The Artsy Equine: Update and Day 5, Dog 5

Thank you to everyone for the kind words, encouraging comments, shares, and (most importantly) purchases. I have spent the past couple days reworking my dog “calendar” because several people have sent messages requesting specific dogs or images be among those painted. Getting your feedback has been really helpful. I’ve tried to create a mix of available dogs and THS favorites (even if they have already been adopted) but if you have suggestions or requests please feel free to email me (sam@samanthasherry.com) or comment on Facebook or my blog. And most importantly, please share this fundraiser with anyone you think might be interested in participating or following along.  CLICK HERE to purchase a painting. Half of all sales will be donated to THS.

Day 5 is Puddin's day.  I think this little girl has the most soulful eyes (as most shelter pups do.) Here is a little bit of her story: "2-20-14 - I had watched her for months as she scrounged for food in the ditches and side roads of Tunica. She was a roamer, never staying in one area and I could never get close enough to capture her. Until one day, she got in our trap. I've driven many, many dogs back to our shelter after being rescued. But few have touched my heart as much as Puddin. I was so relieved when I placed her in my car. Puddin's Freedom Ride. Her life on the streets was over and her beautiful new life began." 

I encourage everyone reading this to visit or volunteer at your local shelter. Spend some time with these soulful eyes and you'll never be the same.  Rescued animals are beautiful old souls with a lifetime of stories, and unfortunately most of those stories tragic. And yet they are the most forgiving, grateful and loyal creatures. We could all learn something about love and life from them. Puddin is one of the fortunate THS dogs who has already been adopted but there are many, many more patiently waiting to rewrite their story in a forever home .

CLICK HERE to purchase Puddin's portrait. Half of purchase price will be donated to THS.

The Artsy Equine: Day 4, Dog 4

Calling all beagle lovers... This one is for you. Well, this painting (not the dog) is for you because sweet Honey has already  found her  forever home. But her journey was so touching and she is a wonderful example of how a little love and patience can make all the difference in a life. I just couldn't skip this precious girl, Day 4 is dedicated to Honey. 

A few lines from her story: "Honey has been with us since Wednesday and she is still extremely timid. We are trying hard to let her know that she has nothing to fear with us. This is one little beagle that hasn't had much love in her life. I can tell now Honey is going to be a challenge... But she is so worth it."

Visit your local shelter, there are lots of available dogs just waiting for you so show a little love and patience. I promise, they too will be so worth it.

CLICK HERE to purchase this painting. Half of all 30 in 30 sales will be donated directly to the Tunica Humane Society.

The Artsy Equine: Day 3, Dog 3

Look at this precious girl. Let's make 2015 her lucky year and help find her a forever home. Please share. Here's more information: "Kiki is about 2 yrs old. She was adopted from THS previously, kept for over a year and then returned to us several months ago due to no fault of her own. She is a sweet girl who loves attention. She gets along well with other dogs and likes to play. Kiki is only about 35 lbs, so a nice medium sized dog." Click Here to purchase this painting. Half of purchase price will be donated to Tunica Humane Society.

The Artsy Equine: Day 2, Dog 2

Disclaimer: I love this dog. I remember the first time I met him. It was several years ago and I  had driven down to THS to donate some paintings. There in the lobby, was a large black(ish)  dog. He was the happiest, friendliest guy. I couldn't believe he hadn't been adopted. And then I saw his "first day" photos....holy hell. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the transformations happening at THS but seriously... holy hell. This was incredible. I'll include before and after photos. I'm still not sure how he hasn't been adopted.  My day 2 is dedicated to Tommy Boy. Click Here to purchase this painting. Half of all sales will be donated directly to the shelter.

The Artsy Equine: Day 1, Dog 1

Click Here to purchase this painting. Half of all sales will be donated to the Tunica Humane Society.

Bella Rose begins my 30 in 30 challenge. As with most of my work, this painting took longer than I anticipated. Hopefully this month-long challenge will help me learn to paint faster.  And in case you aren't familiar with the incredible work happening every day at the Tunica Humane Society I'm including Bella Rose's remarkable transformation.  Here is more information about this sweet girl:

"What a surprise this dog has turned out to be. For one that spent her entire life on a heavy chain, totally cut off from human contact, she has turned out to be one big, lovable baby. She's a power house and not for everyone but if you like big dogs, they don't come any more special than Bella Rose.

Bella is a cane corso. If you are not familiar with the breed, you should read up on them. They are brilliant dogs. We have only had one other one in all of our years at the shelter and that was Princess Kahla. She was used for breeding and came to us when she was all used up by her owner. After we rehabilitated Kahla, she was adopted by a very special couple. I am praying for the same thing to happen for Bella Rose.

This dog loves to eat, she loves to cuddle, she loves to have her belly rubbed and her back scratched. She loves to run and roll in the grass and she wags her tail with her whole heart... She celebrates her new life everyday with such joy and because of that, she has the power to lift you up when you are in her presence. I'm so happy for this dog that it makes me happy just to be around her. She's contagious..... Bella Rose is available for adoption thru the Tunica Humane Society - Tunica, Ms. 662-519-1700 Please share her story so she can light up someone's world this Christmas!!"

The Artsy Equine: 30 Dogs in 30 Days

Thirty paintings in thirty days. Sounds like a lot. A whole lot. Probably more than any sane person should attempt while working multiple jobs. And as confirmation of my diminished sanity, I’m going to try it.  The 30 in 30 challenge is something I’ve considered (and thought better of) doing for several months now. In order to alleviate excuses not to participate, I thought I would try to give myself a purpose. Find a reason. Maybe try to do some good. It would be much harder to back out or quit halfway through if I knew someone was counting on me. 

Finding a cause was the easy part because, as many of you know, the Tunica Humane Society is an organization I support and feel strongly about. So when I was brainstorming ways to make this challenge meaningful to someone other than myself, it only seemed natural to build it around these special animals and the people who work tirelessly to care for them.

But I was still worried. Outside of the time and cost (paint, canvas, and brushes aren’t cheap) I had (and still have) other concerns. What if I can’t do it? What if the paintings are terrible? Not just a little terrible but really awful? Or a day isn’t long enough to finish? What if they don’t sell?  What if they’re just bad? I mean, embarrassingly bad? What if I get bored, lose steam, or life happens and I miss a day (or more)? What if the whole thing is an epic failure? I could go on… Yes, all these things might happen but what did I really have to lose? Pride? Sleep? I think I can live with that. So there it is, I won’t let myself be scared, selfish, or lazy. I have a purpose. I’m committed. But seriously, what if the paintings suck? 

Worry be damned, beginning January first, I will paint 30 Dogs in 30 Days and donate half of all the sales to shelter. (Yes, I know there are 31 days in January but just play along for now.) I will feature a new dog each day and post the painting on my blog, website, Facebook page and the challenge host’s blog (Artist Helping Artists.) All sales will be handled via my website using Paypal. 

My goal is not only to improve my painting and drawing skills but more importantly to raise money and awareness for a worthy cause. I hope you will join me on this journey and invite others. Please share my post, blog and website with everyone you think might be interested in buying a painting, adopting a dog, volunteering, donating or just following along. 

Happy New Year everyone!

See you in few days. 

The Artsy Equine: On My Easel(s)

Yes, the holidays can be  a frantic, and frankly stressful, time. Between wrapping presents, shopping, decorating, wrapping, juggling families, cooking, cleaning, traveling, and more(!) wrapping it's easy for me to become overwhelmed and want to disappear in the witness protection program.  But I know myself well enough now to understand how important it is  for me a find quiet place, even for just a moment. Allowing myself space to breathe and an opportunity to reflect on my many blessings, especially family, helps keep the rest of the insignificant stressors  in perspective. For me that place is the  studio or barn. I am thrilled beyond words to have a few free days in the coming weeks  to (hopefully) finish several pieces in progress and prepare for my upcoming fundraiser benefiting  the Tunica Humane Society. It's scary to put myself "out there" especially by posting work that isn't finished and might not turn out the way I'd hoped. But here's to being brave.... thoughts or suggestions are welcome (gulp.) Happy Holidays everyone! 

The Artsy Equine

I've been giving a lot of thought to what I want this blog "The Artsy Equine" to be, who can it serve, and how best I can help meet the needs of artists and art-lovers? Essentially, what value can I provide? Although I have a sense of what those answers might be, it is my hope that  a dialog will develop and the discussions can help guide content. But we can only start where we are and the three broad themes I keep coming back to are: Process, Production, and Product. 

I consider Process the idea and inspiration stage. I'm very interested in learning how other artists approach things like idea generation and research.  How others prepare for the physical and mental act of creating. Where they find inspiration and what they do when the inspiration just won't come. How do others keep their creativity going over the course of weeks and months and years.

For me Production includes the actual making. Technical things. For example, what media is used? How are the various materials implemented? What setup or studio space do is needed to create the work? In progress photos and explanations, artists working habits, tips, tutorials, etc.

The Product is the final work of art. That might include drawings, paintings, sculptures, photos, prints, installations, fiber work, ceramics, performance, etc. More than a simple gallery of images, I would like to create a forum for quality conversations, meaningful critiques, show reviews, and artists' reflections.

Like most things, this is blog is a work in progress. I welcome any suggestions, ideas, and comments for topics or directions. Thanks for joining me and please share this with your friends and family.

The First Small Step

 I have resisted the idea of blogging.   For me, it seems a presumptuous, bordering on egotistical, exercise in over-sharing. and I wish to be none of those things.  Privacy and humility are underrated and unfortunately, grossly absent from our culture. But I've been told repeatedly by people I respect deeply that blogging can be an important, even transformative, step in my artistic journey. A way to connect. A way to explain. A way to share the creative process.  So here it is, daunting as I expected, entry number one: the first small step.