In the Studio with DeeAnn

Todays 5 minute sketch

2011-09-23T10:01:00.001-05:00

Love those ponies

2011-09-17T13:18:00.001-05:00

Here's today's quick sketch

A Sketch a Day...almost

2011-09-16T20:10:00.000-05:00

I must apologize. It's been almost a year since my last post. What happened?! Well, I had a baby.

AnnaBelle Lynn was born January 16th, 2011. She is a blessing and a wonderful baby. She turned 8 months old today! She is crawling, and pulling up on things already. We are certain she will probably try to walk within a month. She, and her 3 year old sister, Lilia, keep me hopping! Being a Mom, housewife, and Graphic Artist is wonderful and I love it, but it also takes me away from the studio.

To put it bluntly: I miss my studio time. I miss being creative. Sculpting, painting and also drawing. Although, I haven't really drawn in many years I feel a constant yearning to return to it. I often sketch before I start a sculpture. It helps me work out my ideas and get it on paper. I would love to someday go back and complete those sketches.

Since I don't have time to go to the bathroom these days... er is that TMI? I mean I don't have time to sculpt or paint right now. ;) I'm setting a goal for myself. I want to create 3-4 sketches per week and post them here. It will be a way for me to put my ideas on paper, and also to be create for just a few minutes each day. These ideas have been filling up my brain and I need to get them out there and on paper. This way I will have lots of ideas when I do get back to sculpting too. :)

I am going to set a goal myself to sketch for 2-5 minutes each day. I think it will be a good lesson for the girls to see Mommy carving out just a small amount of time for her interests too.

With only 2-5 minutes spent on each sketch please don't expect too much. They are more of a brain dump. I will be taking quick photos with my iphone, so they may not be the best quality...please bear with me. ;)

So without further ado, here's todays Sketch:

New Arabian

2010-10-29T14:20:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to finally be able to post about a finished horse! I worked on this one for what seemed like weeks and weeks. Traditional scale horses are always a joy to paint because you can really get in there and detail them, but for me I get carried away and spend hours and hours trying to get each thing perfect and on a Traditional piece it ends up taking a ton of time. Minis can be even tougher, don't get me wrong, however this particular piece I hand painted nearly everything using tiny hairs and so she was rather time consuming.

Without further ado here's a Zahara resin by Stacey Tumlinson. Finish and Custom Work by myself, DeeAnn Kjelshus:

You could say I've been on a grey kick lately. I've been trying to perfect my technique. Of course perfection is never achieved, but I hope that I improve each time. She was a lot of fun to create. She was customized with a brand new tail, and her mane and neck have been customized as well. I brought the mane back off her neck showing off her graceful curves.

Initially I tried to sell her unpainted. I'm always afraid to paint them because too often I become attached and then they never leave my cabinet. lol! This time I'm offering her for sale right away so I don't become attached.

If you'd like to see more, pix and sales information are available on my website: http://www.artbydeeann.com/sales/resins/Zahara/

Unconditional

2010-10-08T21:33:00.000-05:00

Here is my artist choice copy #2 of "Unconditional" my latest Mare and Foal Medallion. This one was a donation to the "Flying Hearts Fundraiser". I donated a custom paint job. The customer let me do an artist choice on her which I love doing! (Thanks Jenn!)

Artist Choice copy #1 is below- a pinto pair. I hope to do more in the future of this one. It's a fun medallion to paint and is available to order unpaitned. On occasion I can be talked into painting a Custom copy. :)

Pregnant and tired

2010-10-02T20:58:00.000-05:00

This post relates to both myself, and the latest horse I have to share with you.
I'm now 5 months pregnant (whoot!) but by the time I get my daughter tucked into bed I am tired out myself. The mare I recently completed is in the same situation, only she doesn't have a little one to chase all day. ;0)

Meet mini Ziryab by Stacey Tumlinsons. I've customized her by giving her a new lowered neck, altered forelock and shortened tail. I decided to lower her neck to make her more relaxed as if she too was tired out from her pregnancy. She is painted into a stunning Bay tobiano Pintabian mare. Completed September 2010. Media used: Acrylics, Pastels.

She's available for sale. Check her out on MH$P or my website if you are interested.

2010-09-29T12:39:00.000-05:00

My daughter, Lilia, is 2 3/4 years old. Like most kids, she's always trying to be a "big girl" and do everything by herself.

Since I usually work in the studio while she naps she always wakes up to find me in my work apron, with something going on in the studio. So this week she came down after her nap and wanted to watch me work. She stood behind me, in awe, as I painted a little on a horse. The next day after her nap she woke up and told me she was a "big girl now, and can paint horses just like Mommy." I had an extra horse body laying around and decided to let her give it a whirl. She was so tickled that when she was done she showed everyone who would take an interest and every day after nap she comes in the studio to add a little paint to her horsie because "he's not finished yet".

It's amazing to me what joy a child can bring to ones life. Being able to share this little piece of myself, and my passion with her only adds to that joy.

Justeen time

2010-09-21T20:49:00.000-05:00

Let me introduce you to "Justeen".

This is my Mini Scarlett resin by Stacey Tumlinson. I am totally in love with this resin and I finally was able to get a coat of paint on her. Unfortunately I haven't been able to get great photos of her. I struggle to capture her true coat color which isn't as 'blue' in real life.

I finished this gal just before Meows to Minis and was so tickled when she NAN qualified for me. Even my hubby likes this gal and commented on the level of detail I achieved at this scale, including the pinking behind her elbows and in appropriate areas. Since I always struggle with my greys, and have been working hard to try and get one that was to my liking, this came as high praise for me.

You can see many more photos of her on my website.

Totally Taboo

2010-09-17T12:19:00.000-05:00

Taboo by Sarah Minkiewicz Breunig has always been one of my favorite Mini Sculptures.
I've taken this guy and given him a relaxed tail and a new forelock as well. This sculpture is so detailed and amazing, especially for the scale he's sculpted in. I tried to give him an equally detailed paint job. I'm pleased with how his muzzle turned out on such a small scale. I continue to strive for as much detail as possible even on these little guys. Although, sometimes I walk away cross eyed.

He is available for sale. Check my website or MH$P for details.

A little somethinng

2010-09-15T08:11:00.000-05:00

The next piece I have to share with you is Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunigs Imp resin. I've painted him into a buckskin pinto and put him on a base to help with his tendency to want to topple over. This little fellow has so much energy and spunk! It was hard to decide on just one color to paint him. Luckily I have one more of these to paint so I can try out another coat on him as well.

Introducing Felicia

2010-09-14T09:08:00.000-05:00

Today I'd like to introduce you to Felicia. She's is Deborah McDermotts Mini Pearl Arabian mare resin. A mini version of her Persuasion resin. I really love this little mare, the sculpture is just gorgeous. To me, she exudes femininity and "Arabian".

I've painted this gal into a detailed light dapple grey. There are more photos of her on my website . For anyone interested she is available for sale please check MH$P for details.

Meows to Minis 2010

2010-09-13T14:12:00.000-05:00

I had a wonderful time at Meows to Minis 2010! Chris, Mark and the whole gang put on a fantastic show! I highly recommend it to everyone. The people are great, the competition is tough, and best of all it's for a great cause! I believe they raised $3000 for the kitties at the shelter this year!! Hooraaaay! Also, if your into awards, and raffles I came home with lots of goodies. Chris always has an amazing auction, and great raffle donations!

I judged the RESS Challenge this year. I really enjoy that event. Unfortunately RESS is dissolving so it was the last one. Still there was great competition and I had a good time judging.

Being 4 1/2 months pregnant I was pretty tired by the end of the show, but it was all so worth it. I always have such fun visiting with other showers and gabbing about horses and other none sense. Since my back was aching, I was a bit more confined to my seat as I normally like to wander around a bit more. But, I had a great group of friends around me to chat with and keep me company.

I managed to get all my horses into the rings and was thrilled to bring home lots of NAN cards, and several Champs! I forgot to snap pix till the very end of the show so only have the two I can show you.
First up is my little mini resin: "Keepsake" shown as "Tic Tac" who won a Reserve in his division!

Then there was "Kosmic Collision"- a Taboo Resin that I painted into a dapple grey appy and show as a Tigre Horse. He won his Division, and Overall Reserve of Show!! I was more than tickled with him.

I was pleased that I was able to finish up 7 new Minis in time for this show. I will be listing several of them for sale over the next few weeks. I will try to feature a new one here each day, or every other day. First up is a Breyer CM into an Appy Sport Horse:

He is available for sale too. Check my website and MH$P for details.

Have a great day!

Live Show Fun

2010-08-29T21:17:00.003-05:00

I had a great time getting out to a live show this weekend. It's always a fun escape.

I was pleased that my horses did so well. I qualified many for NAN and brought home 7 Champs! Here are just a few I was able to shoot pix of. Sorry for the poor quality. I only had my old point and shoot camera along. I have links to better photos on my website of each horse.

Little Fellow winning a Champ in his division! A Bogucki Bidjar resin I created as a portrait of "Chip" from my favorite childhood book "The Little Fellow" by Margaret Henry

Twinkie, my Rose Poquito resin I painted into a Sorria Colt. His ribbon is bigger than him!

Fraley Alegria Resin I Painted Strawberry Roan winning her division championship ribbon

Left: Eberl Bravioso resin I painted into a dappled Buckskin winning his division and overall championship ribbons!

Right: Mephisto resin I painted into a smutty dappled buckskin winning his division championship ribbon

I also completed 4 new horses for this show. I will snap some photos of them and get those posted ASAP.

Meows to Minis 2010

2010-08-28T21:01:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share with you the medallion I painted for this years Meows to Minis live show donation. This beautiful medallion was sculpted by Becky Turner. I painted it after a ragdoll named Lilly. Since my 2 year old daughter is named Lilia when I saw this beauty I knew I just had to paint her!

The kitty medallion is up for auction now, along with several other gorgeous artist donations, and other great items. Please go and bid and help support the kitties. All proceeds go to them.

Find out more about this wonderful show and go bid on any of the wonderful auction items.

Exciting News!

2010-08-22T21:10:00.001-05:00

Sorry to have been radio silent for so long. After completing my NAN auction donation our family took a trip to North Dakota to visit family and friends for the month of July. We go every year sometimes 2-3 times a year. Each time we spend as much time as possible there. Luckily, my day job as a graphic artist is portable. This time we stayed longer to allow more quality time with friends and family. Both my husbands family, and my family and siblings all live in this beautiful state.

Summer is definitely the time to visit, especially the month of July. The sun rises early and doesn't set until 10 pm! You will never see the a skyline as beautiful, or sunsets as rich (photo taken during Medora Musical). The weather is warm and you can spend the entire day outdoors if you wish.

Winters are a different story... LOL! and sadly probably what the state is best known for.
I would highly advise a visit in the summer to one of the many tourist areas like Medora, located in the Badlands. If you like to trail ride, you will find some of the prettiest views.

The reason we stayed so long this time is that we won't make it back in December for our annual visit at Christmas because I will be 8 months pregnant at the time! Yep, I'm expecting baby #2 January 17, 2011!! We are very excited about our new addition. Although it will mean some downtime in the studio. At least we won't be traveling around the country with this one which means I should get back into the studio MUCH sooner.

Just wanted to share the news. It's not horse related, but it will very much affect my time in the studio. The good news is that I've been working on 5 new horses since we returned and will have something available to post about, and for sale soon!

NAN 2010 Donation horse completed!

2010-06-20T21:08:00.000-05:00

It's with a sigh of relief that I announce that my 2010 NAN auction donation is complete! It's been a fun process, but it was down to the wire.

I took a Stone Arab and drastically customized him into a Sport Horse. The reference photos I used were of Hanoverian horses to be exact. His head and neck are completley new. His hindquarters and hind legs were removed and his hing legs were reset to breed standard. He has new shoulders, barrel, and mane and tail too. The entire custom is about 85% original.

His photos have been sent off to the NAN auction website but I wanted to share a few here. I'd love to hear what you think!

If you'd like to see more photos and progress photos check them out on my web site.

My New Best Friend

2010-05-21T15:11:00.001-05:00

I used to spend hours and hours with sandpaper grinding away at my Apoxie sculptures, or drastic customs created with Apoxie. Then I discovered this little bit I had for my dremel all along:

It's the Dremel Finishing Abrasive Buff in 320 grit. I've only recently started using it but it has saved me so much time. Now instead of spending four-five hours doing my intitial sanding it only took me 30 minutes. I will still have to refine using sandpaper and smaller tools, but this thing is a life saver! I no longer come away from a sanding session looking battered and worn without any fingerprints left. instead, I come away looking for another victim to use my sanding buff on.

Note: the photo shows a buff on the left after a sanding session, and an unused buff on the right.

New Piece finished

2010-04-30T13:40:00.001-05:00

I'm excited to finally finish this piece. She's a Keeling Summer Breeze resin and has been in the works for about 10 years now. I customized her twitchy ear, and flippy tail about 6 or 7 years ago and she's been waiting to come to life since then. I dug her out this spring and got to work. I believe I spent more time on this paint job than I have any other to date. Many, many, many (did I say many?) layers went into making her dappled coat. I went back and forth trying to achieve the color and dappling I wanted. I never feel like a piece is complete (anyone else feel that way?) but I had to stop somewhere. So here she is!! Please check out all her photos on my website. Also, see other new pieces on my New Works page.

So what's next? I will keep plugging away on my NAN donation, as well as a sculpture that's been in the works for some time. I have photos but need to get those posted.

I will have an upcoming sale piece in SM scale. I also want to start on a Indy I've had around here for some time. He's going to be Pinto, of course! Those who know me know I can't resist the spots for long.
Now, back to the studio while the wee one still naps.

NAN 2010 donation in progress

2010-04-10T12:08:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to post more pix of my NAN auction donation but have been busy using that extra time to actually be in the studio sculpting.

Here's a current pic of him now:

As you can see a lot of work has been done. He has a brand new original head and neck, as well as hindquarters. most of his barrel and shoulder are redone (I'd like to dremel down that left shoulder and re-sculpt as it seems a bit high. Also more work to do on the hooves, ears, eyes, legs, and many other areas. He also needs a mane, and I want to shorten the tail a bit. I'd like your opinion of his mane and other areas. I've opened a discussion on my Fan page on Facebook. Please check it out and comment.

To see all the progress pix please check them out on my website:
http://www.artbydeeann.com/NANdonation2010.asp

Show for the Cure

2010-03-26T20:42:00.001-05:00

I had a blast last weekend attending "Show for the Cure". If you get the chance, attend, donate, and support this show. This year they raised $3200 for the cause!

I was pleased to support the show by donating a paint job on a Faith Medallion. I LOVE this medallion and it was so much fun to paint! Check out more photos of her on my website.

The show is well organized, very well run, and a blast to attend! My favorite thing about shows is seeing old friends and making new ones. But, if your into awards, prizes, raffles, and other great items this show is also amazing in all those areas.

I was tickled to come home with lots of NAN cards, and some Championships to boot. I worked my tail off trying to complete a few new pieces before the show. One of them was a new foal for my own show string, "Little Fellow". This guy holds a special spot in my heart as he is done as a portrait of "Chip" from my favorite childhood book Marguerite Henry's "The Little Fellow". Make sure you check out the photos of him on my website.
Little Fellow almost missed his class, but thanks to gracious judges I squeezed him in at the last minute and he came home with firsts with NAN cards in Halter, and workmanship, a Grand in his division, and an OVERALL reserve grand of show!!

TheWar Chant resin I painted who shows under the name "Bravado" also came home with more NAN cards and a a Grand in workmanship in his division as well! (more pix on my website)

This is a really great show and I highly recommend it to anyone who can make it next year.

Working in tight spaces

2010-03-01T17:00:00.006-06:00

When we relocated to Chicago from North Dakota 6 years ago I gave up the wide open spaces of the plains, as well as the wide open space of a full studio. Since then I have been working out of a cabinet I bought for airbrushing over 12 years ago. It's an old computer hutch I converted into an almost perfect solution for a mini-studio. The best part is that it has doors so I can close the doors to my mess and it looks half way decent!

I was at a live show last weekend visiting with a friend who was commenting that she'd given up her art as she didn't have the space for a studio. I'm guessing there are others like her out there so I wanted to share this mini-studio idea with you all.

Hubby and I both work from home full time. When hubby isn't acting he is a software engineer and I work full time as a Graphic Artist. We have a 3-bedroom condo in the city but space is limited and we also have an ever growing 2 year old with an ever expanding toy box.

Up until yesterday hubby worked on the kitchen table and I had an office/studio room. This was hardly fair so I offered to combine my studio space with my office space and move to our bedroom while he took the desk/office. This way we essentially both have offices.

After the move was complete I decided I'd share some photos and ideas with all of you.

Above is the cabinet closed up. The horses on top are in the waiting area, or "on deck". I'd like to get a smaller cabinet with doors to put those in as well.

So here's the cabinet open (minus the computer)

Above is a close up. You can see all we've added. A Paper Towel mount on the right, Shelves on the left that hold my brushes, sculpting tools, sanding tools and assorted other items. The shelves house all my supplies and we've even mounted a light on the ceiling inside to cabinet that I use in addition to the Ott Light you see on the rightas well as a clamp light. The empty shelf is where my Keyboard will go when not in use as a sculpting/painting station.

And lastly, above is a photo of the station used as a desk with my computer nestled inside.

With a little creativity and desire you can work in even the smallest of spaces. I used to travel a lot and even worked out of hotels. Taking all of my supplies with me in one tiny suitcase!

If you can dream it, it can be reality.
Now go create! :)

Live Showing

2010-02-21T10:53:00.003-06:00

I've been having a great time getting back into the live show scene after over 3 years away. I attended No Frills Live show in Huntley, IL on Saturday. I had so much fun catching up with old friends and getting to know new ones. We really do have a great group of people in our hobby.

I finally remembered to bring my camera this time. Just wanted to share a photo. Pictured are my 5 Champions and overall champ of show.

Pictured left to right: Let's Roll resin sculpted and Painted by DeeAnn Kjelshus. Grand in his division and overall grand of show. Otto resin painted by DeeAnn Reserve in his division. Raja Resin sculpted by DeeAnn Painted by Danielle Feldman Reserve in his division, Spinnaker resin painted by DeeAnn Reserve in his division, and a Newly completed Dafydd resin painted by DeeAnn Grand in his division

Introducing....

2010-02-17T20:49:00.002-06:00

Unconditional
Mare and foal relief sculpture by DeeAnn Kjelshus. Cast in Fine Artists Resin.
Created 2007, Cast in 2010
Size: 4 X 5
Available to order!

"Unconditional" was sculpted in 2007 while I was pregnant with my own daughter. I guess you could say I was inspired. ;)

More details here: http://www.artbydeeann.com/other/reliefsculptures/Unconditional/default.asp

New Horse completed!

2010-02-14T21:40:00.003-06:00

I just finished up this Breyer SM. I had a great time trying some new techniques to achieve a realistic dapple grey. I'm tickled with the results, and he's up for grabs!
http://www.artbydeeann.com/info.asp?horse=404

(ignore the not for sale info, a program glitch)
He's on my sales page: http://www.artbydeeann.com/sales/

Tuesday Mule

2010-02-11T14:30:00.003-06:00

Above is one of my favorite pieces. Even though she was done in 2004 she still holds her own. I have her a few other resins from my show string up for sale. Check out my sales page for more details:
http://www.artbydeeann.com/sales/

Step 3

2010-01-28T13:08:00.001-06:00

He has the beginnings of Hindquarters!

Progress

2010-01-26T15:08:00.004-06:00

I made some progress putting Humpty Dumpty back together. I prefer to cut the limbs off in order to set them back on correctly for the pose I'm creating.
Here's what happened yesterday:

The limbs were set, and the body was filled with Tin Foil

I added some Apoxie to really set the limbs on.

Any more guesses? :)

So it begins

2010-01-25T21:06:00.004-06:00

I was honored to be invited to be part of the NAN auction this year. I've been scouring magazines and books trying to figure out what I really would like to create.

I thought it would be fun to post my progress here.

So I was thinking it would be fun to have you all guess what I'm creating as I post progress pix. Sound like fun?

Here we go!

So I'm starting out with the Stone Arab:
(and no, the finished horse will NOT be an Arab, even tho I love them!)

Here's what happened after a night with the hack saw:
(Hubby walked in as I was sawing this poor beast into pieces and I think he wondered who he'd married - *evil laugh*)

That's all so far... any guesses?

2010-01-07T13:21:00.002-06:00

I finally completed a piece of artwork for myself. This is my Aurora Medallion. She actually is the perfect size as a broach. I sold my own copy years ago and finally replaced it with this newly completed rose grey. If your interested in ordering a painted or unpainted copy let me know. I have many other medallions available. You can order them all unpainted and I will consider custom paint orders on them as well. Check them out on my site.

Back to it

2009-11-11T15:17:00.002-06:00

I've finally started diving back into a sculpture that's been waiting for completion for almost 3 years now. I'm hoping with "new" eyes I will be able to really go to town and get this guy completed. For now here's a sneak peak at him.

Completed Works

2009-11-04T20:41:00.003-06:00

I've been slacking in the Blog department these days. Reason being: I'm getting some studio work done instead. Whooot!

You can check out one of the latest here.
I also have another beauty that's complete. I will snap shots of him soon and get them posted. He is already spoken for.

I do have 2 other Finish Work projects in the works which will be offered for sale. I've also started working on an older sculpture. It's been a few years since I've worked on it and I've decided to go a different direction so this ones going to take more time to complete. Still, it feels good to have my hands in clay again.

New Horse completed!

2009-10-02T13:36:00.002-05:00

I'm excited to report that I've completed a new horse. This guy is big and he's wicked! I'm working on his set of "glamour shots" now but thought you might enjoy a sneak peak. :)

Tim Flash- amazing photographer!

2009-09-22T13:03:00.002-05:00

I stumbled across this Tim Flach an equine photographers website and had to share. Click on his Equus link and be amazed. The jumping photo is the most unusual and amazing photo of a horse jumping I've ever seen.

More photos by Tim Flach on Cowboys and Indians
He also has a book out.

Let the drooling begin. ;0)

p.s. Please share your favorite coffee table horse books, or favorite horse links with me!

Eye Candy!

2009-09-18T21:01:00.003-05:00

Just a quick note to let you know I have completed several (5 to date!) horses, and have several for sale, or coming up for sale. Check out my newest works page, as well as the sales pages for details.

More to come soon!

Poking Along

2009-08-28T21:41:00.003-05:00

I'm excited to report that I have a few new projects near completion and others in the works.

I'm planning to attend Meows to Minis live show this September so I thought it would be a good idea for me to finish up a few unpainted mini resins I'd started awhile back. So I've been working on painting in the studio these past few weeks. It's been such a treat after being away from it so long.

I also drug out a War Chant resin I started about 2 years ago. He has a loooong ways to go, but he'll get there.

Just thought you'd all like a sneak peak, and proof that I really am back to work in the studio. Even if it's only for a little time each day. ;0)

Happy Friday everyone!

I'm Back!

2009-08-21T11:36:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited to report that after two and half years of traveling with my husbands job we are back in our home, and I am back in my studio!

I've already started painting a new mini resin. Watch here for pics and details soon.

It has been slow going getting moved back in, and also since I have a 20 month old little girl. I generally only get 10-20 minutes here and there to work but I take full advantage of having access to my studio again.

I'm also planning on attending the Meows to Minis live show. Can't wait to see some of you there!

Inspiration

2009-02-27T20:28:00.002-06:00

We've been traveling these past couple of years. I haven't had much time to create sculptures of my own but I have enjoyed seeing others work along our way. Anytime we can we take in an art museum. Also, anytime I can, I seek out horse sculptures in the area to study and just enjoy. It's inspiring.

I wanted to share my updated album of those sculptures with you:

http://picasaweb.google.com/deeannkjelshus/HorseSculptures#

Busy busy

2008-10-19T20:05:00.002-05:00

Believe it or not I've had a little bit of time and managed to finish painting 3 horses. The Nevada has already been sold, The Donkey Foal is currently for sale, and the Draft Resin will be for sale shortly.

I'm going to be doing a bit more traveling before the end of the year so will only have a couple more weeks in the studio. Chances are I won't complete anything else, but I will sure try!

Until then, please take a peek at what's new.

Dapple Grey Arabian Optime resin by DeeAnn Kjelshus for sale!

2008-09-27T21:36:00.003-05:00

See complete details and photos here.

Somethings brewing

2008-09-23T20:14:00.003-05:00

I've had just a wee bit of time in the Studio and I have a few things brewing!! And by the mess you can see the time wasn't spent cleaning it! ;-)

Watch here, or join my Yahoo group for details. :)

And another NAN win

2008-07-29T15:12:00.005-05:00

It's too exciting for me not to report these wins. Sorry they aren't all in one post but they are showing up sporadically.

This one was the Custom Pony I did as a NAN auction donation in 2002.

She is shown as “Sweetie Pie” by Shelley Hogle
She won Reserve Champion in both breed and workmanship at NAN and she took 2nd in the pony class at Breyerfest.
Congrats Shelley!
http://nan.namhsa.org/results/2008/results.cgi?5035
http://nan.namhsa.org/results/2008/results.cgi?514
http://www.artbydeeann.com/info.asp?horse=287

How to articles coming soon

2008-07-29T14:46:00.002-05:00

I'd like to post some informative 'how to' articles on my blog. I'd like to know if you have anything you'd be interested in seeing, or learning about when it comes to sculpting or painting. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

Thanks!!

Another NAN Champion

2008-07-29T14:05:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Renna Moss & Erin Moss owners of "Powered Suger" a CM ISH that I created. he won Reserve National Champion in CM Quarter Horses and Reserve Champion in CM TRAD/CL Dilutes Workmanship!

National (NAN) wins!

2008-07-25T19:33:00.008-05:00

It looks like it's been 7 months since I've posted. Well, a little less than that, but our little girl is now 7 months old so it has been a long time. I apologize. I am back on the road with my hubby while he tours the country w/ the Broadway show "Mamma Mia" and raising our little girl at the same time. I didn't have the room (and didn't know if I'd have the time) to bring along any of my artwork to do. So I haven't had much to report...until now!

I'm so tickled to be able to congratulate Meta Lexon on her NAN wins. She shared a few photos of some horses I created that she showed at NAN and they did very well.
Since I haven’t been working much in the past two years, and prior to that didn’t create that many horses over a years time I’m very excited to see that some of my work is being shown and doing so well. If you have a horse that showed at NAN this year please send me the results, I’d love to see photos as well.

The following horses are owned and shown and photographed by Meta Lexon. The Nahar is called Cedar Savage and won a reserve champ in workmanship and took a top ten in AR mini arabian breed! The Appy is Printz Charming and he took a top ten in workmanship for mini appies! Congratulations Meta!!

Printz Charming

He can be seen on my website here: http://www.artbydeeann.com/info.asp?horse=186

Cedar Savage

Also see him on my website here:http://www.artbydeeann.com/info.asp?horse=251

Introducing.....

2008-01-30T13:38:00.000-06:00

I thought it was about time that I introduce you all to the newest member of our family:
Lilia Ann !

She was born on December 25th, 2007 - a Christmas Baby! Lilia was 7 lbs 4 oz at birth, and 21 1/2 inches long. She's now over 5 weeks old, 10 lbs 3 oz and 23 3/4 inches long and growing daily! We've been enjoying every moment with our little blessing, even the sleepless ones.

I have a few photos of her online if you'd like a peek.
http://picasaweb.google.com/deeannkjelshus/Lilia45WeeksOld
http://picasaweb.google.com/deeannkjelshus/Lilia3Weeks
http://picasaweb.google.com/deeannkjelshus/LiliaAnn2Weeks

Lilia has been keeping me very busy which is why I haven't posted here for awhile. I hope to get back to work on some horses in a month or two and post something new then.

New photos

2007-12-03T14:11:00.000-06:00

Thought I'd put up a some quick shots I took of Jazira a few weeks ago. I haven't been able to work on her for about 6 weeks, but you can see that I made some progress in getting her pieced back together. She still needs a lot of work, and any critiques are welcome. Please do note she's far from complete. The color differences you see are due to the fact that I used Apoxie to resculpt those areas I dremeled away.

Baby = Sale

2007-11-29T14:34:00.000-06:00

With our new little one on the way we've been having to take inventory of a lot of things. Space, closet space, time etc. I've realized that I just won't have the time to do as much horse work as in the past. Therefore I've decided to part with a few of the pieces I've been saving to paint for myself. These are top LSQ unpainted Resins. If your interested check out my sales page:
http://www.artbydeeann.com/sales/

Preparing in Pink

2007-11-15T17:20:00.000-06:00

I haven't had much time to work on horses lately. Instead I've been enjoying spending some time visiting family and getting prepared for our babies arrival.

We are still shooting for a December 22nd due date for the arrival of our baby girl! Needless to say we've been immersed in lots of cute pink things! You can see the colors we choose for the nursery in the photo to the left. My husbands mother made us the beautiful hand made quilt in the colors we chose for her nursery (pinks and greens), and just by coincidence my mother chose fabric in almost the exact same colors to create her quilts (they are not put together in this photo).

As for my equine art, I have done some work to my Arabian Sculpture recently and hope to get photos up and posted of her soon. Until then I'll leave you with a link to a website I enjoy. Lots of great eye candy of real horses, and equine artwork as well. Check it out : http://www.ponycity.com/

Arabian Mare Available

2007-10-28T14:45:00.000-05:00

I finally found time to list this lovely dapple grey Arabian Mare for sale. You can find more info and photos on my website here: http://www.artbydeeann.com/sales/

My kind of Therapy

2007-10-13T14:14:00.000-05:00

I’d like to introduce you to a couple of new pieces I've been working on. They are bas relief sculptures, better known by the hobby as "Medallions" or "Cookies". They are often used as rewards, or just as collector items.

I love working on these pieces. I feel free to just sculpt without too much care as to how correct the piece is. I'm more interested in the feelings these pieces evoke. Not that I disregard feeling when I create a full 3-D sculpture. My pieces always start out with feeling in mind. However, there are so many concerns as to how correct the 3-D sculptures are in hopes that they will look like a horse, and also show well that, sometimes the intent goes by the wayside in order to make the horse 'correct'.

With the bas relief sculptures it's just easier for me to sit down and sketch out what I'm inspired by and dive into the piece. They are a nice break from the norm, and allow me to just sculpt. There are many pieces I've created that never see the light of day. They are more a way to free up my mind and soul for other projects.

I guess, in a way, you could say they are ‘artists therapy’.

Two steps Back...

2007-10-01T18:08:00.001-05:00

Sometimes we have to go backwards in order to move forwards. I was so stuck with how Jazira was looking. There were little things that were bothering me keeping me from moving forward with her. After hashing some ideas around with another artist I have taken out my dremel tool and basically removed most of her hindquarters, and parts of her two hind legs. I also moved her hind right leg, so it is more correctly placed under her for support. Lastly, I've shaved her back down a bit so I can resculpt it with a little more shape. (Sadly, her ears broke during the last move from San Francisco to Houston)

She looks pretty bare bones again, but the plan is to correct those flaws and annoyances. Hopefully this will all make for a better sculpture. This is typical of my sculpting process. If possible, I'd love to be working in a plastilina (or non-hardening clay) so I could just scrape away what I don't like. However, since we are traveling I have to use a medium that hardens and sets up so I can wrap up the sculpture each week and travel to our next destination.

So far I've been using Super Sculpey as my medium of choice. Personally, I love it because it doesn't set up until you bake it in the oven. So you do have hours, days, or weeks to work on the piece. However, I'm finding not all of our hotels have ovens. We have kitchenettes in many of them, but they usually have stove tops/ranges, but no oven. Therefore, I have some Apoxie sculpt on order to continue my work on Jazira. Apoxie is wonderful, and I used it almost entirely to finish my Let's Roll and Raja Sculptures. However, it sets up in an hour or two so you have to work quickly. More often than not I end up doing a lot of dremeling because I like to step back after working on a sculpture and take a day or so to look at it before committing to what I've sculpted and firing/baking that section. With Apoxie you have to commit to it right away, so if I change my mind, I then have to dremel the offending piece. I love the dremel, but it's just not great for Carpel Tunnel Syndrome (which I suffer from) so I try to avoid it as much as possible. Thus the reason I've avoided it so far on this piece.

The goal with all these changes is that it will keep me moving forward with this piece from this point on. Wish me luck!

More thinking out loud

2007-09-22T17:55:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I've been really looking at my sculpture and doing small tweaks here and there on her. She now has permanant ears that need some refining, and her forelock is sculpted and baked. The rest of the mane, and the tail are still just thrown on for some shape. I have also added more muscle to her chest and neck which helped her front end.

This first photo shows her as she looks now. But I'm still not happy with everything....

This second photo shows her digitally altered. I thinned her throatlatch some, and I've also changed both rear pasterns. The left rear shows more flex due to the amount of weight on that leg. The right rear has been moved so it's ready for impact. When I do have her complete She will balance on these two legs on a base.

Still need to do some tweaking... but these are my thoughts today.

He's back up for Grabs!

2007-09-19T16:59:00.000-05:00

I've just listed the Appaloosa Taboo resin up for sale again. Hopefully my email will co-operate with the silent auction this time.

To see more photos or to bid please go to my website

Jazira- getting closer

2007-09-16T21:28:00.000-05:00

Yes, she has a name: Jazira.

I've done quite a bit of work to her since I posted the last photos. Here, her mane and tail are just roughed in to give an idea of what I'm thinking for shape and movement.

For Sale : Appy Taboo

2007-09-13T21:01:00.000-05:00

**Sale temporarily Postponed**
I've been having trouble sending and receiving emails. To be fair I have to postpone this sale a week or two. There are people sending bids that weren't getting through. Hopefully this issue will be resolved shortly. Please watch this page, my BLOG, MH$P, and my YAHOO email list for details when he's listed for sale again. Thanks for your interest!!
------------------------------------
I have the dapple grey appaloosa Taboo resin up for sale! Don't miss out on him. All the details are on my website here: http://www.artbydeeann.com/sales/resins/Taboo%5FAppy/

Thinking outloud..

2007-09-09T16:02:00.000-05:00

I was able to accomplish some work on the left side of my sculpture yesterday. She's still a long way from being complete, and I will now need to start nitpicking her apart. Her hooves need LOTS of work. They are the most difficult as I have to lay down a basic shape, then build up around it, then dremel down areas, build up, dremel, build up, dremel... you get the idea.

In the meantime I've been playing with mane and tail ideas. Superimposing real horses manes and tails to give me an idea of what I'd like to sculpt (or something close to). Let me know which one is your favorite?

Ahhh, it's time

2007-09-07T23:18:00.000-05:00

It's time to get back to sculpting. I'm pleased to have recently finished painting two horses, and now it's time to focus on my Arab Sculpture.

I find it helpful to take photos of my work and import them into Photshop. Then, before cutting off limbs and resculpting areas on the real sculpture, I can manipulate the areas that are bothering me. In a way, it's like digitally sketching my ideas. I also like to take photos of my references of real horses and lay them over the photos of my sculpture to see what area is really 'off'. The references are often in similar poses, or with areas of the horse that I will be using for reference (like ears, mane and tail). This way I see the bigger picture, and it also helps me work out the kinks so to speak.

Pictured here is an older photo of my sculpture taken at the end of July. I've superimposed the mane and tail of a real photo just for kicks. As you can see I have along way to go on her, but now I have a little inspiration.

Time to get back to the clay....

Here he is!

2007-08-31T18:28:00.000-05:00

I finally have photos up of my dapple grey appaloosa Taboo resin! I'm really excited by how this guy turned out. The photos really don't show the depth of color (lots of rust undertones) and details in the hand drawn hairs everywhere, but they give you an idea. He will be making his debut at Meows to Minis Live show. I won't be in attendance but Karen Beeson is kind enough to bring him and the dapple grey Ziryab resin for me.

Please let me know what you think. Here he is!

How to: creating a Medallion

2007-08-26T15:22:00.000-05:00

Would you like to know the process I go through when I create my Bas Relief Sculptures, more commonly known as Medallions?

I wrote an article all about the subject! It is on the Fallen Leaves website. You have to be a member to read the article, but membership is free, just sign up!

Here's a link to the article:
http://fallen-leaves.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=755

Here's a link to Fallen Leaves website: http://fallen-leaves.net

Sneak Peek!

2007-08-25T11:37:00.000-05:00

When I'm working on a piece I find it helpful to take photos of the progress along the way. It helps me look at the horse from a different point of view. I do this with both sculptures and finish work. I'm currently finishing up a dapple grey appaloosa Taboo resin. I'm having fun with this one, trying all sorts of new techniques and ways to achieve the results I desire. Pictured is a sneak peek photo of him. This is just a head shot and his mane is being worked on. He still needs some tweaking and will eventually be for sale. He will be at Meows to Minis Live show if you'd like to see him in person. Karen Beeson will be transporting him there for me since I'll still be out on the road at the time of the show. (Thanks again Karen!!)

Exciting News!

2007-08-22T23:40:00.000-05:00

This news may be more personal than artwork related, but I wanted to share. We had an Ultra Sound last week, and everything is going really great. I'm now 23 weeks along and they've bumped my due date up to Dec 19th, and.............

We found out we are having a GIRL!!!!

I'm tickled pink!! ;-)

We haven't chosen a name yet, and will most likely keep her name a secret until she arrives. But, we needed something to call her, a nickname of sorts. So we enlisted our nephew to help us out. His younger sister is affectionately called "Lolo" and we joked how cute it would be if we named our baby "Lulu" as they'd be cousins - "Lulu" and "Lolo"! This made him giggle, and the nickname has stuck. She has officially been dubbed "Lulu".

I've been dreaming in pink ever since! :-)

My favorite photographic reference books of Horses

2007-08-11T16:34:00.000-05:00

I have tons of references of horses at home. Many of them are Photographic Books that are completely Drool-worthy. I've started my own Amazon listmania list of my favorites. I have many more to add but thought you'd like to see what I have so far.

Surfin for Inspiration

2007-08-03T23:23:00.000-05:00

Mood: Inspired
Listening to: Evening News

Since I’ve been missing my reference books I decided to take a few minutes to surf the web for some inspiring photos of horses at play to use as reference for my Frolicking Arab Sculpture. Thanks to a kind reader who forwarded some great links I've found some really inspiring photos and horses!

Here are a few of them:

http://slawik.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=58364
This isn't identical to my Arab, but the photo captures the horse in a similar pose and also portrays the attitude I’m going for. I’m also amazed by the athleticism of this beauty!

Here are a few more of the same horse. I almost created my sculpture in the exact pose of the first one! (I may still have to do a horse in this pose) More good examples for the attitude I’m looking for:
http://slawik.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=58396
http://slawik.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=58368
http://slawik.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=58396

Wow! Look at this motion!
http://slawik.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=59329

Here’s the neck I’ve been looking for, a little lower set than my Arab, but gorgeous and a good reference!
http://slawik.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=59327

Now I’m totally inspired, but also totally exhausted. (We went on a long hike up a mountain today, it was gorgeous, but exhausting) But, there are many more photos to inspire me here so I’ll come back for more inspiration tomorrow. I’ll be purchasing from this amazing photographer for certain!

Roadwork

2007-08-02T17:51:00.000-05:00

Wednesday 8.1.07

Mood: Hot
Listening to: The clicking of my husbands mouse

So how does one work on artwork (sculptures in particular) while on the road? I work out of my own traveling studio = a suitcase! It's full of basically everything I need. Though I've found the few things I left behind I do miss, especially all my reference books! I could only find room for two.

The second photo shows my 'workspace' in this particular hotel. It doubles as a desk for both Nathan and I, and a studio space when I need to sculpt or paint, and then a table when we cook in our room. It's nothing like my own studio space at home where I can have everything at arms reach and not have to put anything away. But it's worked out quite well for the situation. I'm just happy to be able to work while on the road. :)

The end of July....?

2007-08-02T00:23:00.000-05:00

Tuesday 7.31.07

Mood: Creative
Listening to: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
(Want to "reread" this one before I start the last one!)

I can hardly believe that July is almost over and tomorrow will be August! I've been out on tour with Nathan now for 2 months, and it seems like only two weeks. I feel like I've been both productive and unproductive at the same time.

I have found time to work on my Traditional Arab Mare sculpture, she still needs tons of work but she's coming along. Her neck was cracked the last time I pulled her out of the storage box. Although that was a disappointment it gave me a chance to rework it, and now it's a tad longer. I have posted updated photos her page here.

Sorry if the photos aren't great. The hotels don't lend themselves to great photography, so the floor and a sort-of white wall had to do. I also realized while photographing her that I could no longer lay comfortably on my belly. They said the day would come...it appears it has arrived. LOL!

I'm lucky in that when you travel and have to live out of a hotel, you aren't required to clean. This is a huge bonus to me, as I dispise vacuuming, and become very irritated with it taking time from the studio. So not having to clean allows me a little extra studio time!! Last week my time was cut a bit short, as I was in dire need of some new clothes that fit. I'm in my 4th month of my pregnancy and have outgrown most of my pants, and lots of my tops. (Living out a suitcase also limits how many pieces of clothing you can have along, so I don't have access to my full closet). So this past week I found some maternity stores and stocked up on a few things. This also allowed me to breath again as my pants aren't so tight! ;-)

I have been very fortunate in that I've had a great pregnancy so far. That's allowed me to have more time in the studio as well (I'm not sick all the time) We will be trying to find out the sex of the baby in just two weeks at or next ultra-sound. I can hardly wait!

Pictured is a sneak peak at a Mini Zirab resin I've nearly completed. She will be up for grabs sometime in the future. I had a blast painting her. She's full of all sorts of new techniques and mediums I've been dabbling with. They really lent themselves to a realistic finish.

Welcome to my Studio Blog

2007-08-02T00:19:00.000-05:00

A quick update for those who don't know...

Hello, and welcome to my attempt at a studio blog! I am an artist who is currently working full time as a graphic artist, and part time (or when time allows) as an Equine Artist, while also following her husband and his dream. My husband, Nate, is currently performing in the Touring Broadway Production of "Mamma Mia". I am on the road with him, going from city to city along with our two cats- Bosco, and Rio. :)

I am also pregnant, and expecting our first child December 22nd, 2007!