T-shirt Tuesday

 Bryn Youngblut is an Entrepreneur and Affiliate Marketer. As part of his blog http://bryn.me/2008/10/28/hoof-and-paw-impressions-t-shirt-tuesday/, he writes a new T-shirt plug on Tuesdays. He is a young man with a good head on his shoulders.

 I contacted him about my shop. Come to find out he had a Bearded Collie named Jazz. After he sent me a few pictures, I used PhotoShop to paint a couple of portraits of Jazz. One plain and one with a Santa hat and Candy Cane.

 I put Jazz on T-Shirts and other cool stuff. I can do this because I joined CafePress and opened a shop there.

 They look great together. I've been on pin and needles waiting for this day. He did a fine job writing about my shop, Thanks Bryn

Thank-You to everyone that helped make my first shop a sucsess.

Treats Only

From sister Sandy the best Paint Horse photos!

I started painting using photos more and more. Thank goodness I have many camera lovers to keep me supplied.

 I'm a lot better with paint then I am with a camera. The blurry black thing is our dog Vader.

Many of my T-shirt designs in the Cafepress store Hoof And Paw Impressions, start out as Photos from friends and family. Below is my latest design featuring our White German Shepherd, Yuki.

TREATS ONLY

My daughter Kate is a never ending suppler of dog pictures. She never worries about composition or proper lighting. She just has fun with her cameras and pets. I often raid her files and beg her for the pics I like.

 

 And tons of photos from my best friend Chuck.

Wet Feet For Chuck 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 After shopping on the boardwalk we just wanted to walk on the beach before heading home. Just when he wasn't watching a sneaky wave came in and soaked him. I turned around and snapped this with my Flip camcorder.

 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Right in our back yard.

Vader

Exit

 

My Painting Progress

I thought I would start showing what I'm up to, as far as painting go. Just learning digital art so any helpful comments are welcome.

Sky King

Sky King is a Dutch Warmblood and Arab cross. A special thanks to Clare, his owner who was kind enough to let me paint from her photos.

I used paint programs Twisted Brush and PhotoShop. The beautiful sunset came from one of my friend, C. Ferrara's photos from his resent trip to Florida.

Digital Painting For Less

I tried a painting program called PixarraTwistedBrushPro. I asked a fellow artist who used many different painting programs,which would she pick, if she could only have one. She then told me about Pixarra TwistedBrush. I never heard of it so I looked it up on the Internet. Wow! It is so much less money then the others. O.K. cheaper. There is even a free version to try it for yourself, before you buy. I am very pleased with it. At first,I just played around with it instead of reading the how to instructions. Ha ha, don't we all. Check out "Ziggy," pictured above. But I went back and did look them over. That's when I found out the many features that I just bought. It's going to be even harder to leave the computer now. My poor family!

So if you've been wanting a paint program, but been put off by the high prices, check TwistedBrush out. The community is very helpful, and a great place to learn. No excuses now, so get painting! Look me up if you join the community, say hello or send me a friend invite.

Oh yea... Ziggy is my sisters stallion, Verse Aspen Ziggy is his name. He is a paint stallion in South Jersey. He loves people, and he loves posing for photos. When she gets a good one she send it to me, "to keep me inspired," she says. I just think she loves the free artwork and gifts, but we won't tell her that.

Brandi And Annie Bonanza Going To States

When someone spends many hours working with an animal, they can form a hard to beat partnership. Sometimes we are lucky enough to know such a hard working pair. I know Brandi Engle, a girl with a wonderful pony named Annie Bonanza. A few years ago I lived next door and saw them working together daily. She is my niece and I am so proud of her. I ask my sister, to give me some details of their progress. And a very proud mother wrote...Brandi Engle and her horse Annie Bonanza, through hard work and a "never give up" attitude has earned them both the honor of representing Cumberland County at the NJ state horse show in August. They will be competing against the top riders in each county in several events. It will be their first try at states in Western Pleasure Pony and English Pleasure Pony. They will be in all 4 of the gaming events also. The Key Hole Race, The Bow Tie race, Pole Bending and Barrel Racing all of which the pair had previously competed in before at the state horse show. She plans to continue to ride this summer to keep Annie in tip top condition." Way to go Brandi and Annie!

A few years ago they inspired one of my T-shirt designs, Summer Days.”
Girls and horses sharing a special kind of “First Love” is one of my favorite inspirations for art.

You Can't Make a Living From Horses!

Anni And Ziggy from Kandihorse Farm

For as long as I can remember, horses have been the love of my life. My Mom knew this and showered me with horse gifts at Christmas and for my birthday. We couldn't afford the real thing but I collected plastic horses, read horse books, watched horse movies on TV, copied horse art, colored horse coloring books, and painted those paint by number things. When I played with kids outside, I was always the horse hitched to a wagon. I was a proud horse with long flowing main falling in my face as I arched my neck (the best a human can do) and pulled happily.

Growing up in this unreal world made me happy. Then one day my third grade teacher assigned book reports to the class permitting everyone except me to pick their own subject. She told me I was not to read a horse book. I can still hear her words " You cannot make a living from horses!" she went on to say. I didn't argue, I just read a dog book, my second love. I don't remember much of my childhood but I never forgot those sad words.

I got my first horse as an adult. I soon realized how wrong she was. Here was a whole bunch of people making a descent income in the horse world. Starting with the dealers, blacksmiths, vets, boarders, feed stores, tack shops and on and on. Some people get into breeding, showing or racing which makes more income, well... for some. Lol.

As it turned out my love of horses remained with me. I began designing
horse T-shirts. Each time I sell a horse shirt it makes me happy to see my teacher was so wrong. Our youth should be fun and full of happy memories. I have had good kind teachers in my life also. They are the ones I learned the most from and have the fondest memories of.

I rode most of my adult life. I took friends riding and did pony rides at festivals. I even breed a mare and raised a racehorse named Blue Relic. He won three races, including the last race ever run at the Garden State Race track. More then the money, horses have enriched my life with trail rides, camping, showing, breeding, photography and painting them. Often I'd take my coffee outside in the cool morning air, and listen to them munching their breakfast. Even cleaning pens is like a therapy. The best therapy ever.

I wouldn't want to make a living without them!