December Studio Celebration!

I’d like to invite you all to my online December Celebration. Until December 18th, I’m going to give 25% off the paintings found on my Thirty Horses, Thirty Days blog, and on my Red Willow Gallery blog. In the next few days I’ll also introduce a similar celebration for 10% off reproductions and other items in my Etsy store – stay tuned! I will be adding other work to the Red Willow Gallery blog, so be sure to check back.

Original artwork is a great gift idea! Whatever you celebrate this time of year, I hope it’s happy!

~ Linda

More work can be seen on my website and my studio blog.

Dancethruthedawn: 2011 Hall of Fame Inductee

Dance Smartly has already been featured on this blog, and this year,  daughter, Dancethruthedawn  (by Mr. Prospector)  joined her mother in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.  Champion two-year old filly during her juvenile season, at three she won both the Canadian Oaks and the Queen’s Plate.  In total, she made $1.6 million in her three-year career.  She is now part of the Sam-Son Farm broodmare band.

The painting is 18 x 14 oil on Raphael linen pane, createdl for the 2011 Hall of Fame fundraiser.

2001 Canadian Oaks and Queen's Plate winner

Strategizing

This is the finished version of the painting in my banner, above.  The painting  is a 15 x 28 oil on linen of the first time past the grandstand in the Canadian Oaks a few years ago.  I love the interaction of the riders as they find their positions early in the race.

This painting is framed and available for sale, for $1950.00, including shipping in North America.  Just email me if you’d like more information.

2008 Queen’s Plate ~ Not Bourbon

Here’s a smaller painting that I just completed.  This is an 8 x 10 oil on Signature linen panel of the finish of the 2008 Queen’s Plate.  Not Bourbon, on the inside, just held off the filly Ginger Brew to win the mile and a quarter classic in a thrilling stretch duel.  I’m pretty sure it was probably his tongue sticking out that made the difference!

This painting is available for sale.  If you’re interested, drop me an email!

2008 Horse of the Year, Sealy Hill

I apologize for the long time between posts on this blog!  Seems my studio blog has been keeping me busy.  This is a 16 x 20 oil on panel that I completed last summer of 2008 Canadian Horse of the Year, Sealy Hill, one of the best fillies we have seen in recent years.  By Point Given out of Boston Twist, by Boston Harbour, she is owned by Eugene Melnyk and was trained by Mark Casse during her career.  With her in the painting is regular rider, Patrick Husbands.

Please email me for more information!

Mike Fox, Revisited

Another one of my daily paintings for November was of Mike Fox in the post parade before his victory in the 2007 Queen’s Plate.  This is a 10 x 8 study in oil on masonite panel.  It was fun to paint this horse again, especially as the light was hitting him in the photo I worked from, which allowed me to work some colour into the painting.  I used a limited palette of colours for all these daily paintings, but it is amazing the range of colours one can mix from such a simple selection.

This painting is now sold.

Thanks for visiting!

A Couple of Oaks Winners

I’ve been AWOL from this blog for a while.  Last month I decided to challenge myself to paint a horse a day for thirty days, and I completed my task on Sunday – the 30th!  It was a great adventure, and though hard some days, I had a lot of fun.  I’m planning to sell a number of the paintings and I will be donating part of each sale to LongRun.

Most of my subjects for the month were Thoroughbreds – many of them horses on the farm here.  I did, however, do a few horses I’d photographed at Woodbine.  Among them were 2006 Oaks winner Kimchi, and 2008 Oaks winner Ginger Brew. 

Ginger Brew is a 6 x 8 oil on Raymar canvas panel head study of the likely Sovereign Award winning 3yo distaff this year.  This painting is sold – thank-you!

Kimchi is a 5 x 7 oil on Raymar canvas panel head study of the ’06 Sovereign Award winning 3yo filly.  This painting is sold – thank you!

Curlin ~ The Canadian-bred Connection

6 x 8 oil on linen panel

As the 2008 Breeders’ Cup approaches, it seems only appropriate that I bring up Curlin.  Curlin is by Canadian-bred Smart Strike, and out of a Deputy Minister (also Canadian-bred) mare.  Just another example of the strong influence of Canadian horses in International pedigrees. Smart Strike ties into one of my previous posts – a son of Mr. Prospector, he is a half-brother to Dance Smartly;  and of course Deputy Minister is a grandson (by Vice Regent) of Northern Dancer.  Curlin is now the richest Thoroughbred of all time, having more than $10 million in earnings.  Kudos to his connections for running him as a four-year-old.  Saturday, he attempts his second victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

This painting is just a small study of the Big Red Machine – 6 x 8″ oil on Raymar linen panel.  It is a faster, looser work from most of the paintings you have seen here so far.  I used photos I’d taken at last year’s Breeders’ Cup at Monmouth Park, but made adjustments after watching him win the 2008 Dubai World Cup. I was in Dubai for the 2007 World Cup, won by Invasor, so watching Curlin’s triumph provided a little nostalgia!  I’d like to do a larger painting of Curlin – I’d give a lot to be at Santa Anita on Saturday!

This little original is for sale, framed, at $350.00.  As always, a percentage of the sale will go to LongRun.  Thanks for stopping by!

Jambalaya ~ Turf Specialist

Copyright 2007 Linda Shantz

Jambalaya’s story is the kind we’d all like to have – a modest $2500 yearling purchase who became one of Canada’s best turf horses in recent years.  I had the honour of meeting this personable son of Langfuhr a few weeks before his thrilling victory in the 2007 Arlington Million. Trained by Catherine Day Phillips, “Jambo” was sidelined after the Million, but is back in training at Woodbine.  Hopefully we’ll see him back in action at Gulfstream this winter!  For more of Jambalaya’s story, please visit Catherine’s website.

This painting was produced from photos I took of his win in the 2006 Singspiel Stakes at Woodbine. The original 18 x 24 oil on panel is sold, but an 8 1/2 x 11 collector edition print is available for $30.00.  As with everything on this blog, a portion of sales will go to LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement.

Wando ~ 2003 Canadian Triple Crown Winner

I did this painting of 2003 Canadian Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year, Wando, as a donation to the 2004 Jockey’s Barbeque fundraiser at Woodbine.  The painting was a part of the live auction, with proceeds split between three groups:  LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement, the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, and the Avelino Gomez foundation.  It can be a little unnerving, witnessing the live auction of one’s painting, but this 14 x 11 oil on panel sold well, raising $1,000.00.  Wando, now retired, stands at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky, and you can read more about his career on their website.

Copyright 2004 by Linda Shantz

This painting is available as a 14 x 11″ giclée on paper, for $95.00 and as a collector edition print for $30.00