Baby Horses

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I had heard that fellow Morgan Millite Marie Beckett had 3 new foals this spring - with the latest an exceptionally loud black and white Paint/Arab colt. I called her yesterday to see if I could come take photos. I was rewarded with some terrific action shots which I will share with her.
Marie has a good eye and instinct about brood mares and who to pair them up with. She raised Arabians for years and now has some Paints as well. She said she wasn't going to breed the black mare again this year, but is wavering now after getting such a nice colt. She said it's hard to part with one so fancy, and I know the feeling. It's hard to sell ANY of them, which is why I didn't breed PJ back this year. I would have to sell either the resulting foal or Dandy.
It was the same with my little dog, Kibble. Had I let her have puppies, I doubt I could have let go of any of them, and we could have ended up with a house full of little Kibbles. Ouch, my ears!!!!
I am sure you have noticed that I have not posted a painting in a while. It's partly because I am very busy doing other thing - quilting, vegetable gardening, riding, etc. I have painted daily for 2 years straight and I'm contemplating taking a hiatus for the rest of the summer. I want to take stock of the work I have already done and probably experiment in some new directions.
Meantime, I have started another blog (http://debbieshorses.blogspot.com/) which you can do to directly from HERE. I'll continue to post family news and stuff that I do, but the art I will probably keep to myself for a while. Hopefully I'll have some new work after Labor Day.
Be patient with me, my faithful followers! And God bless you all.

1. Romans 12:12
   Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
   Romans 12:11-13 (in Context) Romans 12 (Whole Chapter)
2. 1 Corinthians 13:4
   Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
   1 Corinthians 13:3-5 (in Context) 1 Corinthians 13 (Whole Chapter)
3. 2 Corinthians 1:6
   If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.
   2 Corinthians 1:5-7 (in Context) 2 Corinthians 1 (Whole Chapter)
4. Ephesians 4:2
   Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
   Ephesians 4:1-3 (in Context) Ephesians 4 (Whole Chapter)
5. 1 Thessalonians 5:14
   And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Light One Candle

Light One Candle

About This Painting:
This was a precious attendee at my church this past Easter and I could not resist painting her. The pastor had all the children hold lit candles as a symbol of what just one individual can do. It was a moving sight because even the little ones held candles. But believe me - all us adults were poised to run for extinguishers! I am happy to report that nothing caught fire and no wax was dripped!

Psalm 68:2
As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.
Media: oil on gessoed masonite
Size: 6 in X 8 in (15.2 cm X 20.3 cm)
Price: $115 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $115 USD includes shipping and insurance
Or, send me an email

Don't Eat the Bluebonnets

6 X 8 Oil on Gessoed Masonite $115

Includes shipping and insurance

Springtime in Texas continues to be full of color and life. Bluebonnets and at least 20 other wildflowers abound in our pastures and the show isn't over with yet.

The bluebonnets are just about past their brightest bloom, but the Gallardia (Indian Blanket), Paint Brush, Verbena, Primrose and Wine Cup are all growing well with Gayfeather, Phlox, Coneflower, Black Eyed Susan and Mexican Hat all catching up. For a GREAT reference and fabulous photos, go HERE. I have seen many of these showing off throughout the Southwest and on up into Nortern Montana. Texas doesn't hold a monopoly on them, but we sure act like we do this time of year!

Today is wonderfully sunny, breezy and dry. I plan to ride Easy tonight for the first time since he came back home. Gotta go do my stetching exercises so I can get up on him......

Isaiah 35:2
it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.

Media: oil
Size: 8 in X 6 in (20.3 cm X 15.2 cm)
Price: $115 USD Includes shipping and insurance

Add $20 for really nice red cedar frame.

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $115 USD
Or, send me an email

Or, send me an email

Two For Supper

Chickens are opportunists and not real picky about what they eat. Horse feed, cattle feed, dog food and seeds that fall from the bird feeders. All are fair game and they seem to know the schedule of all the other animals getting fed.
The chickens in my paintings are not ours - they are free roaming "town" birds and are generally considered to be owned by Cecil Rasberry. When I need a chicken picture, I hop into my truck, drive to town (about a mile and a half), cruise slowly through Morgan Mill (takes about 5 seconds) and just look for chickens - they are everywhere. At any given point in time, there are probably 3 roosters, each in charge of a variable number of hens. Two weeks ago I saw 2 hens shepherding a dozen chicks each and I may paint them soon, too.

Painting unframed. Price includes shipping and insurance. Add $20 for framed, as shown.
Media: oil
Size: 8 in X 6 in (20.3 cm X 15.2 cm)
Price: $115 USD

This painting is SOLD
If you are interested in another one similar
send me an email

Easy Update: Bad news and Good News
First the Bad news: Easy did not pass his vet check.
Good News: He is back home with us and he is NOT seriously hurt. In fact, his X-rays show nothing. But during the flex and walk off check done by 2 vets, he is slightly gimpy on his left hind leg. Jennifer understandably did not want to pursue the reason for his tenderness - which may or may not be correctable and could be very expensive to track down. Easy has never taken a bad step with me, but I have never ridden him hard, either. But being an ex-racehorse, we do know that those hocks and pasterns were put under great stress during training and racing, so there could be some damage in there. But for now he is OK, and I have decided not to ever sell him and give him the comfortable loving home he deserves for the rest of his life.
So those of you following this blog will be seeing plenty more of him and PJ and Dandy in my paintings - and maybe I'll even teach him to lie down so I can still get on him when I'm old and too feeble to mount from the ground! Could happen - I've seen it done!
In case you're wondering, that cute buckskin paint in the background is just visiting.
1 John 5:2
This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.

Photos of Calf Working

I promised a bunch of cowboys to post the photos I took of them at the calf working last Friday. I am limited to how many I can post, and since each of my photos is a very large file, I can't post many.
Hey, guys, click HERE and it will take you to the Flickr file (I hope). Please e-mail me (debbiegraysonlincoln@yahoo.com) if you could view them OK. And if you want the whole CD (there's over 1 gig of photos), I'll be happy to mail it to you.

Working Cowboy

8 X 6 Oil on Masonite
SOLD

These paintings look pretty neat together. In actuality, 5 cowboys handled all those animals Tuesday, and eventually I will paint them all. They took turns roping, inoculating, branding and castrating. And for you curious folks out there, yes, the "calf fries" were saved for lunch later. For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, another name is "mountain oysters" and you can go here to learn what they are and how to prepare them. See, you CAN learn something new every day!
Tomorrow I go to another cattle working, and I may take my own horse to that one. I won't participate, but it's good for the horse to go. I have been putting Dandy in and out of the trailer for three days, and this morning we (PJ, Dandy and I) went to the vet for their yearly visit. Dandy did very well - of course she only had to go a couple miles, but we had no trouble going in and backing out. Another milestone in her development.
Isaiah 1:17
learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

Calf Working - Get 'er Done!

8 X 6 Oil on Masonite
SOLD

I attended a cattle working at a friend's ranch yesterday. This friend is in a position where he no longer has to risk his own neck to get the rough jobs accomplished - he can afford to call in the experts. In our neck of the woods, the ranchers like to call Barry Clower when they have a bunch of calves to "work". Barry rounds up his buddies - all good hands with ropes and horses - and they show up and get the job done - efficiently and usually safely.
I pulled up in front of the working pens yesterday morning around 7:30 am. It was an overcast, dreary morning, and over 60 momma cows and their fat calves and two big bulls were already penned and in the process of being separated.
By 10:30 all the calves were roped, inoculated, ear tagged, wormed and the bull calves castrated. Mommas received their shots and worming, and several were branded. One older cow had her teeth checked and was declared good enough to go another season, and the heifers with first calves were hauled off to a separate pasture for extra feeding. I estimate that in all about 125 animals were handled - with minimum stress and with no permanent injuries. Only one cow came up dry (no calf) which I consider pretty good stats for a herd of over 60 cows. It says a lot for Brahman/Hereford cows. Good breeders and good mommas. And when you cross 'em with a Charolais bull you get some really nice calves.
These two paintings are designed to hang together or separate. I'll show them framed together in tomorrow's post.
Deuteronomy 8:3
He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Longhorn Bluebonnet Mama

SOLD to a Texas Collector

About This Painting:
It's rained in Texas, the wildflowers are fabulous, the grass is so green it hurts my eyes and the cows and their babies have had baths so they are all fresh and clean. Color abounds.
I have recently acquired a bunch of really nice Texas Cedar frames for the 8 X 6's and 5 X 7's and I am offering them for an extra $20, including shipping. I PROMISE you will love them!

Psalm 119:50
My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life

Media: oil
Size: 8 in X 6 in (20.3 cm X 15.2 cm)
Price: $115 USD

How to Purchase:

This painting is SOLD
Or, send me an email

Dandy Lesson

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It's Spring and time for inoculations - both doggie and horsey.
Dandy has never been in a trailer, so I thought it might be a good time to learn.
It took 5 minutes and we were in all the way, backing out, in part of the way and backing out and again in all the way and backing out. I know, Trista, I shouldn't have led her in, but we are still working on the "go forward cues" (see movie!) I don't anticipate any future problems.

Goodbye Easy

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I skipped church this morning to go pick up my trailer at Trista's in Hamilton and to meet the young lady who wants to give Easy a new career. Her name is Jennifer and she rides mostly English, which is exactly the job I have always envisioned for this horse. After quite a bit of "coaxing" Easy loaded into their single horse trailer and was off to San Antonio and his new home. Jennifer has 4 weeks to decide if they are a perfect match - if not, he'll come back to me and probably be allowed to do pretty much whatever he wants for the rest of his life. I am praying they work well together, though, because I have a feeling that Easy will get the attention and direction and care for the rest of his days that he deserves.
Oh, and Jennifer - I did notice that you have a BIG birthday this month. :-) Pretty good gift, I'd say!