"BEST OF FRIENDS" daily painter textured horse © Carol Nelson Fine Art

"BEST OF FRIENDS"

The National Western Stock Show is winding down in Denver, but I still have horses on my mind.

On this painting, I used a palette knife to texture the canvas surface with gel medium before I started painting.  Multiple layers of fluid acrylic washes create a richness and depth of color.

For purchase information, please click here to go to my website. 

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If you're in the Denver area this weekend, Jan. 21-23, stop by my booth at the Indian Market.  I will be in booth 218 in the Pavilion building. The Indian Market is held at the Merchandise Mart, 58th and I-25.

"ROUNDUP" daily painter horse western © Carol Nelson Fine Art

"ROUNDUP"

The 105th annual National Western Stock Show, the Super Bowl of stock shows opened here in Denver over the weekend.  Ranchers, farmers, breeders, horsemen converge on Denver for 16 days to show their animals and compete against the best of the best from around the country.  There's horse shows, several rodeos, and every conceivable competition from sheep-shearing to mutton busting to horse dancing.

One part of the stock show that I try not to miss is the Coors Western Art exhibit, which features western themed fine art by incredible artists who are much more famous than I will ever be.

I also like to walk around the grounds looking at all the critters.  There are so many breeds of cattle, horses, sheep, etc. all getting groomed and foo-fooed for their moment in the spotlight.  There are small animals too - chickens, rabbits, ducks, guinea pigs - you name it.

For more information about the stock show and the art exhibit, click the link above.  For more information about this painting, which epitomizes the legends of the West, click here to go to my website.

"BLUE ROAN" 10169, daily painter textured horse © Carol Nelson Fine Art

"BLUE ROAN"

Be sure to click on this image to enlarge it so you can better see all the texture elements.  I think it's a neat effect.

For purchase information, please click here to go to my website.

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"BLAZE," mixed media textured horse experimental © Carol Nelson Fine Art

"BLAZE" 10165, 11x14 mixed media

I was reading* about Italian artist, Alberto Burri (1915-1995), who was an influential figure in the postwar art scene in America.  His work is currently on view at the Santa Monica Museum of Art.  I was interested in his use of unusual materials such as burlap, fabric, wood, sheet metal and plastic.
Sometimes the materials were torched in order to explore the expressive qualities of molten plastic, charred wood, and singed fiber.

I recently got a torch and was itching to try it on something.  I tried melting a piece of copper, but my BUTANE torch does not burn hot enough to melt copper - need a PROPANE torch for that.  My torch, however, is hot enough to melt thin metal foils.

I like the effect of torching the foil.  It changes color and actually melts if you hold it in the flame long enough.  If you've ever worked with foils, you know that you cannot tear them easily and this enables you to create a ragged edge which is sometimes preferable to a straight edge on a collage piece.

In this painting, the red areas are made from red aluminum foil that has been torched around the edges.  There also is texture from acrylic gel medium.

For purchase information, please click here to go to my website.

*"(Re)discovering Burri," by Kirsten Swenson, Art in America, December'10


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Roundup, original oil of wild horses

I based this painting on a photo taken by Bruce Norman, an associate of mine. What I love about this painting is the motion of the horses and the fantastic light shining through the cloud of dust and the horses manes.
I worry about the wild horses that roam the West. Their habitat is shrinking by the day. I would hate to see the end of this beautiful symbol of our wild west heritage.
For purchase information, please click here to see my website.

Flower Child, 06008

This original acrylic painting is on 5x7 gallery wrap (1.5 inch deep) canvas. Framing is not necessary.

For purchase information, please see my website:

http://data.fineartstudioonline.com/dataviewer.asp?keyvalue=3851&subkeyvalue=220277&page=WorksDetail

At the Water Cooler, 05408

Today I took my grandaughter horseback riding. We had a grand time. It had been a long time since I had been in the saddle, and it was her third time. It was all good.

These horses were drinking at what appeared to be an old bath tub,

SOLD

Blanco, 04508, white stallion horse

In his prime, this stallion personifies beauty, power, and confidence. This original painting is on 6x6 gallery wrap canvas (1.5 inch deep) with the sides painted black. It arrives ready to hang with no framing necessary.

For purchase information, please see my website:

http://carolnelsonfineart.com/works/206447

Attention Please, 04408

These horses are very alert and we can wonder what has captured their attention. This original oil painting is painted on a 5x7 gallery wrap canvas, with the 1.5 inch deep sides painted black. This painting arrives ready to hang with no framing necessary.

For purchase information, please see my website at:

http://carolnelsonfineart.com/works/206446

Momma's Boy, 04308, mare and foal

A mare and her foal in the morning sun. This original oil painting is on 1.5 inch deep gallery wrap canvas with sides painted black. It arrives ready to hang with no framing necessary.

For purchase information, please see my website:

http://data.fineartstudioonline.com/dataviewer.asp?keyvalue=3851&subkeyvalue=206444&page=WorksDetail

Proud Vision, 04308, equine head study

I love the look of this beautiful horse's head. I worked a long time on getting the eye and the nose just right. When you look up close at a horse's eye, their vision always seem to be looking beyond you, somewhere in the distance.

SOLD

Chestnut Trio, 15x48, oil

A lot of work went into this painting, but I like the way it turned out. For purchase information, please see http://www.carolnelsonfineart.com/, click on "works," then "animals." SOLD

Chestnut Trio, day 3, 15x48 oil in progress

It's coming along. I will finish it this weekend, post it on my website, and send images via email to those of you who have already inquired about this painting.

Chestnut Trio, day 1, 15x45 oil

I liked the way Chestnut Trio, 4x12, turned out so much, that I decided to do it larger. I will post my progress. Day 1, I got the horses pretty much done. As I was painting their feet, it occurred to me that horses look like ballet dancers in toe shoes.

Bad Hair Day, 8x10 oil, $150

My husband came up with the title for this one. To purchase with Paypal, please see http://www.carolnelsonfineart.com/, click on "works," then "small paintings."

Blue Snow Gallery, http://www.zazzle.com/bluesnowgallery, my online merchandise outlet, has mugs with this image on them.

Chestnut Trio, 4x12 oil, chestnut horses, $100

Sometimes, it's so difficult to photograph a painting. I must have taken 20 shots of this one, moving it all over the house, before I got something halfway decent. I love this painting, even though it was hard to get the right amount of detail in such a small painting. Think I'll try it big.

For purchase information, please see http://www.carolnelsonfineart.com/, click on "works", then "small paintings." SOLD

Black Beauty, 5x7 oil painting of black horse

One of the hardest things to paint is a black horse, or any black animal for that matter. Instead of shadows defining the shape, it is the light on the coat that gives definition. That light goes from light grey, to blue grey, to several shades of blue. After a lot of work, I finally got this one to where I was satisfied with it. To purchase this painting, see www.carolnelsonfineart.com, click on "works," then "small paintings."

Lookin' Back, 6x6 oil, white Arabian horse

All horses are beautiful creatures. Some are more beautiful like this Arabian. When I was in my horsey middle school years, I read all of Walter Farley's books about the Black Stallion. The Black was an Arabian. I still admire the splendid confirmation of this breed. To purchase this painting, please see http://www.carolnelsonfineart.com/, click on "works", then "small paintings." SOLD

Blaze, 7x5 oil painting of a horse

When I was a young girl, I spent a lot of time at a riding stable. One of my favorite mounts was a horse named Blaze. He was such a beauty and had a sweet disposition. To purchase this painting, please see my website, http://www.carolnelsonfineart.com/, click on "works", then "small paintings". SOLD

Treat Time, 5x7 oil painting of horses

While I'm working on a huge 36x48 painting, I'll repost a few paintings I did before joining Daily Painters. Also, will update you with my progress on my big painting. For purchase info, please see http://www.carolnelsonfineart.com/. SOLD