As many of you know, I published my first novel, Where the Bluegrass Grows, back in March of 2016. Since then, I have been working on my semi-sequel, and I’m happy to announce that it is almost complete!
The first draft itself is done as is review/edit #1. I need to go through and review the entire manuscript a few more times, and then I’m going to hit publish! I’m calling it a semi-sequel because you don’t have to read Where the Bluegrass Grows in order to follow along easily with this one. This is Macy’s story, but Molly, the main character of the first, does make many appearances!
I titled this book Kicking On and can’t wait to share it with all of you. I don’t have a cover image just yet, but I’ll be doing lots of research on that this week. I have an idea of what I’m looking for, so I believe I’ll know it when I see it.
In the meantime, if you haven’t read Where the Bluegrass Grows, head to Amazon! It’s only $2.99 on Kindle.
Thank you all for your support – and stay tuned for the release of Kicking On!!
I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I last blogged. For those of you who visited last summer, you may remember my page taking forever and a day to load. I was having all kinds of technical issues I couldn’t figure out. I ended up having to shut everything down and call in some experts! Looks like we’re good to go again, but I’m so sorry for my absence.
www.horseandstylemag.com
I am going to try and blog regularly, (or as much as I possibly can). 2018 has been full of so many changes which has made life even busier than before! Here’s a quick rundown…
– I left my corporate 9-5 job back in January to join my husband in growing our travel company, Be All Inclusive. He started the business about 6 years ago and things have just grown to the point where he needed additional full-time help. I was looking to step away from corporate America, so the timing was absolutely right. We’ve been plugging away together for 9 months now and haven’t divorced or foreclosed, so we’re calling it a win – ha!
– I’m still writing articles and selling ads for Horse & Style Magazine! My work with them has taken me to Lexington, Kentucky, (this summer), and to Saratoga Springs, NY, (two weeks ago). I’ve loved every minute of it!
– In addition to H&S, I am now also a regular contributor for Sidelines Magazine! They are a monthly publication, so I will have 1 to 2 articles in each issue. I have also grown my freelance writing and editing business by contributing articles to Equestrian Living and Covertside. I have also copy-edited multiple full-length novels including Carly Kade’s Cowboy Away and Hollie Ann Marsh’s Sweetbriars: Leaving the City. Contact me if you need some editing work!
– My house. Omg I don’t know where to start. We tackled our kitchen renovation in the late winter, which actually went pretty well. Since then, we had major roof damage from a wind storm, (got a new roof thanks to our insurance), had a water line break, (had to cart water from the house to the horses – not fun), had MAJOR septic and drainage issues, (slow process but everything is finally fixed), and had a plethora of other smaller, yet still costly, issues arise. All this is to be expected with an older house, but the fact that it’s ALL hit in one year has been tough. Especially since this is the year I transitioned from corporate employee to small business owner. Yikes!
My beloved Martin – Grand Champion!
– Animals! I lost my beloved pony, Takoma Star, in December of 2017 due to complications with Cushings. She was 36 years old. I miss her so much. Every day. Misty and Bailey are doing well, but I know Misty still misses her BFF. We have not added any other animals to the herd, but Julep, Gemma, Penelope (indoor cat), and Garfield and Mr. Snickers (the most amazing barn cats ever) are great!
– Riding! I’ve been riding and taking lessons regularly on my trainer’s horses. Specifically, I ride an Oldenburg-cross named Martin, and he is my love. We’ve shown a handful of times this year and have come home with 2 reserve champions and 1 grand champion. I’m SO happy to be back in the show ring again. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed it.
So – that’s been my life in a nutshell. Not very exciting, I’ll give you that. I really want to get this blog going again, especially now that all the tech issues have been solved. Check back regularly for more of the best of the equestrian lifestyle!
I feel like I’m always apologizing for my absences on here – sorry friends! It’s been a busy summer, and it has continued into the fall. All is well here, but with work, the farm, and my animals, I haven’t had a lot of time to blog. Also – I’ve been riding more (woo!), so that’s been taking time (but in a good way, of course)!
If you follow me on Instagram, you will remember that James and I gave our bedroom a mini-update a few months ago. We didn’t do anything drastic (like we’ve done to the rest of the house), but we painted the walls/closet doors, got a new main door, bought new curtains, and just spruced the place up. I need to take some updated photos to share, but I wanted to show you my favorite piece that now hangs in the room.
One of my favorite Sir Alfred J. Munnings paintings is “The Red Prince Mare.” I love everything about it – the horse, the people in the background, the overall scene, the people’s attire, etc. I found this print online at Horse & Hound, bought it, and then had it professionally framed at Michael’s. I almost went with a white matting around the outside, but changed my mind at the last minute to this sage-y green.
Didn’t it turn out perfectly!? It really anchors the room, and I used it as color inspiration as well, (walls are grey, curtains are navy blue, etc.).
Now that it’s getting cooler and the days are getting shorter, there will be less outside chores taking up my time. I hope to really get back into the swing of things and blog regularly!!
I came across equestrian artist, Tim Olden, on Instagram, where everything wonderful seems to reside. Right now Tim is perfecting his equestrian art in the watercolor medium, but he is hoping to move on to acrylic soon.
Below you will find his Q&A as well as quite a few lovely portraits. I was lucky enough to have my Thoroughbred’s portrait painted, and it came out beautifully! It looks exactly like my Bailey, and it hangs proudly in my office. Thank you so much, Tim!
Tim works under the name “Holly Hill Studios,” can be found on Instagram @hollyhillstudios, and you can purchase his work directly from his Etsy shop!
Tell us a little about yourself as an artist. How long have you been painting? Please describe your style, technique(s), etc.
I’ve had a successful career as a graphic artist and illustrator in the UK for more than 30 years. I recently took up painting again and am enjoying pushing my boundaries with watercolors. It’s like I’m learning all over again and experimenting with this media. I would like to think my watercolor style is of a simplified detail with free flowing color. This is where I paint a brush stroke then add clear water outside the brush stroke to make the color run into that area.
What made you want to become an equestrian artist?
I have always loved horses from childhood. But to paint them seems to be a match made in heaven. My painting style is made for horses, the flowing color, the highlights, and the muscular definition suits me perfectly. I just want to paint them in every medium now.
Who is your favorite artist (in general) and/or equestrian artist? Is there a particular artist who has influenced your work?
I love the simplicity of David Downton’s portraits, but probably my favorite equestrian artist is Frederic Remington – what an inspiration.
What has been your biggest accomplishment to date as an artist?
People enjoying and buying my work says I’m doing something right.
What is one thing you’d like people to know about you as an artist? As an equestrian?
My love and passion for everything equine, I just want to paint horses in every scenario and every situation.
What’s next on the horizon for you as an artist?
I want to move onto acrylic and oil painting on larger canvases. Plus, I would love to find an agent to promote my work.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I play golf, walk, and cycle with my wife as a way to relax.
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, then you know that I’m a fan of Alison Sherman’s blog, The Polohouse, and etsy shop of the same name. You can also find her on Instagram @polohousestyle where she posts items for sale in her shop and other equestrian curiosities.
She also posts photos of her gorgeous house, a converted polo barn, in the Chicago, IL area. Well – that house is now for sale! While I can’t believe she’d ever want to leave such a perfect home, I can understand that it’s time to downsize and move on to a new chapter.
This house, inside and out, top to bottom, is simply a dream come true. Alison’s décor is spot on – I love everything about it! The horses, the dark woods, the plaids, the tartans, you name it. And now this home could be yours! For more information, see the listing here and the drone video here. Below are just a few photos; check out the listing to see more!
