Posts Tagged ‘gift
The Ponies Celebrate Christmas
Christmas time can get pretty hectic for me. My custom frame shop in town starts booming with Christmas orders right after Thanksgiving and most nights when I leave work in the dark I struggle to keep my eyes open as I move horses and hay bales out on the farm. The ponies start to see my comings and goings as a blur while I make promises to get back to riding and training them after the Holidays.
But, despite how busy this time of year can get I never forget my boys when Christmas rolls around.
This year I headed out to the farm first thing Christmas morning with Ammo the Dachshund and my husband in tow. Ammo brought along a special treat for all of his favorite ponies.
And he was sweet enough to taste test the first few bites.
Not only did Ammo bring the boys treats, but it looked like Santa had visited the farm too.
With Ammo supervising, Minnow set to work opening his special gift from Santa.
Boomerang had a bit more trouble grasping the concept of present opening, but luckily little Ammo is a pro at opening gifts and was more than happy to help.
All the horses received Himalayan Salt Blocks from Santa! But most importantly I think the ponies are thrilled that the Holiday rush is over, and we can get back to trick training! We’ve got lots of work to do to prepare for the Horse World Expo and it’s time to start thinking of new tricks!
Make sure you check out Ammo’s blog to see what Santa brought him.
Painting Pony Cyber Monday Sale
Since today is Cyber Monday we’ve decided to have a special Holiday Sale for everyone in our online shop! So starting today you can use the code CYBERSALE11 at checkout to get 20% off your entire purchase.
We have many wonderful paintings by the boys – with someone for everyone’s budget. From greeting cards to DVDs – we even carry gift certificates if you can’t decide what to get someone.
Our Cyber Monday sale ends Monday, November 28th at 12pm midnight EST, so make sure you don’t delay! You can visit our online shop HERE and make sure you use the code CYBERSALE11 at checkout to receive 20% off.
2012 Calendars
Just in time for Holiday shopping the ponies and Ammo have two new calendars available for 2012. They make a great gift for any pet lover in the family!
Even though in today’s World everyone has calendars and organizers on their phones, it’s still nice to have a happy little calendar to hang on your wall.
And there’s nothing happier than looking at beautiful photos of the Painting Pony Ponies on the beaches of Assateague Island, Virginia.
Check out the ponies’ 2012 Calendar Here.
Ammo’s Calendar is just as fun and features a fun new photograph of him every month.
Check out the Ammo’s 2012 Calendar Here.
Paintings from September 10 & 11
Well, it took me long enough to share the paintings Minnow created during the Chadds Ford Dog Days of Summer Event, but better late than never! Here are some of his lovely new paintings that are now available for purchase in the shop. Enjoy!
"Mango Splash" by Chincoteague Minnow
This is such a fun and vibrant painting. Add a pop of color to your walls with this mango inspired painting. Just a splash of silver, yellow, and white make it so much fun!
"Golden Waves" by Chincoteague Minnow
A kiss of sun as the ocean waves come crashing down around him. Minnow probably envisioned his days as a youth growing up on the shores of Assateague Island when he painted this.
"Purple Rain" by Chincoteague Minnow
Perhaps Minnow was channeling his inner Prince when he painted this purple rain piece (video). Either way it’s a fun splash of colors for your walls!
"Field of Green" by Chincoteague Minnow
Painted on the 10 year anniversary of the September 11th Disaster, we imagine Minnow was wishing for growth and change as well as fields of green grass when he painted this.
"Remember" by Chincoteague Minnow
Painted on the 10 year anniversary of the September 11th Disaster, we imagine Minnow was remembering the event as it shaped the history of the US. Red, White and Blue dawn this patriotic piece.
"Light at the End of the Tunnel" by Chincoteague Minnow
Painted on the 10 year anniversary of the September 11th Disaster, we imagine Minnow was thinking of the light at the end of the tunnel when he painted this vibrant piece. Disaster is terrible, but there will always be a shimmer of hope.
Each painting has a different story to tell. Which painting speaks to you?
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
