Summer Horse Painting Series

Hi everyone!  Summer has officially begun and to celebrate I’ve started a fun little series of mini 6″x6″ horse paintings.  I’m looking for horse photos to work from… so if you have any you should submit them!

I will be choosing about 10 photos from all the entries.  People who have submitted the chosen photos will have the first opportunity to purchase the paintings in my shop for 30$.

If you head over to my Instagram account you can find out how to enter.

http://www.instagram.com/brookeoconnell

Here is my first #brookesminis that I started today.

I hope you enter!  Have a great week, Brooke

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Crunch the pony on TV (and my painting too!)

Hi!  I got some exciting news yesterday… my painting of Crunch had a brief cameo on Australian TV!  Crunch and his owner Hannah were part of a project called HighScrollers.  The project highlights some of the incredibly creative things happening on-line through the use of social media.  Take a look at this cool segment and keep an eye open for a snapshot of my little painting 😉

Ponies and paintings…. Two of my favorite things!

Love this pic that was sent to me this morning by one of my happy customers. This is Crunch… a very well know little pony down in Australia. His owner has an amazing Instagram feed @1itscrunchtime1 of her with her two well trained miniature ponies. If you like horsey things it’s worth a look!

Magical Moments of a Horse Painter

Hi! I thought I’d share some pics of the step by step process of my latest painting. I came across an image of a horse being bathed that immediately pulled at my heart strings.  It made me miss those little moments with my own horse that are part of the everyday, but that are so special.

I knew immediately upon seeing the image that I wanted to paint it.  I also knew that attempting to paint water being sprayed would be quite the challenge.

The photo I referenced belongs to @cantering_hooves.  If you are on Instagram I suggest you look her up, she is a talented photographer who takes beautiful pictures!  I really appreciate that she allowed me to work from her photograph.

All in all, I am really happy with the result.  There’s something about this moment and this horse that makes me want to reach up and pet him.  There’s also something about it that I find a little magical… and that’s a pretty great feeling!

Thanks for checking in, B

Artist Interview: Passions, Inpirations, Process

Hi!  There have been some exciting things happening around here lately… one of which is that last weekend I was interviewed to be part of a video project called Burlington 52.  Each week the project highlights and shares some of the amazing things happening here in Burlington Ontario.

My video is about how I got into the arts, my painting process, and my love of horses.

http://www.burlington52.com

Here’s a cool behind the scenes pic from the shoot:

Thanks to Marc from Burlington 52 for including me in this great project.  Be sure to check out burlington52.com to see the first 7 videos, and keep checking in to see what comes up next!

Cheers, B

Travelling pony… from Canada to Australia!

Hi!  I recently completed a painting of an amazing little pony.  His name is Crunch and he belongs to @1itscrunchtime1 on Instagram.  If you’re interested in all things equine, you should definitely take a look at this account.  Crunch and his buddy Lippy are both extremely well trained ponies.  They both pull a little cart, and are incredible little jumpers.  It’s a great Instagram account!

In case you missed the picture of Crunch on my easel, here he is:

My little Crunch painting is now ready for his long voyage.  In the next day or two he’ll be travelling across a couple oceans to arrive in Australia.  This will be the first time one of my paintings finds a home in Australia.  I must say it’s pretty exciting and really makes me appreciate the wonders of the internet and social media.  I never would have imagined that one of my paintings would makes it’s way to such a far corner of the world.  It’s pretty cool!  Hope you have a great weekend. B

Inside the Artist Studio

Here’s a sneak peek into my art studio.  Keeping it organized and tidy can sometimes be a challenge.  I don’t know how or when it happened, but somehow I have a ton of stuff: art supplies, materials, paintings, books, etc.  My studio isn’t a big space, but I am so happy and thankful to have it.  A studio space is something every artist or creative person hopes for… a magical place where you can just open up and get lost in time.

Here’s my studio looking tip top: organized, tidy, and clean.  I also use my studio to meditate and do yoga… so if I’m slacking in the tidying/cleaning department – my head space isn’t at it’s best.

Here it is today:

I’m reorganizing some of my work, and showing some paintings, which means I’ve got stacks of paintings leaning against furniture and any available wall space.

I’ve got this little painting on the go, so I’m off to make a little room to get back to it.

If you’re an artist and have a work space, please share your Instagram, Facebook, or website with me ~I’d love to see how you work! B

Horses on the Brain and on my Easel

Here’s a glimpse of what I’ve had on my easel.  This is Bayley…she is so gorgeous I just had to paint her.  As you can see, nearing the end of a painting my palette becomes a bit muddled. To all you painters out there – do you arrange your colours a certain way?  Warms and cools?  Does it work for you?  I’ve tried all sorts of things, but still tend to just go for it.  Would love some feedback!  Have a great Monday!

Family Portrait in Poster Size

Just picked up one of my new 18″x24″ prints of my painting “Family Portrait” and they look awesome! Just listed them in my shop 😊

New Paint Brushes are the Best!

I have a bunch of new paint brushes and am so excited! There’s nothing like using a brand new brush for the first time. I have to admit… cleaning brushes is not my forte and I have ruined quite a few because of my bad habits. For all you painters out there – any suggestions, tips, or tricks about how to keep brushes looking like new? I’d love to hear!

Win a Custom Oil Painting of your Horse!

Happy New Year!  I am holding another painting contest.  The winner will get a beautiful 8″x10″ oil painting of their horse!  This could make a great gift for anyone who loves horses.

It’s really easy to enter, so head on over to my Instagram account for contest details.

http://www.instagram.com/brookeoconnell

Good luck!

A View From Inside the Studio

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to my readers for all the love and support!  It’s been great making new connections and sharing my art with you.  Here’s a photo of some of my paintings from 2014. Wishing you all love, laughter, and happiness in 2015 ✨✨✨

Cowboy Commission Painting

Hi!  Here is a special commission piece that I did recently.  The painting was a christmas gift for my client’s fiancé.   The image is of her fiancé and his gorgeous horse.  I had a lot of fun painting this one… it was my first painting of a western rider. Cheers, B

Holiday Shop Sale

Happy Holidays!  I am having a Boxing Day shop sale.

Use code: boxingday

to save 30% on items until January 1st.

http://www.brookeoconnell.etsy.com

Jumper

Hi! Here is one of my latest paintings.  It’s the first jumper that I’ve done in a while… and I am pretty happy with the results. Last time I painted a jumper I think I was 10 years old.  Anyways, I was inspired by the thought of all the riders competing in the winter horse show circuits down in the southern states.  Hope you like it 😉

Jumper

Holiday Art Giveaway

Head on over to my Instagram account to find out how you could win this beautiful 8″x6″ print! This piece of art would make a great gift for the horse enthusiast in your life!

The link to my Instagram is on the right 😉

Good luck!

Shop Sale!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends and family.  Thank you for all the love and support.  Here’s a little coupon for you.  Enter:  thankyoucoupon at checkout to save 20%

Horse Painting Contest Winner

Hi!  A couple months ago I held a contest on my Instagram account.  The prize was a custom painting based on a winner’s horse photography.  Since I joined Instagram I have been amazed at what a cool community it is, and at how many awesome photographers there are out there.  It’s been a great way for me to connect with fellow horse enthusiasts and artists.  I was really pleased about the number of entries that were submitted to my contest.  One picture caught my eye right away.  The photo belongs to Sophie Johnson a.k.a. @billiefilly, a young photographer who has a great eye and amazing skills.

Here is her photo:

And here is my finished painting:

I am just about to ship out Sophie’s painting and I hope she loves it!  I have decided to hold another custom horse portrait contest… so if you are a horse lover, be sure to check out my Instagram account and submit photos.  Have a great week! B

Art Card Giveaway!

Horse Card Giveaway!  Win a set of 4 art cards.  The image is a print of my “Horse and Daisey” painting.  Cards are blank inside and come with envelopes.

To enter:

1) follow me on Instagram

2) repost this image to your Instagram account

3) tag one of your images with #horsecardgiveaway

The lucky winner will be chosen when I hit 600 followers.  Good luck!

Saturday on the Artist Agenda

Hello and happy Saturday!  Here’s what’s on my agenda today:

I am pretty excited to have the whole day to myself.  I began the morning with a photoshoot of some new prints.  I just picked them up from the print shop last night and they look fantastic!

Next up on the agenda was tea.  Although I have always loved tea, this past spring I gave up coffee.  Let’s just say it’s been a bit of an adjustment -especially when your full time job is hanging out with 13 year olds all day 🙂 .  Anyways, I have some fabulous green tea ready to go.

A little update to my blog, and all I have to do after that is pop my ipod into the dock and head into the studio.  I have a good chunk of time this afternoon, so I am really looking forward to submerging myself into my painting.

I hope you have some time for yourself today to do what you enjoy.  Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for checking in. If anyone else has recently given up coffee, let me know how you’re doing!  B