, she begins the stalk.

Or, it might be the wild horses;

They gallop for sheer joy with nostrils flaring red and eyes wild in mock fear, playing at dominance with a ferocious countanence and pounding hooves. Finding comfort in strength and speed, and, the closeness of their kind, the young stallions, with a fierceness of longing pounding in thier hearts, and, surrounded with forage from horizon to horizon, still hunger at the scent of wild grass just over the next hill.

I can feel them as if I am one, living as they do. I use that fantasizing to come up with ideas for new paintings. Horses were always my favorite and are still my most beloved muse. I paint many, many horses, some portraits of someones beloved pet, but, most are just figments of my imagination that paused long enough in thier wanderings through my grey matter for me to capture them in oils, or, graphite. I'm influenced by all I see about me, things I see, hear, or, read about, and, my inspirations may come from totally unrelated sources to the subject of my painting, but, they somehow spark an image that I may prod and work around in my mind until I have to put it to paper, and, maybe if it is strong enough, to paint.

Many of my paintings tell stories with little dramas in paint, and some express an emotion, a motion, or, a purety and beauty of form. Some paintings are exercises in painting whereby the subject is actually the process, and, the animals depicted are just vehicles for the study of color and values, composition, texture, and, line. Regardless of my painting intentions, however, animals, and especially horses, are nearly always a big part of the picture. I've tried painting other subject matter, and, even other styles including pure non-objective abstraction, but, I always found these uninspiring and cold. I always come back, without apology, to my true passion in art, the horse!

New Work - Fantasy & Equine ACEOs

I just finished up these two art cards and listed them on ebay. The first is a pretty sorrel foal investigating an old fallen tree. "Sorrel Foal"

This second is a cute little centaur girl playing games with her favorite doll. "Playing Make-Believe".

These art cards are miniature artworks in trading card format of 2.5"x3.5", and, these two are done in oils on 3/16" thick gessoed birch wood panels.

Sketchbook - Shakin' Out A Loop

After finishing his run in a team roping practice, this rider shakes the twists out of his lariat, and, walks his big quarterhorse to cool out in preparation for his next turn up to rope. I will need to re-photograph this as this picture is reflecting light off the graphite on the right side which is why it looks lighter than the left.

Breed a Week Project - Norwegian Fjord

These Fjord horses are such distinctive-looking horses! They look like the horses of the prehistoric cave paintings, especially with thier manes cropped! I decided to do one of these in color and used prismacolor and Berol Verythin pencils. The other is in Eboney pencil. Both are in my permanent sketchbook, 4x6" in size.

sketchbook - Sheriff's Posse

I photographed this guy back in the late '80s. He was a member of the Tarrent County Sheriff's Posse and was waiting to go in a parade with the other Posse members. It was a cold wintery day and the wind was whipping the horse's mane and tail around and both horse and rider looked like they would rather be somewhere warmer! Again, this sketch is about 4x6 in my leather book.

Sketchbook - Canadian Horse

These horses are really beautiful! They look like a chunky morgan or a morgan/friesian cross. I really love thier big round curves and solid legs. They often have an abundance of hair, too, with feathering on the legs and plush, elegant manes and tails which help to combat those frigid northern winters. This pretty boy is in summer garb...

about 4x6 Eboney graphite pencil

close-up of the head...

NEW WORK - Gridiron Taurs

When I paint my centaur paintings, I try to imagine what they would really be like if they actually existed. In many of my depictions of them, I created a world for them of thier own, a world in which the centaurs must fight for world dominance against the blood-thirsty dragons in a savage post apocalyptic culture. Another scenario I like to imagine what they would be like in the world of Greek mythology taking part in everyday activities amongst the early human civilization. In a third scenario, like in this new painting, the centaurs are alive and well in present-day America! In "Gridiron Taurs" the Red team is trying to defend against a high-leaping lunge for the goal line!

"Gridiron Taurs" 6x8 inches oil on birch panel