Linda Shantz ~ Musings, Not Limited to Art

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 01:04:00 +0000

Entertainingangels, by Tejabo – Hallowed Be, by Noble Saint

May 10, 2000 – Sepember 29, 2023

🐎

Twine Flies, by Twining – Lawana Go Fast, by Once Wild

March 10, 1999 – September 29, 2023

💔

So I will share this room with youAnd you can have this heart to break

"And So It Goes," Billy Joel

No, I still have not finished that book.

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 14:40:00 +0000

That was August, right? Embarrassing. I've been pretty good at focusing on finishing another book, though. If this were a normal book I'd be done reading by now, but as it's fantasy, I'm a little more than halfway through. Every now and then I pick up that other book, like when I can't sleep, because it always succeeds in putting me to sleep! Probably worth the sticker price right there.

I have finished *writing* the next book though. It's called All The Best Things and it's ready to pre-order now, with the paperback coming by the middle of November. I had a lot of fun writing Emilie and Tim's story, as usual grabbing little bits of real life for some of the things that go on in it. Like taking a riding lesson!

After a leisurely warmup, Jodi made her work, and the nerves fluttered away because she didn’t have time for them. She was glad Excursion was fit, even though she wasn’t sure she was herself, quickly breaking into a sweat. Half an hour into the lesson she knew she was going to hurt tomorrow. Forget that. She was going to hurt in an hour.

Next up in the writing department is NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month! I believe the first time I did it was around the time I first started this blog. That was a crazy month, as I committed to posting every day, writing every day, and doing a small oil painting ever day. Good times. Crazy, but good.

Are you taking part in NaNo this year?

Hi, remember me? I used to live here.

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 12:41:00 +0000

Long-time no post on ths blog, right? I did feel as if I lived here, years ago. I loved posting; sharing about my art and my horses. Then Facebook came along and ruined it for everyone. 😂

Aesthetics are fun to make. To people still do those, or have they all run off to TikTok?

As now I've added publishing novels to my repertoire, when I was having Thoughts this morning, as I considered that business while making my morning cappuccino (that hasn't changed) I remembered this place and decided to write said Thoughts down here. Mostly because writing of all kinds is good practice, and I don't think anyone reads this anymore so it's almost like a journal instead of a public forum!

I was thinking about books, and what makes people decide to read them. Do you judge a book by its cover? My own covers have done okay, I think, though I haven't adhered to the norm for the micro-niche in which I write ("equestrian fiction"). It's my way of sharing a bit of my art along with the stories.

Do you read the blurb, or description, for the book? I find blurbs really hard to write. How do you tell just enough about the story for potential readers to know what it's about without giving too much away? As a reader, the blurb tells me a lot about the writing, though in this day and age it's not uncommon for a writer to pay someone else to write it for them. I don't think that's entirely a bad idea, except often the blurb writer won't have actually read the book, so how accurate is it? I've found a lot of times after reading blurbs written by the authors that the book really isn't about that at all. So maybe that's a point in favour of hiring someone, or maybe that's just my brain being wired differently so I don't see things the way others do!

Pro Tip for aspiring authors (aka what I still really need to work on, so am I really a pro?): have your blurb ready before you mention your book to anyone. Have a pitch, even if you're not hoping to find an agent to become traditionally published. Be ready to answer the question, "What's your book about?" I failed this one recently, a year and a half into this gig. "Oh, um, well, it's about a girl and a guy and a horse and, do you know what the Queen's Plate is?" Not my exact words because I've probably banished them from my memory. I already spend too much time telling myself how hopeless I am, I don't need extra reminders. 😬 Also, I'm going to blame COVID for lack of practice talking to humans in person.

Another Pro Tip: I've often found that other people are better than you at telling you what your books are about, or that even if you think your book is about one thing, what your readers think matters more. You can always change up your blurb and try new ones to see if they work better. When it doesn't drive you insane, it's fun!

Are you someone who reads reviews? We authors can get obsessive about them. We try not to sound like broken records but they mean so much to our careers and thus our justification for writing more books that it's a sad reality we must keep asking for them, at least until we have a big enough name people drop reviews probably without even properly reading the book, haha! I am that person that reads reviews, but I also know how subjective they are. I'm reading a book now that has been raved about and I had high hopes for it, but for me, it's been very "meh." It's been set aside and picked up again, and I will probably finish it through sheer force of will, but I guess it's just not my thing. I'm not the book's ideal reader.

**Insert requisite ask for reviews here.** Don't want to write a review because it's too hard to find the words? Just leave a star rating (though I think maybe you can only do that with e-books when Amazon, or whoever, pops up at the end and asks you to rate and review). All I ask is that if you're going to leave one or two stars, have the guts to tell me why. I can take it. Promise. 😉

Personally, my go-to for deciding if I will read a book or not is reading the sample. It's what I would have done in the old days when I used to go to brick-and-mortar book stores and libraries. I read a few pages, and if the writing grabs me, it goes on my wish list or in the cart or on my library app bookshelf. I did not do that with the above-mentioned book. Do as I say, not as I do.

Enough thoughts for this morning. I'm nearing the halfway point in the very rough draft of my current novel project, so there's a word count goal calling my name. Later, there will be painting! And stalls. Because there are always stalls, right?

Take care, and I'd love to hear what you're reading because personal recommendations are another good way to find new books!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Sun, 27 Feb 2022 15:28:00 +0000

Run With a Mighty Heart: How A Racehorse with One Eye Helped a Family Find Meaning in Life and Loss by Jennifer Morrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this little book. At a time when horse racing in North America is inundated with such negativity, it was refreshing to read a positive, feel-good book about a wonderful little Canadian horse surrounded by a team of good people. This is the horse racing I grew up to love!

I don't read much non-fiction, but this book was a light, effortless read. Here's to a stellar season for Mightly Heart in 2022 so we get a sequel!

View all my reviews

Well That Didn't Last Long

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 13:51:00 +0000

So, it's January. A new year. I didn't realize I missed you, Blogger Blog, until I did.

It's been a cold January, but still nothing like the Polar Vortex year. What year was that again, 2013? 2014? I can't remember. I just remember too many days of sub-minus-30 temps, and that wasn't counting the wind chill. There have been a couple of those mornings so far, and one day I did leave the horses in, but since, out they go. They're all bundled up and my barn's water is cosy too, so they don't need to be in to keep it warm. My new barn really isn't that warm. It's too open, which is probably good for ventilation and their health overall.

Well, this was just me checking in with no one at all. Time to write, and paint, and muck stalls and so on. Tally ho!

Painting: 6 x 8 Tribute oil, "Keeper," and 16 x 20 Tribute oil, "Mighty Heart."

Writing: GTC Prequel novella (20,188/30,000 words).

Reading: Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline (paperback) and Wonderland by Stacey D'Erasmo (e-book).

Listening: Crazy Rich Asians (audiobook) and whatever's on Spotify's "Discover Weekly" for music. They seem to know me well!

It's All A Blur…

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 01:59:00 +0000

So, it's been a month. And it's been A Month.

At the beginning of May, I started a contract position, working the Census here in Canada. There wasn't a lot of work to do in May, but June has been solid.

Anyone who knows me knows that enumerating is an unlikely job for a hardcore introvert like me. But desperate times call for desperate measures, haha. The new house has cost me far more than a five-year-old house should to set right, and sorting out those issues has both pulled me away from rebuilding my art business in a new area, and meant those bills I mentioned in my last post. Kind of a vicious circle. Soooooo....yeah. It's amazing what you can do when your neck is on the line!

Anyway…it's not been all bad. It's let me get to know the new area, driving here, there and everywhere. There are lots of pretty spots around here. And while a surprising number of people hide (I didn't realize Census was so scary!) most people have been very friendly.

I have completed a number of Keepsake paintings, and I've managed to get 27,000 words down on the next book…so all has not been lost! I'm hoping July will be a bit less stressful though, on all fronts.

Painting: just finished a 10 x 8 Keepsake of an awesome Percheron, which I can't share yet because it's a gift.

Reading: Teresa Van Bryce's House of the Blue Sea

Listening: today was Cursive's Angry Organ (sometimes you just have to, because Art Is Hard!); audiobook, Courage by Natalie Keller Reinert.

Hello June!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 14:06:00 +0000

No threat of snow in the forecast right now — we're in the midst of another heatwave. Where I used to live, I was in a little knoll, very sheltered from the wind, so during a heatwave like this, it was *very* hot. Add to that I had a steel barn, so while I'd still bring the horses in to get them out of the sun, I'd have to hose them before putting them in their stalls, or they would just sweat in their stalls, even with fans on them. My lovely new barn is much cooler, and as I may have mentioned, the wind here is crazy — which is a nice thing on a hot day. I still bring them in if the sun is beating down, thanks to Gracie's predisposition to heatstroke, but overall it is much more pleasant for them.

I recently saw a post in a FB group asking if anyone knew of any books on a woman starting up her own farm — alone — and building it from scratch. Funny, that. Last fall, one of my friends suggested I should write such a book, about this crazy journey I'm on. I admit I've kind of been keeping my head in the sand when it comes to recording the reality of what's happened in the past year because it was not easy. And things still aren't roses. In fact, other than some wild daisies and plenty of dandelions, there are no flowers here yet, haha!! But I thought I should start recording stuff here. No one reads this blog anymore anyway, so I'm not going to worry about it being "perfect." It will just be a place to record the goings-on and development, and if there's a cohesive story to be extracted from the entries, so be it.

In the meantime, on the writing front, I'm finally starting to pull together things for the *next* book in the Good Things Come series. I'd still like to see more reviews and ratings for All Good Things and All The Little Things…the reviews are good, and maybe it's not fair to compare them to Good Things Come, but it still lets the doubt fester! Ah well. An odd thing — ATLT has 20+ ratings on Goodreads, but only 14 on Amazon. All Good Things has 26 on Amazon, but only 13 on Goodreads! GTC is pretty close — 93 on Amazon, 95 on Goodreads. Oh, how I'd love to see it reach 100!

Okay, enough babbling about the novels. Must work. Bills, many many bills, to pay…

Sidenote, now that I've included the photo above — I found some amazing butter tarts, at the grocery store, no less! They're just the way I like them, buttery and crunchy and plain. So good. They are exactly like Faye's butter tarts (well...Lucy's…) would be like…mmmmmm

Two Days In A Row!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Wed, 26 May 2021 19:38:00 +0000

Are you impressed? Are you even out there? Haha.

There's a crazy wind out there today. I got stalls done first thing for a few reasons — because unsettled weather like this can mean rain and thunderstorms, so I wanted to be able to bring ponies in a drop of a hat; because I had someone coming out on a work order for Xplornet; and because…I forgot the other reason all of a sudden. Such is my brain these days!

So, stalls done, I let myself read a bit more of Tudor's new book, then did a little stuff on the computer. Then the person from Xplornet called and got me riled up by suggesting I had unreasonable expectations of my service (like I expect it to work? That kind of unreasonable?). That was 10am. To talk myself down after that call, I put on some Bon Iver, swept up dog hair (which I could do every five minutes), then settled down to paint. I made an adjustment as per a client's observation on one commission, then signed both of their paintings; then worked on, and I hope finished, another one and sent it for comment. Two-plus hours later, the Xplornet person arrived. Guess what? He says the installation was done completely wrong and is confident he can fix it. I do hope he's right!

Once he left, I took my silly Border for her run (she runs, I walk!). I also played with a cover idea for the next book in the Good Things Come series, which I haven't fully committed yet to writing! So now I have a prospective title and cover idea…and a vague story outline! I'm not sure if I'm excited or terrified! I think I kind of love the cover image…and while I love the title idea, I'm not 100% sold on it. We shall see. I'm going to need some feedback from others on it. Sometimes my title ideas are a little bit obscure!

I did up the little graphic above last night after getting a new review on All The Little Things. It was a lovely review, though I had to laugh to think of what Faye's response would be! She'd be good with the classy, but I think she would have preferred to star in a steamy romance!

Okay! Time to bed the stalls and bring the kids in. They're been remarkably chill today with that wind! At one point, both boys were napping!

Missing the Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Tue, 25 May 2021 19:14:00 +0000

I know I've said it before and failed to follow through, but I'm going to attempt to revive this blog! I still refer to it so often, so I'm going to try to recreate that sense of purpose it had a few years back — for myself if no one else!

There's so much on the go right now — so many balls in the air. I'm working on a number of commissions while a stack of speculative WIPs waits in the wings for those to be under control. I'm starting to work on a very rough draft/outline for novel number *four,* while also scribbling notes for a new series. I'm getting a reprieve from the contract position I took to help pay the bills, but next week I'll be back to that. And, I've started, finally, working with the horses again. I've ridden Gracie a couple of time, and have started groundwork with her three (half) brothers. I forget how much I love it until I'm back at it! So far everyone is being very good!

I made the decision today to get a small stack of errands done, which took me from half an hour west and home again, then half an hour east and home again! That was the first time I'd been to Kingston since I moved last fall, and while it was just an in and out trip to drop off some water samples, I'm kind of excited to know it's that close. Now if this whole pandemic would just move along, I could get to know it a bit!

It's warm and overcast and windy today, so the horses are still happy outside. I finally got them out on grass a little over a week ago, so they were out for a limited time only, but they've grazed it enough by now for me to feel it's safe for them to be out all day when the weather cooperates! So I have half an hour to get something done before I go bed their stalls and bring them in. Okay, now that I've written this, twenty minutes! 😉 Off I go!

Today:

Painting: none

Reading: starting Tudor Robins' new book (and series!), Moving North!

Listening: Panic! At The Disco's Vices and Virtues; audiobook, Eleanor & Park.

All The Scary Things

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 17:38:00 +0000

Gryph is in Sunday, and I’m terrified.

Terrified he’ll hurt himself.

Terrified he’ll run up the track.

Terrified he’ll turn out to be everything we’ve been joking he’ll be. #obiwanyoureouronlyhope

I think it was February first I told myself I was going to start back posting here. It's only the 19th, so that's not too bad, right?

They (whoever "they" are) say you should do something every day that scares you. Yesterday, I finally did something that kind of terrified me! You see, I've got this novel I've written, and last September I decided I should at least try to pursue traditional publication for it. Another "they" said, "never self-reject...query that agent." It only took me seven-plus months to write a query letter remotely worthy of sending out, but yesterday was the day I did so for the first time. And, having conquered Scary Thing Number One, I followed up by sending it to a second agent. After that, I figured I'd keep up the momentum, and made a couple of phone calls I've been avoiding (hardcore introvert here: I hate making phone calls!!).

This morning I was happy to receive my first rejection! Yes, you read that right. Happy. I intentionally queried that particular agent because research told me they responded quickly. And as someone who has done art shows for years, and thus is no stranger to rejection, getting it out of the way is nice. It's like, "Hey, I tried that, now I can move on to the next thing." And in this case, not a thing, but another agent! Or ninety-eight.

I don't know if my little book will ever attract the attention of an agent. Horse racing is probably a tough sell right now. But the hopeful part of me would like to see it out there, because racing is about so much more than what the public see on the surface (and the surface is not very pretty right now, it seems).

The little bit of writing at the top isn't from the novel, it's an excerpt from real life. It makes me think of the novel, though. Until you actually get out there, you never know! And for the record, Gryph didn't run up the track. He ran okay. But he wasn't our Obi Wan!

The Art of Avoidance

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 18:30:00 +0000

After a month of painting every day, I have fallen seriously flat in October. How did I get to the 25th with only managing a couple of days at the easel? Shameful.

Today, finally, I was determined to sit down and paint. It's 2:13pm as I write this, and I'm maybe halfway through the Keepsake portrait I'm supposed to finish. I will finish it, but really, I should be almost done by now, and I'm not.

It's a funny thing – when I'm supposed to be writing, like the times I've done November's Nanowrimo, I have this overwhelming urge to paint. Today, when I need to be painting, what did I do? Decided to take part in a flash fiction contest.

I stink at flash fiction. Today, however, I figured it would be a good exercise. You know, when I'm supposed to be PAINTING.

Anyway. I have written said thing. We'll see if I'm brave enough to submit it. It's inspired by my little black and white dog. Have I told you lately how clever she is? Here's a video of her a few weeks ago at her scent detection class. So smart. 💗

Paint the Town Red. Or Orange.

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Wed, 03 Jul 2019 15:16:00 +0000

"High Hopes," 14 x 11 oil on linen.

Finally, part three of my painting chestnuts posts. While these three palettes are by no means the only ways to go, they're what's most common for me. This week, I'll share with you some of the details about my painting "High Hopes," a 14 x 11 oil on linen (Raphael linen panel).

The reference for this painting has been on the back burner for a long time – literally eight years. The moment I saw the photo on my camera, I knew it was special. I knew I needed to paint it. It just took me a while to decide it was time!

"Firstborn," 14 x 11 oil on linen.

I also knew what palette I wanted to use. It was a stall scene, much like "Firstborn," and I wanted a similar feel. Easy decision to use the same palette!

This is the most complex pallete I use – it's one I adopted from a workshop with Val Hinz ten years ago, and it's really the only time I methodically lay out the paint before I start!

In it's most basic sense, it's red, blue, and yellow. Normally I'll use Alizarin Crimson and Ultramarine Blue...then Val's palette involved a series of yellows, from dark to light. Most often I use Burnt Umber, Brown Ochre, Yellow Ochre and Cadmium Yellow Light. The red and the blue are lightened with Titanium white, and added to the appropriate yellow of the same hue.

With this painting, you can see I started with my usual underpainting, then built up the colour. The usual story! I just happen to have a little time-lapse painting of part of that!

FYI...I could have sold this painting twice. Some pieces are like that! "Firstborn" was also one of those!

I hope you enjoyed my little series on painting chestnuts!

Okay So Maybe Next Week!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 01:10:00 +0000

I did intend to do part three of my painting chestnuts this week, but I'm going to leave it for a week. I don't want to just do a quick job of it, and that's what would happen right now!

I haven't painted in a couple of days because of other commitments – being an artist, at least being a working professional artist, is about more than just painting. On Sunday I went up to a nearby showgrounds where there was a dressage show happening, and took some photos as potential references for future paintings. A friend of mine (who also rode my mare when I was off with my broken arm, and with whom I've also done some lessons with my mare) was showing her gelding Grand Prix. Rudy is twenty-one now – so impressive to see him and Katrina strutting their stuff in the sandring.

Monday (yesterday!) I delivered a painting, and visited the subject of that painting, his famous pony companion, Peanut, and their person. It was a lovely visit. I've also painted the pony, but had never met him. He's just as charming and adorable in person as he is in his Instagram account! He was rescued from very dire circumstances – the fact that he survived those circumstances is a testament to his toughness. He's a warrior! You can follow him on Instagram at @ponynamed_peanut.

I'm itching to get back to painting, because I have three pieces which are very nearly done. Too late to do anything tonight...maybe tomorrow?

Fifty Shades of Chestnut

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 14:37:00 +0000

(Greys are so overrated!) 😂

Last week I talked about the limited palette I use to paint chestnut horses. This week I’m going to continue discussing chestnuts, but cover one of the more complex palettes I use for my more involved paintings. I’m going to use a recently completed example, “Eye Spy,” seen above. I realize I included this one in a post a few weeks ago, so sorry for the repetition!

As I look over my notes for this painting, I do have to laugh. I've written, "various from palette!" meaning, no doubt, I took what was there from whatever I'd been working on before, and started mixing and slapping stuff on! Not very scientific, sorry.

"BS, CY, CR, BU, RU, TW; UB etc.!" (Translation: Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Yellow - light? medium? Who knows! - Cadmium Red (light, because it's all I have), Burnt Umber, Red Umber, Titanium White, Ultramarine Blue.) Yes, sometimes I take better notes than others.

When I'm working over an underpainting, it's like having a roadmap, but not exactly paint-by-numbers. What the above colours give me are a few options for that orange we talked about last week, and this gives the painting more life, more form. This past weekend I had someone comment on my work saying, "It's like you've sculpted it." It made me so happy to hear someone say that, because that's exactly what I'm trying to achieve with these more involved paintings. I want you to feel the anatomy, not just see the colour!

So we have Burnt Sienna (which is quite orange on its own) and Cad Yellow (I'm going to say Light, because it's what I've always mixed with BS before for bays and chestnuts) to start. Then Cad Red and Burnt Umber, like from my limited palette for a redder orange. Then Red Umber is also pretty orange on its own, in a nice dark glowy way. Add white for lighter areas. Add blue for darker.

Chaos!

Some artists you'll see working quite meticulously from the get-go. That would not be me. I'm all chaos to order, slapping down paint, then blending to even things out, then building on that.

Blended to some semblance of order.

The next round sees the introduction of some other colours. This time with Burnt Sienna I have Cadmium Orange, with some Viridian Green in there to tone things down. My lights are Alizarin Crimson and Naples Yellow...and Titanium White.

A lot brighter, yes? Of course there's some environmental light playing a role in the difference in colours between the two photographs, and the background and other elements also influence the final result. From this last image to the final painting above, I've brought the background up to speed, painted the fence rail, finished his mane, which is a cool flaxen...and added those snowflakes which insisted on being there. The details of all that is kind of beyond the scope of my discussion on painting chestnuts here, but feel free to ask if you have any questions about it!

Next week will be the final instalment of my chestnut discussion...but definitely not the last of the palettes I've used to paint them!

All The Best Ones Are Red

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 21:40:00 +0000

"Ophelia," 7 x 5 oil sketch from April 2019 Thirty Horses, Thirty Days

If you ask me what my favourite colour of horse is, and if you push even after I respond with my pat answer, "A good horse is never a bad colour," I will not say chestnut. I do, however, have a soft spot for chestnuts, and of the six horses I've owned, three have been chestnut mares!

I've painted a lot of chestnuts this year. "Soar," with Gryphon; the painting I shared in my last post, "Eye Spy;" one of the featured February Foals, "High Hopes." Chestnuts took up their share in Thirty Horses Thirty Days, and my recently-completed commission (which I have yet to reveal) included a chestnut mare.

When I paint a chestnut, I don't always use the same palette of colours. Not all chestnuts are created equal! 😉 I thought over the next few weeks it might be fun to look at some of the colour combinations I used in the above paintings.

First step: the (very imperfect) burnt umber sketch.

For the Thirty Days paintings, in most cases I used my go-to limited palette: burnt umber, cadmium red, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, and titanium white.

Basically working dark to light.

To explain the process in a very basic sense, it goes like this:

Draw the form on the canvas with burnt umber.
Block in some mid-dark tones with burnt umber and cadmium red (burnt umber is technically a yellow, so that gives you an orangey colour! Because some chestnuts are really orange, not red, right?).
Move to a lighter midtone of yellow ochre, cadmium red, and burnt umber.
Place in the darkest darks by adding ultramarine blue to the mid-dark mixture.
Place in the lights by adding titanium white to the midtone mixture.
Put in white markings and highlights.

Easy, right? 😀

The finished sketch is at the top of the post, so you can see what refinement went on from the one immediately above.

Next week we'll look at something more complex!

Let June Begin!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 13:00:00 +0000

"Eye Spy," 12 x 24 oil on linen.

Okay so it's the third, but most people have weekends, so that's fair, right? I don't count, but that's okay!

Saturday being the first of June was a bit significant for me, from a work perspective. A client came to pick up a recently-finished commission. That might not seem like a big deal, but it is always an important day for me.

I'm not sure why, after over 30 years of doing commissions, I still get stressed at that moment, but I do! It's always a relief to know the portrait is a) safely in their hands, and b) a success! They had approved it electronically, and that gives me a high level of confidence because art always looks better in person, but it's extra-nice to get that reaction from them. This was a fairly involved portrait, which took about six months, so having it completed and delivered is a happy thing.

Here's the catch – I can't share it yet! It won't be presented to the intended recipient until the end of the month, so I can't risk showing it! Sorry!

I have two more commissions-in-progress right now, but getting that big one done frees me up to start a new one, which will happen this week. That one I can show progress on, so it will be fun to be able to share the steps as I go...even if it's a far simpler portrait.

I've also finished a few speculative pieces in the past few weeks, and recently had them professionally photographed for portfolio purposes. This week I'll send an email out to my mailing list, because I always give them the first opportunity to purchase new work (and always at special prices). If you're not on my list, look for the signup in the left-hand column of the blog! I'd love to have you there!

This Is Home

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Sun, 02 Jun 2019 19:10:00 +0000

It's funny – I have a blog associated with my new website, but I can't seem to get into the routine of posting to it. I miss this blog – for many, many years, I routinely posted here. I still refer to it for various reasons. To remember timelines, and stories. I miss those days!

Soooooo....I'm going to endeavour to revive it. In the process, I'm hoping to start populating my new blog as well. Maybe in time, I will get people reading over there, rather than here, and archive this. I don't ever see myself deleting it, however. Far too much history!

The blog on my site has its restrictions, which is part of the problem. It's not merely a matter of lack of familiarity. I can't schedule posts, for some insane reason. No one can subscribe to it, so it's hard to promote a following. Such is life, I guess, until the hosting platform fixes those things!

Anyway....this is me, being accountable. I'm going to start posting every Monday. That will be my June challenge! And it will be in keeping with the vibe of this blog all along. Informal, sometimes photos, sometimes artwork, along with whatever might be in my head.

Is there anything you'd like to see more of? Is there anyone even out there? 😉

Speaking of Meet The Model – I Want To Meet Yours!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 23:37:00 +0000

This will always be my favourite blog - there's a lot of history here - but I decided recently I should probably have a blog attached directly to my website. I have this one linked, but Facebook doesn't like it. I don't know if it will like the new one any better, but I guess we'll see!

I've started a contest there to celebrate thirty – yes, that's 3-0, 30, three-zero! – years of painting portraits. You might want to check it out, if you haven't already seen it. Top three entries will win paintings of their horse! To see what's involved, hop over there and have a look.

My poster girl for the contest is Trixie here, formally known as A Nifty Trick. The painting is called "Just A Look," and has always been popular. It's 24 x 36, and while the original is sold, there are limited edition giclées on canvas and smaller collector and fine art prints available, should that interest anyone!

Deadline for contest entry is October 15, 2017, so don't waste time! :-D

A Gracie Retrospective!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 16:13:00 +0000

"Have We Met?" 24 x 36 oil on linen (SOLD).

Yesterday on my Facebook page, I started a new feature called, "Meet the Model." Gracie, naturally, insisted on being first, and Monster graciously agreed to let that happen. ;-) I thought today I would write a blog post featuring as many of my Gracie paintings as I could fit in...which should be no small feat, as she's been in quite a few!

"Gracie Knows" 10 x 8 oil on linen.

For those of you who don't know Gracie, she's my nine-year old TB mare – and yes, she's chestnut. That said, I wouldn't call her a stereotypical chestnut mare, though she does have the card, and will play it on occasion!

Shhhhh, she's sleeping! 5 x 7 oil on shellacked masonite.

Like I said in my little introduction, while I adopted her when she was three, I'm pretty sure she adopted me the day she was born. There are lots and lots of Gracie blog posts on here, from her birth to the serious illness she overcame not long after she became mine, though perhaps not so many in recent years. Maybe we need to do something about that!

"Boy Meets Girl," 12 x 24 oil on canvas (SOLD).

But this post is about Gracie the Muse. Which painting is your favourite? Comment either here, or on my Facebook page, and I'll draw a name from everyone who plays – that person will win a collector reproduction of their fav! You don't *have* to like my page to play...but if feels better if you do! :-)

"Doing Time" 7 x 7 oil on canvas.

"Gracie, Still Wet" 8 x 10 oil on panel.

"Fire Filly" 8 x 10 oil on canvas.

"Gracie's Nose" 10 x 8 oil on panel.

"Sandstorm" 11 x 14 oil on paper.

Work in progress...zoom, zoom!

Forget A Village, It Takes An Army!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 17:11:00 +0000

Welcome home, Peaker. Photo from Renee Fukumoto.

Peaker has been home four weeks now, and I've been meaning to write this update post with The Whole Story since she got here, safe and sound, because it's been quite an adventure. Firstly, thanks to everyone involved, from those who were hands-on, right down to those who just thought, "I hope she gets back safe!" In the midst of everything that happened, I did think it takes an army. Several friends helped in the outcome in various ways, LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement provided moral and financial support, many of my very loyal art collectors contributed to the funds raised, Ecclestone Horse Transport saved the day and brought her home in style, and so on! So grateful to everyone.

For those who don't know who Peaker is, I foaled her at my farm on February 10, 2007, on a very cold morning. She was the first foal of the mare Too Clever, who had been purchased by my client, UnStable, and also their first homebred. Officially named Clever Peaks, she became the first of their homebreds to win a race, and was always trying, always competitive. Unfortunately one winter she was claimed from them, at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. Her new connections took her back to Minnesota after the winter.

She did well for her new connections. They were good people, and when she injured herself in a race, they retired her. I was actually trying to get her back at that point, but they ended up selling her to a local man with the agreement that she was not to be raced. This was written on her foal papers, though not formally sent back to the Jockey Club, which is quite an involved process. This man intended to breed her, so I just had to hope that in a few years we'd be watching her babies on the track.

The morning after she arrived - not the robust mare I remembered.

Jump forward to this February, two years later, when I was shocked to get a work notification for Peaker, at a track I'd never heard of, in Iowa. The owner who had sold her to this man contacted me and updated me on what she knew. She asked, if she were able to talk him into giving her up, would I still be prepared to take her, and naturally, I said yes. He had apparently tried to breed her, not gotten her in foal, and put her back in training!

That middle owner went to the track and explained that the papers were marked as not for racing, and the track agreed not to let her run. However, this man (who I'll now refer to as "trainer") hired a lawyer to contest that, and as the papers had not been sent to the Jockey Club through the official process, they had to let her run. All of us who knew this mare, and the story, were horrified.

Her first race back was June 23/16, and I watched online and cheered backwards, you might say. "Go slow, Peaker! You don't have to run, you don't have to do this." Maybe she heard me, but either way, she clearly did not have what was needed to be a racehorse anymore, and finished last, beaten over twenty lengths. On the one hand it was hard to watch, as she was always such a trier, but given the injury she was racing on, I was still glad. I hoped after this he would retire her. But no. A month later, she showed up with another work, and then August 28/16, she was entered to race again. This time, she was beaten more than 30 lengths. I was angry and frustrated and heartbroken all at once.

Not long after than, I saw her photo on the Canter Minnesota Facebook page – and was relieved that at least he was sort of doing the right thing and not just shipping her to an unspeakable fate. He was asking a ridiculous sum of money for her, and the post was full of untruths about her physical and breeding soundness, but I wasn't prepared to have some unsuspecting person take her, only to discover the truth and discard her. I contacted him, and we agreed on a price, which I resigned myself to pay, just because she needed to come home safe. He was, at this point, quite cooperative, and took care of her health papers and kept her while I worked on transport back to Ontario.

A glimpse of the Shield Maiden within.

Just so you know - getting a horse from Minnesota is not such an easy thing. LongRun was helping me with the transport, and first option was to get her to Winnipeg, where one of the big local companies could pick her up on the way back from out west. I began to try to arrange transport from Minnesota to Winnipeg – with absolutely no luck.

I was given the name of a professional US shipper, who I contacted about doing that trip. They came back immediately and said they could bring her right to me in Ontario. Yay! The price was reasonable, so I started putting that together. I paid the broker they wanted me to use, and then waited...and waited...and waited...for them to give me a date. One excuse after another. The health papers are good for 30 days, and time was running out, as was the trainer's patience. Finally, they gave me a date, October 25, after a month of erratic communication. I paid the deposit, and then...I waited, again. I emailed for an update...got no response. I emailed again...still no response. I called...and the phone kept cutting out, so that I could not hear what was being said. I emailed again...and was now told it would be another 2-3 weeks. I was back to being angry, and frustrated and bordering on distraught – and more than a little worried about Peaker, as I didn't entirely trust the trainer to take care of her properly.

Then I heard about a new, local company, who travelled to that area. I contacted them – they told me they had a van coming back from Minnesota that Friday, and could certainly bring her back. They assured me that while the health papers would have just expired, they were used to dealing with that and it wouldn't be a problem. Their rate was competitive, and they took off the brokerage fees which were included in their quote, saying they could use the company I had already paid. And, Peaker would travel in a box stall, rather than the 1.5 standing stall I had booked with the other company. They also strongly suggested that company, whose reputation they knew (wish I had!) SHOULD give me back the deposit, given what had gone on. On the one hand, I didn't care about the deposit, because Peaker's health wasn't worth waiting for whenever they got themselves sorted out enough to get her, but on the other, considering the cost of this whole adventure, it would be nice to have.

Definitely not the shiny, muscled horse from the CANTER photos. Photo from Su Schmerheim.

The driver for Ecclestone Horse Transport picked her up on Friday, October 19, Peaker the only horse on this huge, posh, air-ride transport van. The driver, Su, gave me updates, and talked about how sweet Peaker was, what a good passenger she was. She said she thought Peaker looked a bit thin, and sent me a photo. More heartbreak. I can only assume the trainer stopped feeding her as soon as I paid for her, so I was all the more grateful that EHT had been able to step up and pluck her out of there so promptly.

Travelling in style! - Photo from Su Schmerheim.

They arrived at 9pm on Saturday, October 20. My good friend Renee came out to lend me a hand, as I had to walk her back from the road because there's no way a semi is getting down my lane – which is about half a mile (0.6km). She practically dragged me down the lane, back to the barn, and into her waiting stall. Ribby, undernourished, dull coat, still with Minnesota mud that had been on her a while...but she was home. I groomed her and put a blanket on her, because it was a cold night, and she settled right in.

Even in a few days, she was looking better. Now, she's regained a lot of muscle mass, and has her energy back. She's not fat, but her coat has a nice glow, her eye has that spirited look again, and so much of that tension in her body is gone. Her injured ankle is pretty ugly, though she's sound per se, and I will be getting it looked at so I can know what she might or might not be able to do.

Even a few days made a big difference! Our official "before" photo.

That transport company that let me down so badly? Refused to give me my deposit back. They finally conceded a credit, so if anyone in the midwest US/western Canada needs to move a horse, let me know. I'm sure they think I'll never use it, so I'd really like to see that proven wrong! Not that I in any way recommend them. They out and out said, after I contacted them about refunding the deposit, that they don't like coming to the Toronto area. Why they strung me along and said they'd do the job, I don't know. So...please, if you're looking for horse transport, be aware that Elliot Equine Transport is rather horrible to deal with! On the other hand, I can't say enough good about Ecclestone.

Mud therapy!

So...there you have it. Last week Peaker had her teeth done, which will help her continue to gain weight. She's got a lovely turnout buddy, another hard-knocking mare with a happily less dramatic history, who has just been retired sound. Between them they have 65 starts, eight wins, and $290,000 in earnings. I call them the Shield Maidens, as I've started watching Vikings, and been intrigued by the culture where some of the women fought alongside the men. So here's to the Shield Maidens, and the War Horses: tough, hard-knocking Thoroughbreds who are a testament to the breed.

The Shield Maidens welcome visitors...especially those bearing carrots!

A Chance to Own a Painting; A Chance to Help a Horse

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 04:04:00 +0000

Baby Peaker

It seems every time we turn around, someone is asking for donations. We go to the grocery story, and get asked for a few dollars extra for one cause or another; we log into Facebook and someone is raising funds for a worthwhile cause. We all pick our spots...I know I've made a number of private donations to help out friends and friends-of-friends this year. On the flip side, I absolutely hate asking for help. As I kid I was the one who couldn't sell a box of Girl Guide cookies to save my life, or ask for pledges for various charitable events. Not my forté!

I have often, however, donated artwork for fundraisers, usually relating to animals. I've been working with LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement for a number of years now, helping raise money to help retired racehorses in Ontario. In the last couple of years, I've been on the receiving end of their aftercare efforts, as they've helped out with a couple of our retirees.

This year, I had a big one to ask them - our very first homebred, Peaker, who has been in her fair share of paintings, surfaced in Minnesota. I have been carefully watching out for her since she was claimed from my client three years ago. When she came back on my radar, I waited and hoped I might have the chance to bring her home and ensure her safety. When that opportunity arose, LongRun agreed to help.

"Fresh Snow," 11 x 14 original oil on linen (framed).

So now, in return, I'm hoping to encourage donations to LongRun. There will be a draw for an original framed oil painting, called "Fresh Snow," featuring Peaker and her friend Maria, and a second draw for a reproduction on canvas of Peaker as a newborn, called "Good Morning, Sun."

"Good Morning, Sun" reproduced on canvas.

For a donation to LongRun of $20.00, your name will be entered in the draw for the reproduction, "Good Morning, Sun." If you make a donation of $50.00 or more, you get a chance to win the original painting. You can contact LongRun directly by telephone at (416) 675-3993 x 3440, or you can donate through PayPal using the email address info@longrunretirement . Be sure to indicate your donation is to help bring home Clever Peaks so we can add your name to the draw.

Of course, any amount is welcome, and if you provide an address I'll happily send you a small gift and thank you card in appreciation.

If you're still reading, thanks for your time! And whether you're able to help or not, I hope you'll stay tuned and help welcome our girl home!

(If you're the kind of person who prefers a sure thing, I have a little promo going on, on my website. Use the coupon CLVRPKS when you purchase any study or reproducion, and receive 20% off your total. If you're interested in an original, drop me a line for a similar discount!)

Cinderella, Cinderella...

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 00:28:00 +0000

Turning a cool photo into a painting...

Last year, Woodbine Entertainment initiated a contest to select "The Official Queen's Plate Artist." I did enter, what I thought was a beautiful painting of 2014 winner Lexie Lou, and was disappointed when it didn't make the top five – after all, painting Canadian racehorses is what I do! Anyway, such is the life of the artist – we have to know how to handle rejection, because we don't always fit with that the powers that be are looking for. I decided to enter again this year, and went with something much more generic – a horse in the walking ring, rider up, groom leading her. I had taken the reference photo last summer at the races, and as soon as I saw it, I knew I needed to paint it. When they announced the 2016 contest – late enough that I'd been convinced they weren't going to run it – I didn't have a lot of time to contemplate what I was going to paint, and picked up the reference photo, already printed. I managed to get the painting done and entry made a week before the deadline, as I was travelling to San Francisco!

One of the photos I shot that day.

The notification date for the five finalists came and went, and I figured once again my work had been bypassed – though last year they'd sent out an email passing along that information. I went to check out the Plate website, and there was the announcement. Clicked through to see the top five...and there was my painting! That was a pleasant surprise! Now, the painful part begins - the winner is determined by a voting process, and shameless self-promotion is NOT my strong suit. Popularity contests are not things I win. I'd rather see work chosen on merit than on who has the most friends. That said, I've been humbled by the show of loyal friends who have shown their support in my Facebook posts!

Janet and "Cinderella" – that's what the halter plate says!

Now...the title of this post doesn't mean what you think it might. The grey filly in the painting, named Letter Fly, was bred by a friend of mine. Due to unfortunate circumstances, my friend had to sell her at the yearling sales. She ended up making her first start as a three-year old in Iowa, of all places. After showing little in those early races, my friend was able to buy her back and return her to Ontario, and she was christened "Cinderella" by the trainer's granddaughter. Here, she's gone from a cheap maiden claimer in Iowa to an allowance winner. She is sound and still racing as a five-year old, but when she no longer wants to be a racehorse, she'll be safe.

So, I hate asking for votes for myself, I really do. Cinderella, on the other hand, is very deserving of them! To vote, visit Woodbine's Queen's Plate website, and scroll down to follow the link that will take you to the voting site. There has been a bit of confusion in the voting process – you will need to rate the options given from first to fifth. I hope you enjoy all the artwork that has made the finals!

Warm Ups As Avoidance Behaviour

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 20:46:00 +0000

Study on Raymar archival canvas panel, first attempt, revisited.

I admit it, I started a study the other day, and I have been using it entirely as an avoidance tactic. Big, detailed paintings are intimidating. Little studies are easier to tackle. If they get messed up, it seems to be easier to take. I started this most recent study on Thursday and sure enough, I messed that up! I did something I very rarely do - I started over, on a completely different surface, abandoning the quick sketch of paint on canvas, for a new quick sketch of paint on linen. Smaller dimensions, which, apparently, I could handle better than the first, slightly larger attempt.

Today I worked on the smaller study, and got it to the point where I'm pretty sure it's done. Then I looked at the discarded start. Another thing I very rarely do, is work from the same photo more than once, but as I'd let the sketch in paint dry, and ghosting isn't something I wanted to contend with, I thought I'd see what I could do with it as is. I already had the palette set, a very limited one of four colours (and a combination of colours I hadn't used before). So I played. And avoided the big painting. And now I'm writing this blog post, to further avoid the big painting. It has, at least, made it back on my easel. Time to pony up and get to it, I guess! :-D

Study on unstretched linen, second attempt, ready to abandon.

Five Days In February – Days Four and Five!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 20:18:00 +0000

"Baby Parker" 6 x 4 oil study.

Apparently I forgot to post the last two paintings on the blog! The last two were both 6 x 4 on Raymar archival cotton canvas panel. Day Four was a study of Parker (formerly known as Billy) as a foal, looking all sweet and innocent (yeah, right!). Day Five was a portrait of Sheldon, who celebrated his fifth birthday this week. All five studies are now on my website in the "Studies" section, and for sale, $65.00 each including shipping in North America, until the end of the month. After that, they'll be going to Equis Art Gallery to replenish the supply of my studies there. They seem to get snapped up there, so if you're thinking about it, don't wait too long! ;-)

"Sheldon," 6 x 4 oil study.

Day Three - Works Well Under Pressure

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Shantz) — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 15:17:00 +0000

"Rachel" 6 x 4 oil study on Raymar cotton canvas panel.

So, you get in after a busy day of horse care, riding, more horse care, finally getting registration pics done of the now-yearling, a quick trip for caffeine and sugar, followed by a visit to the tack shop to take advantage of a sale to replenish necessary supplies (honestly)....it's 7:30pm. And you still have a painting to do.

Yes, you contemplate skipping, but the whole point of challenges is to make yourself do things, even when you'd rather just spend a mindless couple of hours before going back out for more horse care, on an increasingly cold February evening. Or, you know, maybe eat dinner. I had, at least, prepped the panel with a light tone of yellow ochre. Small isn't necessarily easier, but the panel that was ready was 4 x 6...or, when I settled on my reference, 6 x 4. I did choose a head-on head study, as I find these easier. I procrastinated a little longer because, well, this is just what I do. Picked up a brush. Started drawing. Then started just pushing paint around to get the form. After bits and pieces of an hour (because that's how I work - completely ADD)....this little portrait of Rachel happened.

Again, loose and imperfect. Today I have more time, so I'll most certainly botch it up. ;-)