Nadine & Ripley

01/19/2025

My current project is a painting of Odin, my sister's deceased Cane Corso. I am gaining experience and enjoying the process of capturing canine subjects on canvas. While the work is progressing well, I recognize the need to devote additional attention to shadow and light details to achieve a more precise form. I am pleased with the current state of the painting.

01/15/2025

5 year difference. I love how he has developed physically and mentally. Oso is a stellar equine citizen!

01/14/2025

Who can relate?

01/14/2025

🎨✨ Look what just got sealed and finished! This is my latest piece—a mix of aquarelle and acrylics on wrapped canvas—and wow, what a journey it was! It took about 20 hours total over a week (thank you, drying time, for testing my patience 😅). But oh my goodness, I am SO proud of how it turned out. 😍

As I was working on this, I realized something pretty huge: I’ve made a giant leap in my skills this year, especially with these last two pieces! Every stroke, every detail taught me something new, and seeing it come together has been such an incredible experience. I truly feel like I’ve leveled up as an artist recently, and I can’t wait to keep pushing myself even further!

Big news to share—my website is currently under construction with a professional art store platform, AArt Storefronts Starting in January, I’ll FINALLY be able to offer high-quality prints of my work, including signed limited editions, and possibly originals too! So stay tuned for updates, because I’m beyond excited to share more of my creations with you all in the new year. 🌟

Wishing you a very happy holiday season and a fantastic start to 2024! Thank you so much for following along on this journey and for all your support—it means the world to me. 💖

✨ Cheers to a new year full of art, dreams, horses and growth! ✨

Shout out to Sarah Gardner Cottrell for letting us use the reference photo, Onaqui wild horse of Utah!

01/10/2025

Starting the new year off with new art! 🎨✨

I’m thrilled to share my latest painting, a heartfelt Christmas gift for my parents! This acrylic masterpiece is painted on a beautifully textured 20x30 stretched canvas and took about 25 hours to complete. It features Ragnar, their gentle giant Newfoundland, and Lennox, their spunky West Highland white terrier, posing in the lush green backyard of my family's house.

I wanted to capture not just their personalities but also the warmth of the home and the special bond these two share. 🖌️❤️

Creating this piece was a labor of love, and I’m so excited to finally show it off! What do you think of Ragnar and Lennox’s backyard portrait? Let me know in the comments—your support means the world! 🌟

👉 Don’t forget to follow my page for more art, updates, and creative projects! Let’s spread the joy of art together!

01/01/2025

Happy New Year, friends!

I'm starting the year off right with a special painting project - a portrait of my parents' lovable pets, Ragnar the Newfoundland and Lennox the West Highland White Terrier.

As I navigate the challenges of painting dogs for the first time, I'm discovering the rewards of perseverance and creativity. One of the toughest parts was capturing the nose of the black dog, but the feeling of triumph when I got it just right was amazing.

Stay tuned for updates on my progress and let the joy and love of these incredible pets inspire you! With a deadline looming, I'm more driven than ever to create something truly unforgettable.

12/31/2024

Here's to a fresh start and a year filled with excitement and possibilities.

Warmest wishes for a happy new year from Nadine, Ripley, Oso, Obsidian, Cervantes and Loui!

12/27/2024

Whaaaat?!?!?

How Did Beyoncé End Up Using Cavallo Hoof Boots for the NFL Halftime Show? :o 🇺🇸

In rehearsal for the Christmas Day National Football League Halftime show, the team realized the concrete floors of the stadium were just too slick for safe, proper traction. They reached out to us and we RUSH shipped them boots immediately!

Scarlet from Horses For Productions gave us this awesome feedback right away:

"We ended up using Cavallo Trek Boots on the fronts for the main horses as we had to stand around for 10 hours. The ground was extremely slippery and dangerous and I am happy to report not one single horse slipped! Again, I appreciate you all for getting them to us so fast, they truly are the best and so many people complemented how great they looked them while on set!"

Didn't catch the show during the game? You can still see Cavallo Trek Hoof Boots strutting into the stadium by watching Beyoncé Bowl on Netflix here: https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/81983946

Horses For Productions also used our CLB mini hoof boots on the double for Jenny the Donkey when accepting the Oscar award for the movie The Banshees of Inisherin, so they knew Cavallos were exactly what they needed for Beyoncé! If you missed it, it's pretty cute...watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhwC2hw8Udg

12/18/2024

12/17/2024

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL.

Since I do not know when I will have time to do artwork in this special season, here's a Christmas inspired artwork with Ripley and me for the holidays.

CHRISTMAS IN THE BARN ---- AUTHOR UNKNOWN

It's the night before Christmas and I'm out in the barn,
Blanketing my horses to keep them all warm.
They're eating their dinners, tucked cozy in stalls,
Not aware that it's Christmas, or any day special at all.

They dream of spring pastures from their pine-scented beds.
No visions of sugarplums dance in their heads.
But we people are thinking of merry parties and such,
Quickly doing our tasks so we don't miss too much.

This season is special, but the horses don't know.
They munch on their hay safe out of the snow
I finish my chores and head on inside
To get ready for dinner and my family's yuletide

It's nearly midnight, the carols are sung.
I remember a story told when I was young,
How at midnight on each Christmas Eve
The barnyard creatures can speak to us with ease.

I am called to the barn. I slosh through the snow.
I can't really explain; I know I must go.
I slide open the door, and stand there and smile
Then slowly walk down the dimly lit aisle.

A nicker from Idaho, a soft snort from Montana,
Sweet, gentle Secret gives me a wink
Skeeter rustles his bedding, Doc comes into sight
Even Honey gives a greeting as I walk through the night.

I thought about parties bright lit and warm,
The ones we don't go to cause we have the barn,
And vacations and holidays that we usually don't get,
Cause we have the animals and chores to be met.

Walking all the way to the end of the aisle,
I stop to stroke Idaho, and linger awhile
She snuffles my face, hot breath on my skin
And I look around at the others, my horses, my friends.

I could be at parties with laughter and mirth
But where I am right now is the best place on Earth.

From Our Barn to Yours
Nadine & Ripley

12/16/2024

S T O R M – S T A Y E D

When the center of faith to the fireside has shifted
And life is confined within four solid walls;
Then memory for comfort stands touching our shoulder
And fancy for favor sits close by our side,
And drifts may pile deeper and winds may grow colder,
But down in our hearts there are green fields to ride.

With the smoke from our pipes like a meadow mist trailing,
With the hum of the storm-wind like hooves in our ears
Across the big pastures in dream we go sailing…..

For some there are scenes of their youth to recover;
Wild musters, wild round-ups in sagebrush and sand,
From the fenceless far places that lack not a lover
So long as the snaffle lies light to the hand.

Though snowflakes be whirling and highways be drifted
Though hounds doze in kennels and nags in their stalls
There’s never a storm-cloud too dark to be lifted
When dream-logs are burning in horse-lovers’ halls.

—Will H. Ogilvie

This was an experiment with some new techniques and I really liked the painterly feel of it even though it was done in Photoshop. Anyhoodles. Enjoy your holiday season, y'all.

Nadine & Ripley

12/10/2024

I am very pleased with myself for almost completing this project. Not only that, but I'm sincerely kind of impressed at this leap of skill improvement to be able to produce this! Super proud of myself :)

Now, to finish, I need only add a few small details. I will be offering prints of this piece and my previous pastel work for sale starting in January! So stay tuned! Website is getting properly set up this time!

12/08/2024

Lately, I’ve been working on this piece, and as I stepped back to reflect on it, I had a sudden realization—something has shifted...

It feels like I’ve crossed an invisible threshold in my journey as an artist. The progress from my last two pieces to this one has been a giant leap.

I’m not one to boast, but there’s this quiet moment of recognition: I’m starting to see the mastery I’ve been striving for taking shape. It’s humbling to look at this work and see how far I’ve come, not just in skill but in understanding the nuances of light, form, and expression.

There’s still so much to learn and improve upon, but today, I’m pausing to appreciate this step forward.

Sometimes, growth feels slow and imperceptible, but then, moments like this remind us that persistence pays off.

Back to the easel—I can’t wait to see how this one turns out. 😉

🖌🎨🖼

12/07/2024

WIP update. This time aquarelle on canvas :) love how this is coming along! Stay tuned for progress updates! 😉

12/06/2024

New artwork on the easel. WIP! I wanna thank the lady that offered the shot I used as reference. Can't wait for her to see it!