Posts Tagged ‘etsy
Sunday at Ludwigs
On Sunday we proceeded to set up shop again at the Ludwigs Corner Horse Show. We lucked out with wonderful weather over the weekend, and by Sunday Ammo and Minnow were drawing even larger crowds than Saturday.
Minnow spent most of the day standing on his pedestal inside his corral, posing for anyone that wanted a picture.
We set up several “mini” performances for throughout the day. Minnow enjoyed showing off some of his favorite tricks as well as painting a special piece each time.
I think everyone especially liked Minnow’s baseball trick. He hopes to one day try out for his favorite team, the Philadelphia Phillies.
Minnow painted four new pieces that are available for purchase in shop! Lollypop, Dandelion Fields, Super Blue, and Trickle.
"Lollypop" by Minnow
"Dandelion Fields" by Minnow
"Super Blue" by Minnow
"Trickle" by Minnow
Ammo had his time to shine too, as he showed the kids what a great “super hero” he is. He always gets lots of chuckles when he puts on his stunt helmet.
I love that Ammo is quite content to let all the children pet him. Dachshunds sometimes get labeled as a “snappy” breed that aren’t always great with children – but I think Ammo proves that with proper training and socialization that this isn’t necessarily true.
We had a great time performing at Ludwigs, and hope to be back again next year! If you want to see more photos from our weekend you can visit Ammo’s Blog.
New Art by Ammo: Stormy Sea
Ammo the Dachshund has a new work of art available in the shop. Click here to visit his blog and read all about his new masterpiece.
Titled, “Stormy Sea” this original watercolor painting is available for purchase in our shop. Click here for more information.
And as always, we donate 5% of all painting sales to charitable organizations such as the main line animal rescue, spca, and the coast to coast dachshund rescue.
Every Gift Has a Story
Thanks to this great video from Etsy, I began thinking about the story behind Painting Pony , and how it came to be that on a small family farm in Pennsylvania there lives a couple of magical painting Chincoteague Ponies and their silly little Dachshund sidekick.
The story behind Painting Pony started years before the first paintbrush was ever put to canvas…..
It was 2002, and after just graduating high school I was about to take on a “project pony” from a friend. His name was Chincoteague Minnow, and all I knew about him was that he was born as a wild pony on Assateague Island and had since been bounced around between many homes for the past 10 years. At one point in his life he had been neglected, and he was now slowly on the road to recovery.
Chincoteague Ponies conjured up images of the famous Misty of Chincoteague, mystical wild ponies, and the magical love that little girls everywhere shared for them. Only the pony that came to live with me seemed to only be able to channel his inner WILD pony, with a fear of almost everything, and an inability to trust me. I spent years working with Minnow in the hopes of developing the kind of relationship with him that I had always dreamed of.
In 2004, on the verge of giving up hope, I discovered a book on how to teach your horse tricks. That winter I taught Minnow his very first trick, to give me a kiss. Things began to change, and Minnow began to look forward to my daily visits to the farm. Our relationship began to evolve, and I decided to take him to college with me that year.
Three years passed, and by the time I was graduating college I was looking at a completely different pony. My special Chincoteague Pony now shared an amazing bond with me, and we were able to communicate with each other in a way I never thought possible. In the winter of 2007 I decided to see if Minnow could learn to paint. I was a fine arts major in college, and thought it might be fun if my pony could make me a picture.
After lugging out an easel and some brushes to the farm, I handed Minnow one with paint and waited to see what he would do. His first stroke was magical and each one there after made me smile bigger and bigger. Sometimes he jabbed at the canvas, sometimes he made long swooping strokes – each one unique in it’s own way. As his masterpieces began to pile higher and higher I was running out of places to put them.
Soon I realized that Minnow had an amazing talented that he needed to share with the World. His paintings were so much more than abstract pieces of art, they had a story to tell. A story about how a little pony could overcome his fears and become something amazing. With each sale of his paintings I began to donate money to charities, in particular the Chincoteague Pony Association – which helped to care for and maintain the wild herds of ponies on Assateague Island – and Minnow’s ancestors. Over the years Painting Pony began to grow into something even bigger than Minnow and I.
With Minnow entering into his retirement years due to arthritis, two more amazing Chincoteague Ponies (Boomerang and Blitz) were added to our small family herd. Minnow took on the role of elder, and took the young boys under his wing. He has since passed on his painting talents to them, and continues to be an inspiration to them on a daily basis. Ammo the Dachshund entered our family in 2008, and quickly struck up an amazing friendship with Minnow. Never before have I seen a pony give a dachshund belly rubs.
Every time I see a child watch the ponies paint I am reminded of how I felt that first day when Minnow made his first brush stroke. A child’s smile is contagious – and there is nothing better than watching the twinkle in the ponies’ eyes when they realize they have made someone happy.
Painting Pony is about happiness and joy, and experiencing the magic of ponies. And if we can make you smile, then that’s all that matters.
Painting Pony Etsy Shop
Rope Riding
I’m hugely addicted to the website Etsy.com, I used it a ton when I was planning my wedding last year – its a great resource for any and all handmade things. Much like Ebay, Etsy is meant as an outlet for artists to sell their handmade items to the world. They even have a section where you can request handmade things and other artists can bid for the chance to create your dream item. As I hit my usual website searches tonight (craigs list for a 3 horse bumperpull trailer, ebay for playfood for Minnow’s act, and Etsy for Chincoteague Pony items) I came across some pretty neat handmade tack on Etsy. Someone has listed an handmade Indial Bosal that is soooo similar to the bitless bridle I am currently using at 1/4 of the cost ($16.00). I bet it works just as well too! Just had to share it with everyone! Enjoy!
-KD
www.ponypaintings.com
