Eye Do

When I first started painting, the landscape was my chosen subject and then one day I looked out to the pasture at my four horses and asked myself why I was not painting these beautiful creatures?  I started painting just the eye of the horse on 8x8 inch canvas'.  It was a fun project.   I am still enamored with the horse's eye and continue to paint focused-cropped-portraits.  This eye portrait is a painting of Diamond, a beautiful Palomino mare and it is one of the first paintings of my eye series.  Seeing the beauty of the horse made for, "A Painting Day".

"Eye Do"-8x8-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
www.ruthandre.com
andre@ruthandre.com

Roberta Goes to the Segil Fine Art Gallery

8th Annual Holiday Small Works Show
Exhibit Dates: December 4-31, 2010 Reception: December 4, 5-7pm

The holiday season is filled with Small Works Art Shows across the country.  It is a great way for collectors to see and buy art at a reasonable price from their favorite artists.  Raymond Logan, a very fine  artist, was delivering a couple of paintings for the Segil Holiday Small Works Show and saw Roberta across the room and sent an email saying Roberta was up looking for a new home.  If you are in Old Town Monrovia stop by the Segil Fine Art and take in the show.  You will see a nice selection of very fine small paintings.  Exhibiting at the Segil Fine Art Gallery for the Small Works show made for, "A Painting Day".


"Roberta"-6x6-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
Segil Fine Art Gallery-Contact
www.ruthandre.com
andre@ruthandre.com

White Clouds Showing at the Gem N I Gallery

I have been invited to exhibit my paintings at the Holiday Art Walk-Second Saturday on Sutter Street in Old Town Folsom, California.  Several of my paintings will be available for sale at the Gem N I Gallery.  The town is a replica of the old west and they still have a cattle drive that goes down the main street once a year.  As you walk down the boarded sidewalks you will feel as if you have stepped back in time to shop in the many stores, galleries and restaurants.  I will be showing wildlife and equine paintings so if you are in the area it would be wonderful to meet you and share my paintings.  The show is just a couple weeks away so take some time and enjoy a bit of the old west.

The painting today is titled "White Clouds".  Friends living here in the foothills have two beautiful white Quarter Horses and they were standing side by side as I took the reference photo for this painting.  They were so serene and calm like two clouds floating in the air.  Seeing these two beauties made for, "A Painting Day".

Gem N I Gallery
815 Sutter Street
Folsom, CA
916/425-9807
Second Saturday on Sutter Street-December 11, 2010
Reception starts at 4:30 PM

"White Clouds"-12x24-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre

Lincoln II

Lincoln is a Friesian-Shire cross and quite a big boy.  I visited Lincoln some time ago at the Mystic Oak Ranch in Plymouth, California and have painted him before but decided he really needed to be painted on a larger canvas to showoff his beautiful coloring. While at the ranch I snapped a few photos of Lincoln.  He seemed to enjoy the photo session and being the center of attention.  He did his best to pose in between checking out all the mares in near by paddocks.  Lincoln's owner is a good friend that loves  horses.  Meeting and photographing Lincoln made for, "A Painting Day".

"Lincoln"-9x9-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
www.ruthandre.com
andre@ruthandre.com
Commission a Painting!

Learning the Ropes

I have had the opportunity to meet ranchers in different parts of the country.  I see the ranch family as a working unit.  In this painting the young man is learning the art of roping.  I love seeing kids take on the ranch life challenges and I love seeing their parents right there with them.  The kids get a lot of support and seem to love learning ranch chores to earn the respect of their elders. Old time values still run strong in the rancher's life.  Watching ranch kids made for, "A Painting Day".

"Learning the Ropes"-10x10-inches, oil/canvas-Framed by Ruth Andre
Available at Texana-Goliad, Texas 361-645-2074, Email
www.ruthandre.com
andre@ruthandre.com

Gift Giving Prints Available

I have been asked recently if I have prints available of my paintings?  Print making is an art all to itself and I have chosen to add the services of Imagekind, a print-on-demand company, to my blog. Buyers can choose their desired image size, paper or canvas for their print and have it matted or framed as well. The quality of this service is quite good and can be shipped easily to your door or as a gift to those special on your gift list.

Imagekind Quality:

1. Imagekind uses archival quality pigmented ink - Ultra-Chrome K3 pigmented ink from Epson. 
2. Imagekind offers a no-questions-asked return policy!
3. Imagekind offers a multitude of sizes and surfaces.  Prints available on paper or canvas, matted, framed or not.

Click HERE for the link to Imagekind.

Thinking about the coming holidays has made for "A Printing Day".

"Paint in the Wind" 6x8-inches, oil/canvas-Framed, by Ruth Andre 

Spring Calf

The spring calves have come along nicely this year and are pretty big by now.  A new group of calves have arrived and as I was driving home yesterday there were two calves very close to the pasture fence next to the road and when they saw my truck they scampered off to their momma or baby sitter.  The cows seem to set up a little nursery with one or two cows in charge to watch over the baby calves while the main group of cows head off to eat the green grass that is showing on the valley floor and hillsides.  It is a joy to see these young calves and watch them out in the open pastures here in the foothills.  Traveling past the valley ranches, made for, "A Painting Day".

"Spring Calf" 10x10-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
Available at Texana-Goliad, Texas, 361-645-2074
www.ruthandre.com
andre@ruthandre.com
Commission A Painting

Manzanitias

Sometimes we overlook what is right in front of us on a daily bases or we see what is there and move along to something that may appear to be something grand.  Today I was getting my oil paints ready to paint and I looked out of my studio window at this Manzanitias shrubby bush.  The light was just right making shadows and a bit of shimmer from the sun.  I have seen this Manzanitias bush for years as I look out from the studio.  Today, it was right there and became my model for the day.  Manzanitias grow profusely in the foothills and the deer do not think much of them leaving them to  grow and blossom.  They are also a great wildlife plant providing nectar for butterflies and humming birds.  Seeing what was right there made for, "A Painting Day".

"Manzanitias"-4x4-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
www.ruthandre.com
andre@ruthandre.com

Texas Girl #4

When in Texas you had better love cows.  Luckily, I do!  The painting today is "Texas Girl #4", a Brahma and Hereford cross and one pretty lady cow.  I found her at a ranch near Goliad, Texas.  This painting has been showing in my gallery in Goliad, Texas and just recently sold so she will be heading off to a new home.  Loving cows made for, "A Painting Day".

"Texas Girl #4", 9x12-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre Sold

www.ruthandre.com

andre@ruthandre.com

Commission a Painting

Texana Gallery

104 Courthouse Square

Goliad, TX

361-645-2074

Gold Country Oak

I lived in the flat lands of Southeast Missouri for 12 years and when my husband and I moved back to California we chose to move to the northern part of the state.  We are in what is called the "Gold Country" due to the Gold Rush started right here at Sutter's Mill.  The change of scenery is amazing from the flat lands to the hills and mountains that reach high into the sky.  There are also rocks here and lots of them, a big no-no for farm land.  Here the land is cattle country and during those early years rocks were stacked and stacked upon one another to form fencing to hold the cattle and horses that must of roamed the hills but were corralled to certain owned acreage with miles and miles of rock fencing.  The rock fences stand today and they are really works of art with natures colorful beauty shining through.  Traveling the hills of Sutter Creek made for, "A Painting Day".

"Gold Country Oak"-5x7.5-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre sold
andre@ruthandre.com
www.ruthandre.com

Schoolhouse View

 Last summer as I was painting at the old Shenandoah School House in Plymouth, California, I noticed a dog come around the schoolhouse from one of the near by vineyards.  He seemed to be on a mission and ducked through an opening under the school house.  It was hot so I thought he might be going in to take a nap.  A few minutes later the dog appeared with 3 snakes dangling from his mouth.  I always look around my painting area for snakes but seeing the dog and his find made me a bit jumpy.  Plein air painting has its rewards and it concerns.  Painting at the old schoolhouse made for, "A Painting Day".  


Side note: Theresa Paden, an artist blogger, has challenged herself to paint 50 horse paintings in 50 days.  Today is day 50 and she has all of the paintings available to view on her blog.  Theresa is also offering one painting for free and the details on how to win this painting are on her blog.  Part of all sales will be donated to the California Coastal Horse Rescue in Ojai .  


"Schoolhouse View"-6x6-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
www.ruthandfre.com
andre@ruthandre.com

What A Painting Day

Today I met up with my artist friends, Bruce Hancock and Howard Rees.  We met in Drytown and then headed down to Turner Road.  It is really pretty any time of the year here in the foothills but right now the hills are just starting to turn from gold to green.  You can see the grass just peaking through the taller dry grasses.  I have posted a few photos of both Bruce and Howard and a final painting from my easel. It is always fun to attempt the challenge to capture nature's beauty with brush and paint. 

Just off Turner Road-Sutter Creek

Bruce Hancock

Howard Rees

                                                             

Ruth working on this one with Bruce set up in front.

Bruce Painting on Chicago Road

Bruce's Finished Painting

This is one of mine.  I do not call myself a Plein Air Painter but I do enjoy getting outside for, "A Painting Day".

"Oak on Turner Road"-8x6-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre

www.ruthandre,com

andre@ruthandre.com

Texas Sunshine

My Texas Longhorn Cattle mania continues with a painting using another photo from Sarah.  This lady Texas Longhorn cow is a colorful red with white and soft contented eyes.  I once stationed myself in my truck in a pasture of Texas Longhorn Cattle to watch them interact with one another and with their calves.  It was a gorgeous day and one calf must of needed to get up and get moving and when she did not the mother and the other cows, one by one, in the herd made their way over to the calf and did their best to see if they could get the little one to get up and walk.  I was taken with the community these cows had within their herd.  As I ate my boxed lunch one of the older cows came over to investigate.  She may of wanted a scratch on the back but not knowing these cows I kept my distance.  It was a day to remember and I thank Sarah for sending her photos my way.  Taking on a respectful love for Texas Longhorn Cattle made for, "A Painting Day".

"Texas Sunshine"-5x5-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
www.ruthandre.com
andre@ruthandre.com
Commissions Welcome

Texas Night

My friend, Sarah, has an eye for photography and the reference photo for the painting today is one from her collection of photos.  I think she found this Texas Longhorn Cow, I have called, "Texas Night", at a horse and cattle show in Grass Valley.  Sarah has several talents beside her photography.  She is also a clay artist Sculpting and designing Stoneware Buttons.  You can find her beautiful works at Palomino Blue Etsy Store .  Meeting Sarah has made for, "A Painting Day".

"Texas Night"-5x5-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre Sold
www.ruthandre.com
andre@ruthandre.com
Commissions Welcome