Mystery Girl

Mystery was the second horse to come to our farm in Missouri.  It was discussed that Angel needed company.  Horses being herd animals really are not happy all by themselves.  Just as I was in the thinking mode on how to find horse number two, Angel's original owner found us,  introducing himself and saying he had Angel's half sister for sale, if we would like to take a look at her.  We drove from Sikeston to Perryville and met the pretty Bay Fox Trotter, Mystery.  She was somewhat wild acting and ran all over the place.  She knew something was up and she had an idea it was about her.  After riding Mystery the deal was set and we planned to make the pilgrimage to pick up Mystery the following day.  Angel and Mystery had been raised together for several years so when we got the trailer hooked up we decided to take Angel along to welcome her sister to her new home.  We arrived to pick up Mystery and pulled down the window cover on the trailer and what a racket began between the two girls.  Oh my, they seemed so happy to see one another.  I do  not know what was said on the way home but once out of the trailer Angel let Mystery know she was the queen and Mystery was just a step child.  The two horses get along fine even though Angel is the head mare and Mystery is the smart one.  I honestly do not know how that works out in nature but there must be a reason for it all.  Meeting up with Mystery made for, "A Painting Day".

"Mystery Girl-6x6-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
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andre@ruthandre.com
Commissions Welcome

Cash

How do I start to talk about this horse without talking about his owner?  Connie is the owner and I call her my good friend.  My husband calls her "trouble".  You see Connie and I used to ride the trails of Missouri together and with a group called the "Cardiac Cowboys".  The cowboys were so old they called Connie and myself "The Girls".  Connie would trailer our horses to any and all events for the day.  We would go to horse sales and even when we did not go to a horse sale Connie would find horses that were for sale and buy them up and bring them home.  My husband thought this was a  no win situation and he knew it was true when Connie and I came home with my mare, Angel.  Yes, it was Connie that scoured the hills of Missouri and found my perfect mare.  I remember the day we went to test drive Angel and found her in a big pasture with a herd of horses.  She was the queen of the group but easy to catch so we haltered Angel and brought her up to the riding area.  Needless to say Connie was more than willing to trailer Angel home for me so off we went and husband, Tom, was waiting outside the barn when we arrived.  It all worked out that Angel had found a new home.  After finding Angel Connie found a few other horses and once while trail riding she negotiated a horse buy as we gaited along and had the horse in the trailer as soon as we arrived back in camp.  I do not know the whole story on how Cash came to be one of Connie's herd but I am sure it was a day to remember.  You can see the woman is trouble but I will always think of her as one of my best friends.  Riding with Connie made for, "A Painting Day.

"Cash"-4x4-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
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andre@ruthandre.com
Commissions Welcome

Dixie

This is Dixie, a Hanoverian weanling filly.  The painting was a commission that I painted awhile back and the due date was just before Valentine's Day.  The painting was to be a sweetheart gift.  I had only a couple of weeks to paint this very sleek and elegant young horse to meet the deadline.  Dixie has a strong personality and I wanted to show her beauty and her strength.  My client was very happy and the sweetheart was happy as well.  Painting for love made for, "A Painting Day."

"Dixie"-18x14-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre SOLD
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andre@ruthandre.com
Commissions Welcome

Bovine Artists

"Just Whistling Dixie"

"Heiffie"

The American Society of Bovine Artists  Second Ever Art Show & Sale is at the Cactus Jacks Gallery in Gruene, Texas through November and possibly part of December.  My two painting entries "Just Whistling Dixie" and "Heiffie" should feel right at home in Texas cow country.  I first heard of the Bovine Society from a patron living in Texas.  They say the west was not settled by horseboys but by cowboys and we need to celebrate the cow.  I joined immediately to be with like minded cow painters.

Finding the American Society of Bovine Artists made for, "A Painting Day".

"Just Whistling Dixie"-5x7-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre

"Heiffie"-8x10-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre

www.cactusjacksgruene.com

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Commissions Welcome

Workshop-Day Three-Sun!

The third day of Howard's workshop started and ended with sunshine.  What a delight it was to see and feel the warm shining sun. We painted in Sutter Creek and I was painting down a little lane with Howard and Julie and had finished a small study and with only 20 minutes left before lunch I decided to paint one more,  A bit of a challenge and then I realized I had put all of my brushes away except for one 1" flat brush so that would make it an even bigger painting challenge.  With a painting flurry this little "Oak Shadow" painting emerged.  What fun!

After having lunch in one of Sutter Creek's many bistro type restaurants we set out again and I ended up down an alley way at the Foundry.  It is an old abandoned foundry that had its hay day during the Gold Rush era.  These two pieces of equipment were setting outside with various pieces of equipment that must of been much needed long ago.  I felt as if I was taking a trip back to another time as the brush and paint moved to the canvas.

 Howard gives workshops here in the northern California foothills and surrounding areas and out of state.  He is an accomplished artist and has worked in the commercial and fine art fields.   His artistic knowledge makes for an enjoyable workshop.  I must warn you he does have an unique sense of humor  that keeps the class moving along through those late afternoon critiques.  Send Howard an email for information on future workshops if you are up for a bit of good painting and a lot of fun.

"Oak Shadows" 8x10-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
"Foundry Workers" 8x10-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
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andre@ruthandre.com
http://howardreesartist.com

Rain On The Way

Well it is still raining today and I thought I would add one more painting from the very wet workshop, Day Two!  We were up in Volcano California with Howard's group of painters and I headed for the old hotel near the end of Main Street.  I set up my easel near the hotel entrance with people coming and going but I was dry.  Just off the porch area was an old oak with a small cluster of flowers going dormant for winter.  It was cool and I was bundled up and took on the challenge to make it, "A Painting Day".

"Rain on the Way"-6x8-inches, oil/on canvas by Ruth Andre
I made this my keepsake memory painting from the workshop and it is safely nestled in my home.

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www.howardreesartist.com

The White House

It is raining today here in the foothills and the day reminds me of a painting workshop with Howard Rees last fall.  We were to meet for three days and the first two days the rain poured.  I mean it was really raining hard.  We met in Amador City the first morning and each artist took shelter under an eve of the old town buildings.  My first priority was staying dry and once finding a good spot I looked out and up to find this little white house on top of the mountain outside of town.  It was cold, it was wet but the memories are warm and we all had a great time and have stories to tell.  Heading to Amador City with Howard and the gang made for, "A Painting Day".

"The White House"-6x8-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre sold
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andre@ruthandre.com

My Day

"Half & Half 6x6-in o/c

 My day was planned.  I would get my morning choirs done and head for the studio.  Nothing could stop all my good intentions then I got the email asking if I could send the painting "Bella" along with my other entries for the coming Holiday Sale at the Clymer Art Museum in Ellensburg, Washington?  Need not ask twice and I went to find the mysterious Raven and finding her was a bit of a search.  I think I now know where everything is in my house, my studio, my barn and storage units.  I did find her and she is on the way to Washington to be shown with her buddies.  Getting ready for the the Clymer  Holiday Art Exhibit made for, "Painting Days".

                                                                     "Elk"-6x6-in o/c

"Bella"-5x5-in o/c

"Roseta" 6x6-in o/c

"Apple of My Eye" 4x4-in o/c

"Strawberry Shortcake" 6x6-in o/c

"Rodeo Queens" 6x6-in o/c

 Paintings available at the Holiday Miniature Art Exhibit
Clymer Museum of Art
16 Pearl
Ellensburg, WA 98926
www.clymermuseum.org - 509/962-4616

www.ruthandre.com
andre@ruthandre.com
Commissions Welcome

Tres Amigas

Does this happen to you is the question?  Do you get really involved in one thing and kind of go hog wild or in my case Texas Longhorn Cattle wild?  I do not know what came over me but after seeing Texas Longhorn Cattle up close at the local Texas Longhorn Cattle show here in Plymouth, California, I kind of got crazy for them.  I would go out to auctions and would meet up with breeders to take photos of their cows. I wanted to paint them. They are one of the icons of the American West.  Once  you start reading about these cows you see how they were stellar candidates for living in the remote plains.  They were and are easy keepers and could be herded for long distances to market with very little feed.  They are pretty docile now for the most part but in the early wild years they were not to be tangled with for some were very wild and pretty mean when approached, even by a man on horseback.  You have to give them credit, they were tough.  I love painting these colorful and sturdy cows.  Seeing my first Texas Longhorn Cattle made for, "A Painting Day".

"Tres Amigas"-24x30-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
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andre@ruthandre.com

Roberta

Rabbits were seen all over the farm lands in Missouri.  Farmers do not take kindly to these little creatures but I am sure even in farm country they are good for something. We have rabbits here in the foothills of Northern California but they look more like Jack Rabbits with long ears that stand straight up.  This little one just needed to be painted.  Seeing Roberta made for, "A Painting Day".

"Roberta"-6x6-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
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andre@ruthandre.com

Savannah

Until you walk in another artist's shoes, make no comment!  My words to myself.  I enjoy following other artist's blogs and seeing these fresh wisps of brushwork and I think, they must be having fun.  Well, I took on the challenge to work fast and furious to make this little oil sketch.  I painted, I scraped, I painted, I scraped and I painted.  Did I say, I painted.  It was a two day session in the studio to finish this quick sketch.  My time at the canvas is usually  more methodical and step by step and it usually takes me two days to finish a small painting.  I had fun with this one but what you see in the fresh fast look of some painting styles takes a lot of savvy and good brushwork.  My hat goes off to the Quick Sketch!

This is Savannah a little mare that lives in upper state New York at Sawyer Creek Appaloosas.  She is a sweetheart and just a few days old.  Seeing Savannah and taking on the Quick Sketch made for, "A Painting Day".

"Savannah"-4x4-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre

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andre@ruthandre.com

Commissions Welcome

Desert Son

This miniature painting is a cropped view of a horse showing the intensity of the eye as it looks out into the world.  You can feel his uncertainty mixed with a wee bit of fear.  The eye tells all.  Watching horses has made for, "A Painting Day".

"Desert Son"-3x3-inches, oil/canvas-Framed by Ruth Andre
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andre@ruthandre.com
Commission a Painting.

The Loner

Today the painting is of a lone bison bull on the prairie in North Dakota.  It reminds me of what it must of been like when small bands of buffalo survived the ravages of extinction during our settlement years in the late 1800's.  The brave and proud buffalo roamed the land, their land.

I also have an update on my mare, Angel.  The vet was here yesterday to say at best Angel may see shadows but be basically blind in the injured eye.  It was hard news after over 2 months of care and medicating the eye.  We still have weeks ahead of us before this sagais over.  Thank-you for all the messages of support.

"The Loner"-6x8-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre

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andre@ruthandre.com
Commissions Welcome

Rodeo Queens

This was quite a painting day.  The paint that comes off my brushes is usually very quiet, subdued and peaceful but today that all changed.  The wild red just seemed right so I went with it.  I have been wanting to paint these two cows for a long time.  I had good memories of where I saw them and I decided they needed painting.

While taking in a livestock auction in Manteca, California I was looking for Texas Longhorn cattle and I was walking down one of the shoots taking photos along the way of cows in the different pens.  Next thing I know a whole herd of cows were headed my way down the shoot I was in taking photos.  The cows were coming fast and the gate was down the way so over the metal fence I went, just in time to catch these two ladies leading the herd.  Auction day in Manteca made for, "A Painting Day".

"Rodeo Queens"-6x6-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
Available at the Clymers Art Museum - Holiday Miniature Art Exhibit
Dates:  11/5/2010 - 1/2/2011
Phone:  309/962-4616

www.ruthandre.com
andre@ruthandre.com
Commissions Welcome

Mesquite

This little filly caught my eye.  Her white blaze is unique making her markings, one of a kind.  She is a red roan and her head will most likely stay dark and her body will get lighter as she gets older.  You can see how her wildness is overcome by her inquisitive nature.  Seeing this young filly made for, "A Painting Day".

"Mesquite"-12x9-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
Available at Texana-361-645-2074
www.ruthandre.com
andre@ruthandre.com
Commissions Welcome

Strawberry Shortcake

This is Sky a yearling Paint.  She is delightful and inquisitive.  Her coloring is luscious so came the title for her painting, "Strawberry Shortcake".  Seeing Sky made for "A Painting Day".

"Strawberry Shortcake"-6x6-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
www.ruthandre.com
andre@ruthandre.com
Commissions Welcome