Artwork
Ammo the Painting Dachshund
We’ve secretly been working on a little project over at Painting Pony. I’m sure you’ve probably already guessed what it is by now. So without further adieu, I introduce to you….
AMMO THE DACHSHUND WATERCOLOR ARTIST!
That’s right, on June 10th, 2011 Ammo created his very first watercolor painting. We all knew it was coming someday, considering he spends enough of his time with his painting pony friends.
I guess you could say he was destined to follow in the family footsteps – although he has some mighty BIG shoes to fill.
Ammo's first painting "My Sunshine"
But, Ammo’s a pretty talented guy, and I have the feeling that the ponies are going to pretty jealous of him in no time! I actually could hardly believe my eyes when I saw his first masterpiece – it is quite stunning in person.
Ammo takes his painting talent pretty seriously, and he likes to take his time creating these beautiful paintings. So right now we only have one of his paintings available for sale. We will certainly have more in the future – and will be sure to let you know as they are created.
"Backyard Bliss" by Ammo the Dachshund
Ammo painted this on June 18th, 2011 and it is available for purchase in our shop. Every painting Ammo sells we donate 5% to some of his favorite charities like the Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue, The Mainline Animal Rescue, and the SPCA. After all, with great talent comes great responsibility, and helping those in need is always a noble cause.
And because it’s always fun to see Ammo in action, we’ve made a little video so everyone can see this little guy’s talented paws at work!
If you would like to see more pictures and hear about what Ammo thinks about his first few creations, be sure to head on over to his blog, AmmotheDachshund.com!
April 11th Paintings!
On April 11th the ponies got to work on some new paintings. I regret it taking me this long to get them up on the blog!
It turned out to be another gorgeous day – the perfect kind of day for painting. This time I made sure to have time for all three of the boys to paint.
Minnow painted several new mini paintings to be sold in the shop as well as two new canvases.
"Purple Haze" by Chincoteague Minnow
I can picture the purple haze of an evening sunset washing over Assateague Island, where Minnow was born 18 years ago. This painting has a peaceful calmness about it, and I bet Minnow was remembering his days on the island when he painted this.
Purchase this painting in the shop.
"Magical Shooting Stars" by Chincoteague Minnow
The burst of gold streaks across the night sky as a shooting star passes overhead. It lights up the darkness as Minnow and his Chincoteague Pony brothers stand grazing in the pasture. The ponies close their eyes and make a wish on this magic shooting star, a wish for more carrots and a mountain of grass. Because after all, isn’t that what any pony would wish for?
Purchase this painting in the shop.
Next up to paint was Boomerang. I really regret not having the video camera set up for his painting session because he had me laughing the entire time. See, the most recent trick that I’ve taught Boomer was to smile. Sometimes when the ponies learn new tricks they have it on the brain, meaning they begin to offer it a lot because they are sure that’s what I want them to do.
So when I handed Boomer his paintbrush dripping with paint, he began to try and paint WHILE smiling. Only smiling and holding a paintbrush in your mouth is easier said than done. Needless to say his painting technique was a little less than organized, but I couldn’t help but laugh at his silly antics.
So since Boomer was having a little difficulty containing his excitement at the thought of painting, I decided to let his big brother Blitz finish up the canvas he had started. Sort of a collaborative effort. I also wanted to make sure all the boys had time to paint before it started to get too dark.
It always amazes me when the boys paint – how differently each of them approaches it. Blitz learned to paint by watching Minnow out his stall door. Minnow truly was his teacher, I was and am merely the “tool” they use to get their paint. But even though Minnow has taught Blitz to paint, their styles are so drastically different.
I consider Minnow to be more of a “Jackson Pollock” style painter. In every sense he’s an action painter. Paint flies all over, one minute he’s stroking the brush up and down and the next he’s swirling it around on the canvas. You never know what to expect when Minnow puts his brush to canvas.
Now Blitz, he’s what I would call an OCD painter. He picks up the brush, eyes half closed, and meticulously strokes the brush in a sweeping up and down motion – on one section of the canvas only. Try to take the brush from him mid-stroke and he won’t have it. He’s not ready for more paint until he’s satisfied with the number of strokes he’s made. His whole process is very methodical, almost like he’s painting a fence.
Blitz added his own “fence painting style” strokes to the canvas Boomerang started and they produced this really neat collaborative painting…..
"Ocean Blue" by Chesapeake Boomerang & Chesapeake Lightning
Boomer and Blitz may not have grown up on Assateague Island like their ancestors, but that doesn’t stop them from dreaming of the deep blue ocean. It floats around in their thoughts, a longing to dip their hooves into the salty waves as they crash along the beach. Perhaps someday they will get to experience the ocean, but until then all they can do is paint what is in their dreams.
Purchase this painting in the shop.
And of course, Ammo the Dachshund was there to clean up the mess after a beautiful day of painting.
Spring 2011 – New Pony Art
We’ve been waiting and waiting. Waiting for that perfect day, when the weather is warm, the sky is blue, and there is nothing we’d rather do than drag out the paints!
On Monday it reached 75 degrees, and on our small farm in Eastern PA – that meant that it was time to paint again. Winter always seems to drag on here. If the ponies had their way they would be painting ALL YEAR ROUND. Blizzards, Thunderstorms, Hail – nothing could keep them from making those magical strokes. Especially Minnow.
Me on the other hand, I hibernate in the winter. The cold is bad enough (there is no easy way to keep your hands warm when you have to hand sopping paintbrushes to an eager artist), but the lack of daylight is really what does me in. Trying to paint with the boys when it’s cloudy & grey out really does nothing for the “creative mood”. And the thought of dragging out the paints, the easels, the supplies (most of the time in the dark) in the dead of winter just sort of puts a halt to our creative juices. Although I have to admit the thought of standing in the middle of a blizzard (white snow all around) while Minnow paints a masterpiece does sound like a beautiful picture – I might just have the come out of hibernation next winter for that one! 🙂
But needless to say, I for one am glad to put the cold behind us. As I stepped outside on Monday morning I knew that I had to drop everything and make time to paint with the boys. Painting usually becomes an all-day affair for us. The set-up takes time, and preparing canvases before hand is necessary. Luckily this time I had a few ready-to-go canvases thanks to a some color suggestions on our Facebook page a few months back.
Several hours later I was at the farm enjoying the wonderful day with my favorite ponies (and a cute little dachshund). Minnow painted three amazing canvases and few little mini paintings as well. Unfortunately my beautiful day started to becoming windy pretty quickly, and as paint began to blow in the wind and I chased runaway paintbrushes – I had to cut short our session. Sadly Boomerang and Blitz had to sit the day out – as they nickered from the pasture in hopes of joining us. Sorry boys, today was Minnow’s turn, but don’t worry, there are plenty of magical days left to paint some more.
"Sun Flare" by Chincoteague Minnow
visit the SHOP
You might need sunglasses, because this painting is brilliant! I think Minnow was dreaming of warm summer days in the sun when he painted this. That, or he was trying to convince me to buy him a new pair of sunglasses for beach season.
"Silver Lining" by Chincoteague Minnow
visit the SHOP
Behind every cloud there is a silver lining. Magical things happen when you give the talented Minnow a paintbrush, and this masterpiece is no exception. Just when April showers come rolling into the farm where the ponies spend their days, Minnow can’t help but see the silver lining amongst it all. Or maybe he just knows that rain makes the grass grow! 🙂
"Retro Pony" by Chincoteague Minnow
visit the SHOP
My little ponies, scrunchies, MTV, Pac-Man, and Leggings – do you see it? I think Minnow took a trip back in time when he painted this Retro 80’s tribute painting. He may not have been born yet, but I can see him now….pink hair & leg warmers, every little girl’s dream pony! Minnow keeps the 80’s alive with this fantastic painting for all the retro fans out there!
Keep on the lookout for more paintings to come from the boys. I have a feeling they are going to be even more spectacular this year!
P.S. check out Ammo the Dachshund’s Blog for a recap of his day of painting with the ponies!
Misty Meadows Benefit Art Show
“Tangerine” by Chincoteague Minnow
Giving back is always something I have been very passionate about, and animal related charities/non-profits hold a soft spot in my heart.
That’s why this year Chincoteague Minnow has donated one of his original paintings to the Misty Meadow’s Art Show.
Misty Meadows Mitey Riders is a therapeutic riding program located in Weddington, NC. Mitey Riders is home to 5 NARHA certified instructors, 70+ special needs children (and their families!), and many amazing equine partners.
We love the message behind Mitey Riders, and jumped at the chance to send them one of Minnow’s amazing paintings for their charity art show. So if you are in the North Carolina area be sure to sign up to attend the event held March 18 – 20th, where you will have the chance to purchase amazing artwork, all for a good cause!
CYBER MONDAY SALE!
Don’t forget to head over to the Painting Pony Online Shop today to save 10% off all items on 5AM to 12AM on Tuesday. And as a special thank you to all our loyal blog readers use the coupon code CYBERSALE10 at checkout to receive an additional 10% off!
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