Sketchbook - Marwari Horse

Here is one more for the Breed A Week project on the Marwari horses. I really enjoy exploring and learning about these differant breeds of horses! On each of these breeds, I have studied the breed characteristics and then viewed as many photographs of the horses as possible to learn the typical look and build of the breed. With this sketch, I just worked out my drawing based on what I had learned, not using any photo references, just working from memory.

and here is a detail from the full sketch...

New Work - Mar. 30

For the Breed A Week project - Marwari Horses

These are a very old breed from India that were the prized steeds of the royals and could only be owned by royalty and warriors! They are known for thier distinctive inward turned and curled ear tips, and, are a beautiful and hardy all around performance horse.







"Marwari Gold" 5x7 oil on birch

"Marwari Pinto" 2.5x3.5" ACEO oil on multimedia art board.

The Store Plan

I've been selling my small artworks on eBay since 2005 Generally, I try to list new work for sale on eBay to end on Sundays, and, Mondays and have found that having them end on those two days have been best for selling as more people are online then. It is my one attempt at consistancy in my marketing, although I confess, even in this I tend to be inconsistant from time to time! In addition to eBay for selling my artwork, I am preparing to open an Auctiva Commerce webstore...soon. Ha! I should already have it up and running, but...well, let's just say it is a brand new site and is not as user (beginner!) friendly yet as they (and I) had hoped! I'm having problems getting the setup for shipping and other parts of the store done, so, for now it is in limbo as I am facing these problems by avoidance! But, I will have to stop avoiding these problems soon and get this store opened! I made a new years resolution and marketing plan to get this store up and producing as my main goal of the year...and time is ticking away...tick, tick, tick, tick...

Once the Auctiva Commerce store is up and running, I will be listing everything I have in it, small originals and prints, and all my larger paintings, too. I will continue to offer my smaller paintings on ebay for awhile, too, for a short listing run. After a week listing, any unsold small work on eBay will go into the estore next. All the larger new work and new prints will go directly to the estore. It is my hope eventually to get this new estore selling well enough to eliminate selling on ebay, but, for now eBay is still the only game in town...even with all thier new seller-unfriendly changes.

So, that is the plan. Now, to get it going!

The Creative Struggle

I don't remember who wrote it, but, I always recall this quote from something I read years ago;

"Painting is a series of corrections."

I know this is so true for myself and for many other artists, too! Everything I paint is a struggle to 'see' it right and I always have to make many corrections along the way before anything is 'finished' (being finished usually meaning I can't see anything more to correct at that time)! Sometimes, I'll do something I'm particularly proud of, until time-experience-education show me all its flaws. Learning to see it correctly, and, to apply what I see or know, is a constant learning process. I strive for perfection of form, color, composition, and character. I learn from each and every piece of artwork I complete, and, even if I never quite seem to achieve what I have in mind, I improve with each new attempt, getting closer to that elusive perfection I envision.

I produce my very best work, now-at this point in time, yet, future works will eventually eclipse the older. Still, each work must stand alone unique and a testament to my abilities at the point in time that I create them. I often cringe when I look at my older work, because I see the flaws that I couldn't see then - when I created it. I accept those flawed works, however, that I once was so proud of, because each painting was a triumph, too, a culmination of my experience and ability at that moment in time, and, a vital stepping stone of growth as an artist and the foundations to visions and direction for new work in the future. I truly could not paint what I do today if I had never struggled, persevered, and finally brought to a finish each and every artwork I did in the past!