Here we go with some new (digitally watermarked) artwork

after having several VERY bad experiences finding my work on websites from — being sold on print-on-demand sites in the US, CANADA, UK….  and TURKEY… really?  also found some on sites in Arabic…. but there was no translation feature, so I’m not sure what kind of sites those were. Anyway, on a few sites (imgkid.com, galleryhip.com, and some identical looking sites) I could copy the image URL and they traced to this blog.  Hence the reason I took all the images of my painting down.

White Face

These new uploads have been digitally watermarked.  

Big Red

I am the copyright holder on all the art and photos I have uploaded here (if I upload anything from someone else I will do it with their PERMISSION and add their copyright information) I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO ANYONE TO DOWNLOAD, COPY, OR USE MY IMAGES FOR ANY REASON.  If someone wants a LICENSING AGREEMENT then contact ME via this blog site.

Dear Whoever-You-Are, Quit stealing my stuff!

While I have not kept this blog up on a regular basis, it seems the trolling internet thieves have been quite busy. Several of my COPYRIGHT PROTECTED images have been stolen from this blog site. Currently I am trying to decide whether to drop the blog altogether or what. Meanwhile I will be removing all my images and will not be posting any more paintings until they are digitally watermarked.

It is hard enough to make a living as an artist/designer without finding people selling your work all over the internet. It HAS been a learning experience. I know more about US copyright laws and the DMCA legislation than I ever thought I would need.

I could rant on and on, but I MUST get to work sending infringement notification emails to some very annoying websites.

Cows on the move!

So pleased to announce that “Red, White, & Blue” has been accepted to the South Carolina Watermedia Society 2014 juried show!  This will be the third juried show these cows have been in…. they get around…

 

watercolor on Yupo

Just got back from ArtFields!

I was fortunate to be juried in to the 2014 ArtFields event in Lake City, South Carolina…  I went down last weekend to view the art, go to the Artists Reception and enjoy the lovely SC weather in a lovely low country town.  ArtFields is NOT your ordinary art festival… it is a huge undertaking that curates art from all the Southeastern states and displays them throughout the entire town… shops, restaurants, businesses, municipal buildings… all host the accepted pieces. The art ranges from 2D paintings to sculpture to some very large installation pieces. Styles ran from traditional to post-modern and experimental…

My mixed media painting “Anguish” was included in the show (see previous post for a photo of the painting).

Now back to work! Lots more shows coming up to get ready for!

 

2013 was a successful show year!

Since the previous post I have had a figurative, mixed media piece juried into a show in Spartanburg… the “Red, White & Blue” watercolor on Yupo was juried into an international online show and got a Merit Award!  And I have been juried into both the South Carolina Artisan Center and the Carolina Foothills Artisan Center for painting. (am also have jewelry in both galleries)

The link below takes you to the LightSpaceTime Open Online Show catalog…

 

Here is the mixed media on paper “Anguish” that hung in the Artist’s Guild of Spartanburg 40th Annual Juried Show at the Spartanburg Art Museum.

Watercolor, acrylic medium, and stablio pencil on Arches cold press

 

 

 

Current exhibits….

I currently have three paintings in juried shows…

Red, White & Blue (watercolor on Yupo)

Arts Council of York County 24th Annual Juried Competition
Center for the Arts | Dalton Gallery
121 East Main St. | Rock Hill, SC
August 2 – September 15, 2013
Free, Public Reception: August 15 | 6 PM

watercolor on Yupo

 

Farrier Day (watercolor)

35th Annual South Carolina Watermedia Society Exhibition 2012 Award Winner
Traveling Show currently on exhibit at
Aiken Center for the Arts
122 Laurens Street, SW | Aiken, SC
August 2–29, 2013

Farrier Day

 

Purple & Blue (watercolor on bristol board)

36th Annual South Carolina Watermedia Society Exhibition
Coastal Discovery Museum
Hilton Head Island, SC
July 13 – August 24, 2013

“Purple & Blue” currently on exhibit withe the 2013 SCWS show at Coastal Carolina Museum, Hilton Head Island.

 

New Work

While my blogs and websites are woefully behind…that’s due to spending time painting, taking photos, and making jewelry. Finally getting around to uploading some new art, even though I SHOULD be cleaning my studio.

“Purple & Blue” currently on exhibit with the 2013 SCWS show at Coastal Carolina Museum, Hilton Head Island.

The painting above “Purple & Blue” was accepted to this years juried exhibit of the South Carolina Watermedia Society, held at the Coastal Carolina Museum, Hilton Head Island, now through  August 24, 2013.

Bristol board has been my paper of choice for many years now for watercolor, prismacolor, and mixed media paintings. Sadly the surface is not the same as it used to be (another case of quality going to hell). I have begun to experiment with new papers…and non-papers. The next few paintings are all transparent watercolor on Yupo which is 100% polypropylene.

watercolor on Yupo

Cowhorse, watercolor on Yupo

“Junior” watercolor on Yupo

Christmas commissions

Maia

Siamese!

Happy Dog!

Busy Holiday Commissions and Sales!

Just finished the last of the Christmas commissions…preparing to start on some didn’t-need-by-the-holidays commissions!  Painting sales have been very good thanks to Michael Parks Gallery and some good word of mouth!

The October show in Charleston sold several watercolors and one of the “Til’ the Cows Come Home…” books (a collection of many of the cow paintings seen here). Word of mouth sold a few more! plus the one below that sold at the local York County Arts Council “Arts Frenzy” event.

Shrimp Boats (miniature watercolor)

I’ve also been working on some custom QR codes.

Last Friday’s Reception…

Friday was the end of a very busy week! The reception for my show, “ ’Til the Cows Come Home” … held during the Artwalk on historic Broad Street … was a success! Over 350 visitors, 22 bottles of wine, and lots of cheese!

Stragglers finish off the wine at the reception…

The American Planning Association has named Broad Street in Charleston one of America’s 10 Greatest Streets for 2012!

Michael Parks Gallery…one of my cows in the window.

A couple of small pieces I did for the show…

“Flurries” (watercolor/gouache, 5×7)

 

“Winter Pasture” (watercolor/prismacolor, 4.5×3)

One of the larger (non-cow!) pieces…

“Mid-Day Wait” (watercolor/gouache, 18 x 18)

This photo doesn’t really need a caption…

 

Getting ready for my October show!

 

 

 

 

 

I am pleased to announce the opening of an exhibition of my watercolors at Michael Parks Gallery, in Charleston, SC. The show, “ ‘Til the Cows Come Home” — will be on view throughout October. A reception will be held October 5, 5–8 PM, during the First Friday Artwalk in the gallery district on Broad Street.

Along with the collection of cows, will be recent artwork of horses, birds, and other domestic (and not so domestic!) animals.

Be sure and drop by Michael’s gallery when you are in the Charleston area. Currently the gallery is showing a selection of Michael’s photography.

 

 

Recent work…

Getting ready for a show in October! More info to come in a later post. Meanwhile here are a couple of recently completed pieces.

Farrier’s Apprentice (SOLD)

Second in the “farrier day” series….two more are in the works.

More cows…this one is a casein rather than transparent watercolor.

Black & White

“Farrier Day” — award winner!

Had a wonderful time in Columbia on Saturday at the opening of the South Carolina Watermedia Society 35th Annual juried show. My painting won the Seven Oaks Art League Award and it will be included in the 30 piece traveling show at the end of the current exhibit at City Art Gallery, in Columbia. I encourage any one in the Columbia area to stop and see this show of 60 outstanding paintings. The gallery, at 1224 Lincoln St., is in the Vista area not far from the Congaree River.

MC at Cit Art Gallery

 

MC and Andrea Hazel at the SCWS show at City Art

 

The above photos are from the reception on Saturday afternoon. The lower photo shows me with Charleston artist, Andrea Hazel, underneath her watercolor “Flower Girl.”

I also received my Member of Excellence for being juried into three annual exhibitions! After a day of socializing with artists from around the state, we had a great dinner at the Blue Marlin.

Painting comes first!

Since our daily allotment of hours is limited….the “blog” takes second…well, maybe not even second…place to actually creating art. Posting a few new paintings…and I’m happy to announce that “Farrier Day” has been accepted to the South Carolina Watermedia Society 35th Annual Exhibition to be held at City Art Gallery, Columbia, SC from July 7 through September 2.

 

Black & White

This painting of Holstein cows is a casein on bristol board. Casein is a water based paint where casein (a milk protein!) is the binder. It can be somewhat hard to work with…some disadvantages of both watercolor and acrylic…but dries to a lovely matt finish.

Farrier Day

Farrier Day. My favorite farrier, Jeff, working on a hoof while the equine dentist works on the white mare.

Hot Pink

Flamingos! watercolor on bristol board. I have some bad 25 year old snapshots from the North Carolina Zoo….jumping off point for this painting.

Now, back to painting. Shows coming up. Commissions to complete!

Website updated….and a new painting completed

Finally managed to find time to update my fine art website….  www.mccn-fineart.com  – gets hard to find time to paint AND keep things updated! Have a bunch of paintings and other projects in progress and here is one recently completed.

 

"Number 8" watercolor with prismacolor pencil

 

Over the years I have done several harness racing paintings and drawings based on trips to Red Mile track in Lexington, Kentucky.  This grey reminds me of the famous Greyhound… although Greyhound was a trotter and this horse paces!  I love Standardbreds. I owned a half Standardbred half Throughbred for about 26 years. We had a long career doing hunter/jumper, dressage, and trail riding.

And a cat…

Total redo of a couple of watercolors that have been hanging around the studio for a while…

these have been reworked and recropped — I seem to have a thing for square compositions lately.

SOLD!

Two cow paintings have sold recently….

“Big Black Cow”

This framed watercolor has been sold at Atelier Gallery, Charleston.

Afternoon

This smaller matted piece sold yesterday from my studio!

Black dogs and white horses….page two

Squirrel’s Eye View

My current dog, Chanel, a former stray who came to live with us….she just would NOT shoo! She is a border collie/chow (?) mix that was about 5 months old and living on road kill when she happened by our property to get a drink from the fish pond. Although with age she is slowing down…she still believes her role in life is to keep the world safe from squirrels!

 

Lipizanner!

 

Ever since I was little I wanted my own Flying White Stallion…and I DO mean a horse… Came close a few years ago.

 

Bear!

 

This is Bear. The Rottweiler lapdog owned by a friend of mine…love this doggy!

 

More Fantasy Lipizanners!

Black dogs and white horses

The Gray

This painting is available for sale.

Dobie Pup

The Dobie was a commissioned piece from several years ago.

Forrest in the Snow

I have done several paintings of this little paint horse I leased one winter…he blended into this February snowstorm. This piece has sold.

Francisco

My fantastic Standard Poodle (now deceased)  This watercolor is almost life size. Not For Sale!!

a few more cows…and a horse or two

Here are a few new cow paintings. These are smaller ones….and adding a horse or two.

If interested in purchasing any of these cow watercolors please contact me.

The little paint horse in the snow was recently sold…

The painting below is a mixed media piece (watercolor and prismacolor pencil) of my Morgan mare.

South Carolina Watermedia Show

My entry, “Snowstorm” was selected for the annual South Carolina Watermedia Juried Competition which is being held at the City Gallery in Charleston, SC through the end of December. This is a beautiful gallery right on Waterfront Park, be sure and stop in to see this show if you are in the area!

"Snowstorm" watercolor and gouache

driving the herd…

 Angus

Afternoon

 

A couple of small cow watercolors