New Work - Beachball Babe

This latest little centaur is another oil ACEO, just 2.5"x3.5".  The detail image is much larger than lifesize!

New Work - "Misty Dream"

This is a little oil ACEO of a unicorn in a misty forest.
This is about life-sized...

...and a close-up...

Reworking - Dad & Cockleburr

There have been many paintings that have languished in my closet unfinished, because I just could not make them work. Some I just lost interest in, perhaps because some thing about them bothered me that I just could not see at that time. One such piece, a recent portrait of my dad, had an obnoxious background of cherry red to dark red in swirls and patches...what was I thinking! I was mostly pleased with how my dad and his horse Cockleburr turned out, but, just short of actually finishing this painting, I set it aside, unable to complete it.

This is after I had started changing the background. The actual color was much more red than this photo shows!

The background was actually the reason I did the painting. Yes, I wanted to do a portrait of my dad...I had been thinking of doing this one of him with his horse for a couple years, in fact, but, the main reason I finally started the painting was to explore a series of equine portraiture utilizing bright jewel-tone backgrounds. I thought this would be a good opportunity to do dad's painting and stay within the parameters of this series. I'd already done a few other horse paintings using bright blues, greens, and violets for the backgrounds that came out pretty nice...I just needed a good red next! So I did my dad in red. Hmmm. O.K. It took me a few months to just let it stew, still unfinished. I finally decided, that series parameters or not, that red background just had to go!

So, I decided it would have to be a full landscape background instead. I chose to use a scene from the area near to where we lived when we had our horses back in the early '70s; the Tularosa Basin between Holloman AFB, Alamogordo, and Tularosa, New Mexico. My dad was in the military then and we kept our horses at the base riding stable. We often rode out into the desert north of the base, and, later after dad retired, we lived in Tularosa to the northeast. This scene in the portrait places him in that general area north of Holloman AFB and shows Tularosa as a line of trees at the base of the mountain, Sierra Blanca on the far right side of the painting. Today, this same area is filled with pistacheo groves, so, this scene in my painting is actually a view into the past, circa 1972!

Creating is an ongoing process of learning to see so that we as artists can correct any errors and make our art perfect, or at least, as perfect as we can! Unfortunately, it takes time and practice to learn this and we don't always see those errors until the artwork has long been finished. I'm still not entirely happy with this painting of my Dad. It has come a long way from my first 'vision' of it, but, too much time has passed since beginning this portrait and all I see now are its faults. I feel the background is much better, but, now the overall painting is not quite there...again! There is much about this that I still like, enough not to trash it, or, attempt a major repainting. Therefore, as it sometime goes, this is one more painting that I may have to call done. Time to go on to the next project.

This is the final version.  Not a good photo as there is a lot of glare on the lower left.  I find it hard to get good images of larger paintings.  Here are some close-ups. 

New Work - Ivory Prince

This is the second of two 'opposites' - one black, one white, arabian stallions in traditional styled head gear. This is Ivory, an original art trading card, ACEO (art cards, editions & originals) oil on multimedia art board. This image is shown near life-sized. For close-up images, just click the title!

New Work - Ebony Prince

This is a new ACEO (art cards editions & originals) oil painting on multimedia art board. It is the first of two opposits...black and white arabian stallions in traditional styled head gear. This is Ebony, shown approximately lifesized. For close-up images, just click the title!

New Work - Sun Gold - Cute Foal

These two new paintings are both 4x6" oil on panels.

The Dog Project - Dachshund

I'm playing catch-up with this one as this breed was featured way back in April in this project. Oh well! Better late than never! This is oil on birch, 2.5x3.5 inches.

This is actual size...

...and a close-up view.

New Work - Frisky Arabian

This is my second take at this image. The photo is by AinslieG and was presented to the horse artists on WetCanvas as a challenge to be re-created to the artists whims. I already did this as a pen sketch in my sketchbook, but, thought it would be neat to do in oils too. So, this is it! It is 5"x5" on birch. Check out the ebay listing here;

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=140329688091

EBSQart Art of the Day!

I'm thrilled to have my "Little John" aceo listed as the EBSQ Art of the Day! I've had my work featured a few times over the past 4 years, and, it is always an honor! Check it out here:

http://www.ebsqart.com/ArtOfTheDay/cmd_20090628_ArtOfTheDay.htm

New Work - Daughters of the High Sierra

Finally, a new painting finished! A mustang mare and foal gallop exuberantly along a high ridge in their mountain home.

This is 5x7 inches oil on birch panel. Listed on ebay starting now! Buy it here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=140327222394

New Work - Red Arabian Stallion

This is from the wetcanvas arabian horse challenge and is painted in oils on a 12"x12" 3/4" thick gallery-wrapped canvas.

Breed A Week Project - Cleveland Bay

I finally got back to finish this one. I did start it several weeks ago when the Cleveland Bay was the current breed in the Wet Canvas project...just never finished it and ended up going on to other paintings. I tend to do that...a lot. Whenever something new catches my interest, I may stop what I'm working on to start the new project. As a result, I usually have several paintings in progress or just sitting in a corner waiting to be noticed and finally finished. Today, I tried to round up a few of those and did finish several that have been kicked around on my work table for the past month. This one is a 4x6 of a cleveland bay stallion ready for the showring.

New Work - Stealin' Home

Here is another little girl centaur, a base-stealer sliding for home! This is an ACEO oil painting (2.5" x 3.5")on 3/16" birch panel. Shown life-sized and a close-up of her face.

Click on Title to see listing or click link;

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=140319370224

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/

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'!

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.

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

Dog Project - Corgi

This is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi in oils, 4x6 on Mulitmedia Art board