Well, 2008 is over.  It was shaping up to be a mediocre year business wise, and I thought with the state of the economy during the last quarter that sales for that quarter would probably be close to flat.  I was somewhat  surprised as by Nov. 1 I did not have a single order for portraits for the Christmas season.  I am usually very busy.  I thought this strange, but sometimes God knows when you need to be busy and when you don’t. 

 However, the week before Thanksgiving, it hit.  Three pastel portraits before Christmas!  Two were farm scenes with the animals, barns, etc. and the other was a donkey.  No problem, right?  The donkey got moved back to a birthday for January 12.  The farm scenes on the other hand, were rather interesting.  No one seemed to be able to decide on the compositions.  Finally, each party agreed on their piece, and I finished the first one the second week of December.  The second one was finalized one week before Christmas.  My husband was a nervous wreck byChristmas Eve, because we also had all of the usual Christmas gatherings, as well as preparations, gift buying, etc.  Plus, we also had the added excitement of the printer quitting in the early stages of trying to print out our Christmas cards.  Hence my excuse for not having posted anything on this blog for eons as well.

On Christmas Eve morning, the client came for final proofing.  They liked, I framed, and out the door it went!  I likewise finished the donkey in under a week.  (They are all viewable at the website, www.CustomPastelPortraits.com).      

The best thing about the entire experience is the fact that I learned many lessons from it.  First, I learned that I can deal with clients changing their minds (frequently, I might add) better than I thought I could.  Second, I am able to kick it into high gear when necessary and still produce the quality of art I am seeking.  Third, I am a more successful artist than I previously gave myself credit for. 

I am grateful for all of my clients, and the wonderful compositions they come up with.  I love that they push me farther than I might otherwise seek to take myself.  I love that with every painting I learn something new, as I will research what I need to complete the painting.  I am also looking forward to a fascinating 2009.  So many paintings and other wonderful things to do.  I wish you a splendid New Year and may God bless you in ways you never thought possible!

     My grandmother passed away recently.  I have been reflecting on her life and realized what we will all miss out on.  She was 99 and lived a good life.  She rode in a covered wagon as a little girl, picked cotton, even herded cattle to the mud hole by the river to treat them for pests.  She rode horseback to school everyday.  Needless to say, she saw more changes than many of us ever will.  She and my grandfather worked hard to raise their family.  He worked different shifts, often seven days a week.  She raised the chickens and kept their four children and house in order.  They saw the automobile come of age, men on the moon, televisions turn on, the installation of telephones in every home, plus other events too numerous to count.  I am sure that doesn’t sound like much to miss out on.  However, our lives pale in comparison.  She also saw families that loved each other, helped each other, had fun together.  Neighbors got together to help each other, have dinner together, mourn together. 

      She always mentioned that people needed to get right with God, and start living for Jesus.  While I attended a non-denominational church with my grandparents occasionally, I didn’t get it.  As a teenager, I kind of started to get it, but rejected it.  I still didn’t really understand.  She spoke of salvation, but I never thought it applied to me.  Plus, I could twist everything around to fit what I thought was right.  About 10 years ago I finally got it.  Salvation!  I actually understood what it is she was talking about. 

     That being said, I can’t believe where we are here in America.  Everyone hollers about how we need “Change!”  ”Freedom!”.  What needs to change?  Is life that bad?  I can’t believe how many people have everything they need and are totally unhappy.  Sure, we need to work on the government, but not in the way some are suggesting.  We live in one of the richest nations, we have food, we have freedom of speech, religion, and the right to bear arms.  We come and go as we wish, vote, have our own home, make money, etc.  What more can someone ask for?  Robots do much of the hard work, we don’t walk anyplace anymore, families are broken, neighbors like to tick each other off, and we don’t have room for any more stuff to keep up with the Jone’s on.  Our children have the poorest health ever recorded in this nation’s history.  There is no self respect, so how can one respect others?  Personal responsibility and common sense are apparently against the law now.  The “big change” has to start from within.  The only thing I see a lot of people lacking is salvation through Jesus Christ.  I know this is not popular with many, and may even offend some.  However, if you give Christ a chance, He will open your eyes.  He will give you a peace you have never known.  If you delve into His Word, you will find the exact times we are living in as well.  His Word says “A house divided will not stand”.  If you would like to know more, please visit your local church, or, you can visit www.GraceChapel.net to learn more.

     Over the years we have all heard of unwanted or stray dogs and cats, many of which are dropped off on the side of the road, left to fend for themselves.  Sometimes they are just abandoned in a home when the owners move out.  However, there is a new problem that has popped up on the horizon in the past year or so.  It is unwanted horses.  Just a few years ago, one might hear of such a thing once in a great while.  Now, the frequency has increased dramatically.

     I have heard of numerous occasions where someone has gone to a horse auction, decided to leave without buying anything, and found their trailer loaded with horses.  There are also reports of horses being turned loose on state and federal lands, similar to the abandoned dog or cat.  As an animal lover, I have a difficult time with these situations.  I know that economics plays an important part, but there are a couple of other issues at hand as well.

       The first is the closing of the slaughter plants in the U. S.  While it is not pleasant to think about, unfortunately I guess they have their place in the checks and balances.  I am not condoning this, just making a statement.  I would rather humanely put my horse down than send it off to such a place.  It boils down to personal preference. 

      The other issue is that of overbreeding.  This holds true for the dogs and cats as well.  There can be too much of a good thing.  I love animals, but I also know how many I realistically have time and money for.  It does not do them or myself any good to go beyond that equation.  There have even been two horse rescue operations that had to be shut down and “rescued” themselves because they were bombarded with unwanted or neglected horses. 

      Pet ownership is not only fun and fulfilling, but it is also a responsibility.  Please spay, neuter, or geld your animals.  Many bloodlines have lost a great deal of good dispostion over the greed for numbers and confirmation.  Maybe if we slow down on the number of animals that we generate, it would make a tremendous difference in the long run.  If you would like to read more about the unwanted horse issue, you can visit the USA Today website at

                       http://blogs.usatoday.com:80/oped/2008/08/homeless-on-the.html.

As an artist, I am asked to paint all kinds of things, on all kinds of things.  One of my most recent paintings had to do with a portrait.  It is not your average portrait, however.  A client asked if I could do a painting of their pond, or small lake, if you will.  I snapped a few photos and she selected the view from their kitchen window.  She wanted it exactly as they see it every morning.  I painted the picture, in pastels, and she said she couldn’t be more thrilled.  Most folks would call this a landscape.  Since I usually do portraits of pets and/or their people, I decided to create a new category.  Pond Portraits. 

copyright2008 Denny Martindale

      It was a nice project to do, and I look forward to doing more.  The client gave it to her husband for an anniversary gift.  They are planning on having me paint a series of “Lake Vernon” in the four seasons.  Should be interesting!  Does anyone else have any interesting paintings they have done?  Would love to hear from you.

     Hello again!  Unfortunately, summer is almost half over.  I love the gifts summer has to offer.  Great painting opportunities, fresh fruits and veges, plus numerous happenings that can only happen in summer. 

     One of these are new fawns.  I love seeing a new fawn.  We had one show up in the pasture a couple of weeks ago.  We will see them frequently by themselves, although not far from the woods.  And you can be sure that the doe is not far away.  However, this particular one seemed orphaned.  Always by itself, and one morning lying in the gravel driveway to the barn.  It layed

fawn, actual distance, copyright 2008 Denny Martindale

fawn, close-up, copyright 2008 Denny Martindale

 there for about an hour, just keeping an eye on us.  The dog and cats wandered around waiting for breakfast, and we were doing morning chores.  For about two weeks we saw only the fawn, no doe.  Finally, we saw it with two does, so at least it has company.  I would love to hear from anyone that has actually had an orphaned fawn.  Of course, this presents more painting opportunities!

     The Lord loves to show us miracles.  Last Sunday morning was just that.  We received a phone call from a neighbor about 6 am.  His wife and daughter were at a horse show, so caretaker of the 5 or so horses at the farm.  One of their boarders had a Quarter Horse mare in foal in the back pasture.  She wasn’t due for another month.  He awoke to their dog frantically wanting outside, so he let her out and went to get the morning chores in motion.  He noticed the mare down the fence at the back of the pasture, where it meets the woods then drops down into a ravine.  He walked out as she was pacing and calling out, as if there was another horse in the woods.  He arrived to find she had given birth right at the fence, which happens to seven strands of high tensile wire, not barbed or electric.  Suddenly, the foal cried out.  It was out there someplace in the woods!

      He phoned us to see if we could help find the foal.  We drove over and he called out from behind the house in the woods.  We met him and he had a beautiful brown filly in his arms.  Apparrently, after she was born she rolled under the fence.  When she stood up, she was on the wrong side, which also slopes heavily to the bottom of the ravine.  The ligh was probably not good at the time, and in her struggle to get out she crawled up the other side and ended up behind the house.  We started to carry her, but it was going to be quite a distance to get around the ravine, down the drive to the barn.  We decided to guide her, so the neighbor guided her back while I gently held and rubbed her neck.  My husband worked gates and moved branches.  Finally, we were back in the pasture.  She called to Mom, who came running full speed.  Miraculously, she did not have a scratch on her!  Thank you Lord!  The vet came out and did all the checks and there is now a new, healthy subject to paint.  Some photos have already been taken, more on the way, I’m sure.  Drawing, pastels, or should I try acrylics?

     Being a pet portrait artist, I am in the studio more often than not when I paint.  I have been wanting to experience plein air painting now for quite some time.  I guess I caught the bug to do this when Chestnut Group member Kim Barrick came to give a talk at the Tennessee Art League in Nashville, TN a year and a half ago.  I never seemed to find the time to do this, until my husband and I went to Taylor Park, CO about 9,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains.  I had thrown in the acrylics and a couple of canvases, so that my aunt (my aunt and uncle met us up there) and I could try it.  Neither of us had ever done this, so it was definitely uncharted territory.  There is no humidity there, so it was interesting at first to get the paint to the canvas, as acrylics dry quickly anyway.  Needless to say, we were proud of our first little plein air paintings!

       Then, in March, a good friend and I were invited to a plein air paint out put on by the Tennessee Watercolor Society.  I went with pastels this time, and it was wonderful to be out in the fresh, albeit chilly Spring air.  The old shed and flowers I painted was not bad either.  My friend Ann and I offered to host them to a paint out on the Natchez Trace Parkway in June.  They heartily accepted the invitation.

       Now, to June 14, 2008.  The paint out was scheduled for 9am at the Garrison Creek stop of the Parkway.  It rained all night, and the skies were pretty grim.  Thunder rolled a couple of times at 6:30am.  I packed up the gear anyway.  We had discussed cancelling the event the night before, but we decided since there is a pavillion, we could at least paint the hills and trees.  At 9, the skies were trying to brighten a bit, so we headed up to the Trace, and met Bitsy and Noriko from the Plein Air Nashville and Tennessee Watercolor Society groups.  We painted under the pavillion, chatted with cyclists coming in from the short-lived showers, and had a really great time.  Other artists slowly made their way in, and everyone painted the beautiful scenery.  When the skies parted after lunch, we made our way down to the creek and painted along side the gently rolling waters.  Needless to say, painting nature is terrific!  If you decide to do this, make sure you have bug spray! 

     As an artist, plein air painting is a great experience.  I feel it can only enhance the creative process, even  when you get back to the studio.  Happy painting to all!

Hello to you,

    I’m glad you stopped. I’ve posted one of my favorite pet portraits for your viewing pleasure.