For Love of a Gray Horse

Friday, December 6, 2013

My first offering in my jewelry line contains my original art framed by metal and glass and hanging from a loop of beautiful turquoise stones strung on silver wire and attached to a 17" necklace made of golden taffeta ribbon and waxed cord with silvery metal clasps. On the back of the pendant is written the quote, "And thou shalt fly without wings, and conquer without sword; oh horse." Available in any of my Etsy shops. Purchase HERE.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Memory Preserving Jewelry

Feathers are a reminder that our Angels are always near and watching over us. This is an example of my custom made, just for you, memory pendants. These two by two inch metal and glass frames are viewable from both front and back and will have unique art work on both sides that is designed just for you. I will take your personal photo, treasured quotes, a snippet of a letter, invitation, announcement, song, locks of hair, feathers and other precious memories and created a unique and very personal piece of jewelry. Your personal photos and other paper memorabilia will not be damaged. I will make copies of them from which to create your pendant and then I will return the originals to you, with your pendant, unharmed.

I'm trying out a new storefront/shopping cart called Big Cartel. I'm currently just using the free version so I'm limited to just five products. I decided to try one photo, two large art prints, one piece of jewelry, and one design of the new note/greeting cards. My new store is called, An Artful Life. And you can check it out by CLICKING HERE.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

I will be posting several new note card designs to my online store over the next few days as well as some jewelry offerings. The cards are five and a half by four inches and are packaged in a lovely shimmering fabric bag with ribbon drawstring. They make a perfect gift for a friend or yourself.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Note Cards

Also new to my Etsy store are these note cards....I'll have to check but I believe they measure about 4.5x6.5......they come with envelopes and packaged in a pretty, drawstring organza bag. At the moment, this is the only style I have available but I will be adding others over the next few weeks. I will also offer this specific card with and without the inside text. This image shows both the inside and outside of the card.

Friday, October 25, 2013

New to Etsy....

New to my Etsy shop, Gentle Breeze. This photo is available in either Lustre or Matte and in a variety of sizes from 8x10 to 12x18 inches.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

New Web Site

I'm so excited about publishing my brand spankin' new web site this week. Not only does it bring together all of the mediums I work with in a comprehensive and I hope, easy to use manner but I've also added a webstore. I will still maintain my Etsy stores but I'll use my site's store to sell special items such as photos with special mounting and materials, like Fuji metallic, deep matte and canvas. I only have a few items listed so far but I will be adding new offerings as time allows and as I create new work.

click on the image to visit sandeelkinsart.com

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

True Promotional Value

Often friends ask to use my photos or artwork for free. More often, strangers use it without even asking. People who would never walk into a person's restaurant and ask for a free meal or ask to "borrow" clothes from a friend's clothing shop just don't seem to see the value in art work or the time, energy and effort involved in creating or even less, the fact that I'm trying to make a living here. All of that aside, I have often allowed friends and family use of my images but I expect true promotional value in return. That doesn't mean a small mention in small print. True promotional value should include: 1) My signature and copyright clearly visible on the art work, 2) A visible notation with the name of the art work and my name, 3) A link to my website or etsy store, http://sandeelkinsart.com/ or https://www.etsy.com/shop/Grayhorsedesigns. I'm not trying to be mean but only trying to protect myself and my work. I know that I can not prevent people from sharing my work that is posted on the internet but I would like some common courtesy shown me in return. That seems very little to ask.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Just sold a print of this image--Solitude. This shot was taken in the early hours of morning just as this lone horse and the sun were waking up. It is available for purchase in my etsy store.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

This is Phantom. He has one very dark brown eye and one very blue one. This effect is the result of an in camera error and would usually go in the trash bin but the results were as striking, unique and beautiful as the subject so I decided to not only keep it but print it. Hope you like it, too. It's available for purchase, here,www.etsy.com/listing/129637078/reflections-of-a-deep-blue-sky-equine

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

11x16 inch print of Heavenly Light is available in my webstore for $32. You can see it HERE.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Fun in the Snow

Just as the weather is starting to warm up and the lovely daffodils are bobbing their sunny heads in my garden, I came across some snow shots from a few years ago. Occasionally, I'll have a rejected photo that I just don't think is quite good enough to offer for sale or to print but it is still a whole lot of fun. This is one of those photos. It's not perfect but it's still a whole lot of fun.

About Me & Gray Horse Designs

I've always had artistic leanings. I was drawing stick figures before I could talk. Friends recall that I was constantly drawing or painting as a child. I grew up and I did major in art in college but I never could find direction. I kept switching majors and trying so many different things trying to find the one that fit, the one that fulfilled me. I seemed destined for a while to be a lifetime student. Then one day, I found myself out of work, burned out on school, and very depressed because I'd also just suffered a miscarriage. I was alone at home and totally at loose ends when I picked up a piece of wood and began to see a horse in it. The irony of that will become more evident later in this story but the truth was, that as soon as I touched a knife to that block of wood, it was magic. I felt as if I'd come home. From that one piece of scrap wood and a small cheap craft knife, a business grew and took on a life of its own. I started creating whimsical, wood sculptures and I sold my work all over the world. Then one day, at a crafts exhibition in Chicago, I met the head of Enesco's new gift wares section and my career took off in yet another direction. I designed several very successful lines for them over the next five years but after fifteen years in this business, I started slowing down and losing my enthusiasm. I decided that I'd try another medium but like trying to find my direction in life those many years before, this wasn't an easy task.

I knew that I still wanted to be creative but I didn't know what medium I wanted to try next. So, I tried many but no magic, no flashes of inspiration. Then one day, my husband and I were sitting on a Mexican beach relaxing and enjoying the salty breezes and beautiful views. It was his 50th birthday. He told me how much he was enjoying himself and he asked me what I was going to want for my 50th birthday which would be coming around in two years. I didn't even hesitate before I answered him. "A horse!" I said simply and to the point. I'd wanted a horse for as long as I could remember and I knew that if I didn't get one soon, I'd never get one. So, from the moment we touched down on US soil, I began my quest. There were two things that I didn't realize at the time, that my horse would actually arrive soon after my 49th birthday and that she would totally change my life. Everyone told me that at my "advancing" age, I surely needed a gaited horse because their smooth gait was much easier on aging joints. I began my search knowing nothing about horses or even what I really wanted and certainly nothing about what I needed in a horse.

I was lucky because I met two great horse ladies who pointed me in the right direction. The first told me that the horse I wanted was a Missouri Fox Trotter and the second lady, Fran Forester, offered to help me find the perfect MFT for me. She told me about a man she knew who knew more about horses and specifically more about MFTs than anyone she'd ever met. The only problem was, he very seldom agreed to sell one of his horses. Then one day, she contacts me and she is very excited. The man, Huston Jenkins, was selling some of his horses and one of them was the dapple gray that I'd been dreaming of. I'd told everyone that I wanted a dapple gray horse and when I found her, I would call her Mouse. Huston's niece had promised to take some photos of the gray horse and email them to me. They arrived in the middle of the night but I had been waiting for them. I printed them and thumbtacked them to the bathroom wall beside the mirror so that they'd be the first thing my husband, Steve, saw when he got up the next morning. I wrote across the photos, "This is the ONE!!" I'd decided that as soon as I saw her but I was even more convinced that it was fate when I saw her papered name, Mouse's Funny Face. My fate was sealed.

That was over five years ago and that beautiful, dapple gray mare has since become my muse, my inspiration, my teacher and my life. I started doing equine photography and art because of her. I've met so many wonderful people and horses because of her. My herd has grown from one horse to five now. The latest was a gift from Mouse two years ago, our sweet, lovable and beautiful Danny (Traveler's Sensational Flyby.) I have a blog dedicated to Danny called Fly By Danny Boy that tells his story.

For several years, I tried to start a new business doing strictly equine photography but I soon discovered that this is the wrong economic climate for starting a new business of any type but especially one that's primary product is a luxury. I've been doing art my entire life so I'm not ready to give it up. In fact, my solution is to diversify. I plan on cleaning out my workshop and studio and starting to do wood sculpture again as well as painting and drawing and hopefully handcrafted jewelry. My old enthusiasm and creative drive have returned in force. All of the mediums that I'm delving into will be diverse in subject as well but I'd be willing to bet the farm on the fact that the majority of art work will be equine in theme.