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| Vision Quest |
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| art, spirituality, life |
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This huge entire "mural" will be displayed at race tracks, and other large horse related venues to bring focus to the need to support the retirement of the horses who do so much for us all! We figure that this mural will be actively circulating in North America for at least two years or more and there is interest already from a couple groups in Europe. The artists who contribute panels will be able to attend the exhibitions at the various locations as part of the tour of this great work. Equestnetwork is talking with a few large corporations and others to become sponsors for the entire project as well as sponsors for individual panels. Each panel will be numbered and listed in a "Legend" that will honor the particular artist, the sponsor, and provide other pertinent information about the piece. When the mural is finally retired from its exhibition tour at various events, Equestnetwork is looking for just the right place to have it reside where it will be displayed and continue to speak to thousands of people for decades to come.
It is hoped that this Mural Mosaic will generate much funding for many retirement farms which will help eliminate some of their burdens so that they can truly focus on "the horses" that they care for.
Check out the work being done by www.equestnetwork.com.
My friend Kathy had a favor to ask. “I know about a little girl who has a terrible disease that could have been prevented if she had gotten a screening test as an infant. Her mother is trying to raise awareness about the disease and the test, and there will be a fundraising event. Could you donate a painting to the silent auction?”
As my fellow artists know, we artists are asked to donate – for good causes! – all the time. It can get expensive (and we can’t even deduct the value of the painting from our taxes. Just the “materials” cost!) Many couch it in the “it will be good exposure” category. And sometimes it is. Mostly though the painting sells for a fraction of its worth and the artist gets little, if any, “pay back” in terms of future sales. Some silent auctions promise the artist 50% of the sale, but they start the bidding at ½ the retail price, which is what the piece usually goes for. Sometimes the cost of the frame is more than the opening bid price. So for a while I was dead set against donating my work. Why “give” if I wasn’t “getting back?”
But recently I’ve had a shift in my thinking. To truly “give,” we can’t expect a payback of any kind. Getting can’t be the reason for giving. Otherwise you’ll be disappointed. Giving has to be for its own sake, because you believe in something and want to help. That is not to say I am now opening my studio to every organization that wants an art donation. I have a few that I donate to on a regular basis: The Richard Schmid art auction that benefits the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department. The Legacy Land Trust art auction. The Colorado Horse Rescue. The Humane Society (this is my first year, and I’ve donated a canvas giclée print in partnership with Fine Print Collection.) And then, every once in a while, something that makes me reach in and give more. And that would be the donation of a small painting for Lily Bug. I invite you to read her story and join her family and friends. http://www.thelilyfoundation.org
I just returned from Art Expo in Las Vegas – talk about sensory overload! More art than you can even imagine, all in one huge convention hall. From abstract to photo-realism, still life, western art, old masters, the art of rock n’ roll, art from Japan, Mongolia and Africa. Aboriginal art. Landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, urbanscapes. Huge paintings. Tiny paintings. Originals, giclées, posters. Sculpture. Photography. In all this abundance of art, you might wonder how anyone could choose something to buy. The interesting thing is, certain works rose to the top. For me, the most compelling were serene seascapes by Ann Packard (http://www.packardgallery.com), painted with such mood and atmosphere that I could almost walk into the painting and feel the cool mist against my skin. I was also taken by the works of Mongolian artists, especially the equine paintings (go figure!). Check out their work at www.mongolianartgallery.com. All very inspiring!
I came home ready to paint. This piece was inspired by the Mongolian art. The second one was inspired by the seascapes, and is of a place purely in my imagination. It is titled “Land, Sea and Sky” and is in the ‘New Paintings’ collection on my website. Take a peek and let me know what you think.
