Thursday, October 31, 2013

Happy Adopted Mustang: Kahuna Kai of Twin Peaks HMA, Nevada, Challenge Painting #462

Kahuna Kai
of Twin Peaks HMA Nevada
 5 by 7 inches Watercolor
by Linda L Martin Artist
SOLD

Kahuna Kai, a 6 year old gelding,  was adopted by Kim Marchant in August of 2012. He is from Twin Peaks HMA in Nevada and was offered for adoption in Reno by the BLM.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Nunki, Wild Horse of Abaco Bahamas Challenge Painting #461

Nunki
A Study in Graphite
9 by 6 inches
by Linda L Martin Artist
This drawing will be auctioned to raise money for the preservation of the Wild Horses of Abaco
Time and Date TBA
I have been told That Nunki is the last remaining descendant of the very first horses Christopher Columbus  brought to the Americas. I will be painting her and her last foal Spica for the

  Her age is estimated to be 17 years old and there is a group that is working to find  stallions and surrogate mares  so that they can harvest her eggs and bring back the herd into a preserved area of Abaco Island, Bahamas.

I am working on a series of drawings and watercolors  that will lead to an oil painting  Of Nunki and her foal Spica. These paintings will help raise funds for the preservation and restoration of the herd.
If you would like to read more about  what is going on with the efforts to save the breed please follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/abacohorses or go to their website to http://arkwild.org/blog/

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Cheveyo Wynn, Happy Adopted Mustang Challenge Painting #460

Cheveyo Wynn (a.k.a.Oakie)
Elm Creek Nebraska
5 by 7 inches Watercolor
by Linda L Martin Artist
$75.00


Cheveyo Wynn was adopted by Anna Flaugher Schaben in August of 2013 as a Two year old. According to Anna Cheveyo Wynn was born in one of the BLM wild horse sanctuaries in Oklahoma.

Here is the rest of their story as told by Anna. : "I adopted him from the Elm Creek, NE BLM holding facility. I went to the facility just so see what horses they had available, and I was just drawn in to him. He wasn't one to come up and let me love on him in the facility, but there was just something about him. I typically don't even like light horses, but I knew he had to be mine. I took him home and with in a couple hours I was leading him all over. He has the sweetest personality and just loves to be loved on by everyone. I have tons of other pictures of him on my Know Your Horse page. when I first got him we called him Oakie, because he was from Oklahoma. Even though he was born in a sanctuary he is all mustang and had mustang parents and he does have the brand (but it is hard to see because of his coloring. Here is my page https://www.facebook.com/knowyourhorse.co

Friday, October 18, 2013

Blue Eyed Mustangs of Sand Wash Basin HMA- Marty #459

Marty of Sand Wash Basin HMA
5 by 7 inches Watercolor
by Linda L Martin Artist
$75.00
Marty is the son of Bonita in Cherokee's Band on Sand Wash Basin. Bonita is a pinto with blue eyes who grayed out completely with age. She passes that trait along to her offspring as well. Bonita was featured  as Mustang A Day Challenge Painting #454. With her 2013 filly.


Bonita is a wonderful Blue eyed gray pinto mare in Cherokee's Band at Sand Wash Basin. Her 2013 foal, Divine is the color of Cherokee, a chestnut pinto, now but will probably turn the color of her dam and brother as time passes. 

The Reference image for this painting is from photographer and Sand Wash Basin Wild Horse Advocate, Sally Wright. Thank you Sally.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Nunki - Abaco Wild Horse Bahamas #458

First Study of Nunki for the oil painting
Mostly for values and to make sure her markings are right.
9 by 6 inches mixed graphite and watercolor
Will offer this one at auction TBA


I have been told That Nunki is the last remaining descendant of the very first horses Christopher Columbus  brought to the Americas. I will be painting her and her last foal Spica for the

  Her age is estimated to be 17 years old and there is a group that is working to find  stallions and surrogate mares  so that they can harvest her eggs and bring back the herd into a preserved area of Abaco Island, Bahamas.

If you would like to read more about  what is going on with the efforts to save the breed please follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/abacohorses or go to their website to http://arkwild.org/blog/

Monday, October 14, 2013

Spica- Abaco Wild Horse Bahamas #457

Spica the Lost son of Nunki
6 by 9 inches Watercolor Study
by LindaLMartin Artist
Will be auctioned to raise money to preserve the Wild Horses of Abaco TBA
It only seems fitting to put up the first study for the oil painting I am going to be doing of the last remaining Abaco wild horses. This little foal  Spaci passed away soon after this photo was taken. He and his dam are the subjects of the painting. I have been told these are the horses that are the first horses ever brought to the Americas by Christopher Columbus.

Right now there is only one of these horses left alive.  Her name is  Nunki. Her age is estimated to be 17 years old and there is a group that is working to find  stallions and surrogate mares  so that they can harvest her eggs and bring back the herd into a preserved area of Abaco Island, Bahamas. If you would like to read more about  what is going on with the efforts to save the breed please follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/abacohorses or go to their website to http://arkwild.org/blog/

Friday, October 11, 2013

Blue Eyed Mustangs of Sand Wash Basin HMA- Bachelor Stallion Picasso Jr. #456

Picasso Junior ( PJ)
5 by 7 inches Watercolor
by LindaLMartinArtist
$75.00
Prints will be available soon.

It was photographer John Wagner  who first saw PJ when he was  a new born October foal in 2011. John thought he looked distinctly like his band stallion  the very famous Picasso, and named him PJ or Picasso Jr.
Generally speaking it is very hard to really know which foals are fathered by which band stallion in most herds. The reason is because quite often younger stallions will steal away mares that seem willing and of course young first time stallions are always looking for mares.  True to form PJ's dam, Olga a beautiful bay mare was very soon spotted with a different stallion named Vegas. She has stayed with Vegas since and PJ this past summer left Vegas' Band and is now out with the Bachelors as a 2 year old.


A special thanks to John Wagner for his reference photography. I have had an ongoing collaboration with John since 2011. When I sell a painting or print where one of his reference shots is used I save a portion out for him to continue his work of documenting the wild horses at Sand Wash Basin.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Blue Eyed Mustangs of Sand Wash Basin HMA- Band Stallion Haze #455

"Haze"
5 by 7 Watercolor
by Linda L Martin
$75.00
Signed limited edition In-house prints of this painting are available via email: info@llmartin.com


This beautiful blue eyed sorrel stallion  advocates of  Sand Wash Basin HMA called Haze actually became a band stallion after a horrid Tragedy struck in the winter of 2012. Band Stallion Davy Greasewood (aka Davy G) was caught in wire and had to be humanely destroyed. Haze immediately picked up Davy's two mares Yarrow and and her filly White Sage. Also a reoccurring tag along was  Demi the sorrel pinto domestic who was dropped off on the Herd Management Area sometime in the summer of 2011. Demi has no brand so according to the law she is considered a wild horse.

According to some of the photographers and wild horse watchers White Sage was a hand full and very protective of her mother. Yarrow an aging liver chestnut mare had some sort of deformity in her front foot that made her crippled. Her disability continues and yet the mare manages to thrive. Some how Haze managed to keep the small band of mares together and  WhiteSage had a beautiful chestnut foal this spring that was soon named Sagewood, In Memory of Davy G.

Time will tell if Haze manages to keep a band on Sand Wash Basin.

A special thanks to John Wagner for the reference photography.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Blue Eyed Mustangs of Sand Wash Basin HMA- Bonita and Divine #454

"Bonita and Divine"
5 by7 inches Watercolor
by Linda L Martin
$90.00
Signed Prints available upon request  info@llmartin.com
Bonita is a wonderful Blue eyed gray pinto mare in Cherokee's Band at Sand Wash Basin. Her 2013 foal is the color of Cherokee now but will probably turn the color of her dam as time passes.  The Reference image for this painting is from Photographer and Sand Wash Basin Wild Horse Advocate Sally Wright. Thank you Sally.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Blue Eyed Mustangs of Sand Wash Basin HMA- Band Stallion Benson #453

"Benson"
5 by 7 Watercolor
by LindaLMartinArtist
$75.00
Prints available privately through info@llmartin.com


I first started following the Exploits of Benson through The Sand Wash Basin Wild Horses Page on Facebook and Nancy Roberts' blog about the herd when he was a bachelor stallion. Often Benson was  teamed up with Cowboy, another pinto stallion and sometimes Corona's crippled son, Tripod especially during the winters. This past winter Benson came into his own and now he is a force to be reckoned with as a band stallion.  Benson is a striking black pinto with a surprisingly innocent kindly bald face; however, faced with an adversary he becomes  a magnificent example  of power, strength and protectiveness as he watches over his band of mares and foals.


A special thanks to John Wagner for his reference photography. I have had an ongoing collaboration with John since 2011. When I sell a painting or print where one of his reference shots is used I save a portion out for him to continue his work of documenting the wild horses at Sand Wash Basin. You can purchase a signed print of this painting of Benson by contacting me directly at info@llmartin.com

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Salt River Wild Horses of Arizona Challenge Painting #452

"New Dawn"
Salt River Wild Horses in the Arizona Desert of the Tonto National Forest
6 by 9 inches Watercolor
by LindaLMartin Artist
$200.00

When most Americans from the East and mid-west think of desert horses of the west, our visions have been colored by movies and romantic histories of what we think of as the quintessential desert. It always has cactus, many types of cactus and many colors in layers like sediment on wind ravaged mountains over time; however, they are living plants with greens and purples and blues in shadows that defy the truth of how hot it can be there. Yes it is romantic. Oddly it is the Salt River wild Horses of  the Tonto National Forrest that live the reality have uniquely adapted to the harsh beauty of the desert and the wonders of grazing the Salt River.

Yes, I did say grazing the river. They bask in the shade of the trees along the river; however, they actually dip their heads, sometimes completely, into the Salt River and eat the river grasses under the water.  They teach their young to do this from the time they are born. In coming weeks I will be painting some of this behavior as well as more of the life along this beautiful desert river.

Actually painting the Arizona Desert with all its nuances is a special challenge to me. After three years of painting high desert wild horses of Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming with sage brush and  greasewood, then the sparse dry lands of Nevada and Utah, Painting Arizona wild horses is presenting a whole new color pallet and a very different type of desert.


The Salt River Wild Horses of Arizona are not protected by the Wild Horse and Burro Act. I am told that the wild horses  run not only in National Forest Land as well as Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Reservation and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation.  One advocate claims that the horses have always been living along the river even before the WH&B Act.

The one thing that the Salt River herd have that most other wild horses do not, is an amazing desert river that flows year long. And there they spend much of their time raising their young, interacting with visitors to the Tonto National Forest. and  have developed some very unique skills involving water that are usually only seen in the East Coast Herds among the ponies who frequent the marshlands. One description of this Forrest land  is that it is the largest Urban Forrest in Arizona. 

A special thank you to  Dave Saunders one of the Arizona Photographers for many of the paintings, including this one. Thanks Dave!  If you would like to interact with more of the photographers who are active in documenting this herd please consider joining the facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/100496980142662/