"She was fond of wandering, but was always back by supper."   

28" x 36" Oil and Cold Wax on Glass ©Carol Hagan 

From the winter months, most especially, new inspiration and growth always seems to emerge from the paintings that I am inspired to create. My "Glass Horses" series has evolved so quickly to me since last fall, that they seem entirely different in thought, space, and incorporation of light, vibrations, and movement.

I am deeply grateful to Fine Art Connoisseur, for the story recently published about my "Horses in Glass" works. I am honored that these works are being enjoyed, and received as inspired, and a unique process. It has certainly been an inspiring process for me, and such an opportunity to learn about incorporating the element of light into my work. I continue to dream about his process most nights, however the dreams are disjointed from what my current level of interpreting what I want to see in my work. They are so much farther advanced, and I still wake and wonder how I will paint what I have just watched unfold. It is an inspiration to me, to have the chance to explore working on this medium.

"Peach-Faced Love Birds"                         28" x 36" Oil and Cold Wax on Glass                           ©Carol Hagan 2017

In this fast-paced age of pixelated, digital perfection and mass-production, I most enjoy losing myself in the quiet, methodical, and imperfect creative process of these Horses.

Like the live horses that I use for reference, my works end up resonating with marks, scrapes, scratches, dust....and soft, breathy vibrations from the years and miles spent along this trail.

These traces are recordings, if you will, of a moment in time in my life. This is what I am compelled to created in these works on glass, from my experiences with horses and the gifts that they have shared with me.

"Smooch" 26" x 30"                                            Oil and Cold Wax on Glass                                    ©Carol Hagan 2017

The ability to display my "Horses in Glass" as free-standing sculptural works is so important to me. Each side of every piece is different from its' counterpart.

In order for both sides to be viewed, the work must be allowed to stand on its' own.

Shadows cast from these works, depending on how they are illuminated, create additional spacial elements that give them an existence in their own right.

"Wild Blue Yonder"                             32" x 37" Oil and Cold Wax on Glass                              ©Carol Hagan 2017

I am looking forward to exhibiting my latest works in the upcoming C.M. Russell Museum's 'The Russell' Live Auction, in Great Falls, Montana, during Western Art Week. This time of year, and this event, has been a cornerstone of my career as an artist, and I am truly honored to be included in the Russell Skull Society of Artists. To have an exhibition of my work at this event is especially inspiring to me, as I have the opportunity to show my newest works from a winter of painting. My Live Auction painting this year is the first year that I will have one of my "Horses in Glass" works in 'The Russell', and I am grateful to the Museum for acknowledging this newer, more contemporary vision and form of Western Art that I have been inspired to create.

"Wild Blue Yonder"                          32" x 37" Oil and Cold Wax on Glass                                       ©Carol Hagan 2017

I can already feel these Horses in transition again in my thoughts and ideas for upcoming works this Spring. With the greens of the season emerging in the coming weeks, I anticipate new directions, inspirations, and another shift in the entire process of this series. To have the chance to incorporate light into my paintings has been a truly extraordinary creative experience, and nothing short of a wonderful gift.

           "Sneak Peek"          32" x 37" x .075" Oil and Cold Wax on Glass          Photo courtesy of Ric Zimmerman

I am very honored to be invited to participate in this group of outstanding Western artists, in this major Western Art event and show.

Here is "Sparrow" watching over us, as she sits on a table behind our couch...I love how the light filters in, and how these works are sculptural as well as painterly in nature. They can be viewed from both sides (each side is different...), and I am enjoying being able to see through each of my "Glass Horses" works into adjacent spaces. As the light of day continues to change, so does the painting itself.

More to follow soon about my "Glass Horses" series....

"Paint Horse Spirit"...a life-sized fiberglass horse project:

I have also been working for the past several weeks on a donation piece for Angel Horses, Inc., and their upcoming fundraising event to be held at White Aspen Ranch in Billings, Montana, on September 10th, 2016. I have completed painting a life-sized fiberglass horse, which will be auctioned off during a live auction that evening, along with other horses painted by Kevin Red Star, Kira Fercho, and a collaborative effort by Lance Johnson and Dawn Ness. I am delighted to be able to participate in this effort to raise funds that will benefit this extraordinary organization, that is instrumental in helping so many.

Below are some photos of the work in progress. After my horse is finished with an automotive clear-coat, I will post photos of the finished piece....

As I said, once the clear-coat is added, I will post a better photo of the finished "Paint Horse Spirit"....If you are interested in learning how to place a bid on this life-sized fiberglass horse on the September 10th auction date, please contact Angel Horses, Inc.. They will be accepting phone bids on all of the horses to be auctioned off....

Wishing all a beautiful summer, and thank you for reading! More to follow....

Several years ago, I began dreaming about light in my paintings. I have always been captivated by light, and how it transforms color, dimensions, balance, depth....literally everything, in a painting. Almost every night, I would dream about painting horses, yet these horses were different from the others I have painted in the past. They were floating, transparent, illuminated...and presented in a way that I did not understand. I would watch each painting unfold, yet the steps were a mystery to me, as I was not yet able to grasp how or why they took place. I don't typically remember my dreams, but these were different.

                                  "The Greeters" 32" x 36" Oil and Cold Wax on Glass          Photo courtesy of Ric Zimmerman

I could not remember every morning how these paintings started or ended. I only remembered that sometimes it was my own hand painting them, sometimes they just evolved by themselves, or I would watch a section of color being laid down on the glass....and colors. I believe that I know why these dreams appeared to me in the forms of horses, however. I have found horses to be both grounding  and comforting...and a vast source of strength to me, for as far back as I can remember. It is why I have painted them over the past 29 years and counting, in my life as an artist.

My search for a source of grounding and comfort has been intensified by my search to be an increasingly better caregiver for my dear husband, Pat, who 7 years ago was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. In his, and our, battle with this progressive disease, I know I reach for a source of strength to better provide my best for Pat. I believe that these horses appeared in this manner for this reason, and my dreams of painting them left me waking to begin each day with a heightened sense of peace, in an extremely difficult time. I believe they helped to make me a better caregiver, yet in a way I did not, and could not yet, understand.

The dreams of floating horses intensified in their length and frequency. They began to consume my thoughts during my days of painting on my traditional media, which was oil on panel or canvas. I grew increasingly restless and anxious in my work. I wanted to explore a new path. With my dreams of illuminated horses beckoning me, it became clear what medium I wanted, and at this point needed, to explore. It only made sense that I turned to experiment in painting on glass. This would allow the light and transparency I was being urged to bring into my paintings to come into play.

In my research on the internet to learn what others had explored on glass, I found very few. This gave weight to my conclusions I had consistently found myself arriving at....that it is not an easy or forgiving media to paint on. One artist's work, Ray Turner, was uniquely inspiring...his work is masterful and extraordinary, and his exquisitely thick, juicy portraits of people in his "Population" museum exhibitions are fascinating. Equally captivating are his abstract works. His sense of color is incredible. I found his work unique because his exhibitions of portraits were in large part painted, and exhibited, openly on one side of glass...he embraced the rich, buttery textures of the paint and let it stand alone. If you like viewing his work on-line, wait until you order on of his beautiful books. Nobody paints like Ray Turner...he is a master in his own right.

I admire that about any true artist or musician....whether it's Deborah Butterfield, Fritz Scholder, Kevin Red Star, R. Tom Gilleon, or Robert Plant ....if one is familiar with their work at all, one knows their work instantly upon seeing or hearing it. Even before one sees a signature or credits, one knows it is theirs. Any copying of it by others is instantly recognized as just that:...it is not from their own voice or vision.

I began to explore the process of painting on glass, and soon realized that it held a myriad of daunting challenges for me, ones that seemed extremely difficult, expensive, and time-consuming to explore finding the answers to. The little "business" voice in my head kept telling me that I did not have the time to spend experimenting for hours each day, going in directions that had no sure outcome and would certainly lead me on wild goose chases...I needed to be painting pieces to sell and make a living. But there was that other little voice, telling me I absolutely had to head down this uncertain path. All of the unanswered questions about how to paint on glass correctly and for longevity, how to display it, how to ship it, how to....all of the things an artist must ask about their work so that it withstands the tests of time...was daunting enough to keep me revisiting working through the multitude of steps.

Over a year and a half ago now, I realized that the only thing holding me back was fear. I didn't want to fail, or spend thousands of hours, and dollars, on a wild goose chase. It was at that point that I stopped and remembered how fortunate I am to be able to make my living as an artist. I clearly understood at that point that it was my absolute duty as an artist to explore this unknown. And the voice inside of me was saying to honor my dreams and follow my passion, no matter how difficult or uncertain the path gets. I began to experiment painting on glass every day.

I wanted to paint with rich, buttery texture, however my ideas of how to display and ship glass works to galleries and collectors, without the paint getting damaged or scraped from the smooth surface of the glass, proved to be a perplexing challenge. I arrived at the conclusion that I would need 2 thick sheets of glass per work, with the paintings on each sheet facing inwards. The purpose of this was to protect my pieces from the wear of transport, display, and ultimately, the test of time.

For months I kept my daily experimentations in my glass work to myself. I still did not share my experiments with others, as I knew in doing so there would be questions to have answers for...and I didn't have answers about any of it yet. I did not know if it would work, or in what form. Numerous experiments ended in what might be described as epic failures. Fortunately, I have learned that failures translate into opportunities to learn from the experience and apply that knowledge to the next experiment. That being said, there were still many nights I would close the studio door in tears, after long days of painting on glass. On several occasions I found myself tempted to let it go idle for awhile because I was so frustrated, but there was something pulling me in constantly, telling me not to. This was the first time in my career as an artist that I had no shoreline in sight, so to speak. I just knew I had to get in the boat and set the sails, and let the winds take me to wherever they would have me land.

                                                                         "Missed A Spot" 32" x 37" Oil and Cold Wax on Glass

A dear friend and fellow artist in California, whom I shall protect his anonymity, was also painting on glass at the same time that I was working though my beginning processes. His process of abstract painting is always so fresh, spontaneous, and inspiring to me. He is fearless in his approach to his painting techniques, and always reminds me that I am "thinking too hard". He would put colorful sheets of paper behind his glass works, which transformed them to new dimensions. He would email me photos of his abstract pieces on glass, and I would find comfort in these emails...they always seemed to arrive especially at the times when I was having the most difficulty, as if to remind me to keep at whatever I was working on. His paintings were a constant, and often powerful, prodding and source of inspiration for me. His abstracts on glass were reminders to me to not overthink the process so much, let happen whatever happens, and allow the gift of inspiration to shine through. Like the light that I wanted to see through my Horses in Glass. I will forever be grateful for his gifts of friendship, inspiration, encouragement, and wonderful laughter.

Many months into this process, I still didn't understand it fully...or how to put all of the pieces of this puzzle together in the manner that I envisioned it continually in my head. Working on glass is the hardest, most thought-provoking creative process I have ever embarked on. I am dyslexic, so that intensified the challenges of painting two mirrored images on 2 sheets of glass, and also painting in a reverse process of what I had learned over the years. There were days where I would realize long into it that I was painting on the wrong side of the 2nd sheet of glass, and it wouldn't mirror its other half.

Begin again.

The dreams kept coming, yet they weren't magical answers to any questions by any means....rather they were doors to opening a series of experiments on how to go about a process of solving the problems presenting themselves. I keep a stack of all of my works that did not arrive at a conclusion, but were the stepping stones along the way to each answer in how to see my horses come to fruition on glass. The stack continues to grow and keep me humble, and I am grateful for the ongoing chance to learn.

Thank you for your time in reading this...I try to keep this short but there is much to share about how this journey has evolved for me. More will follow in my next blog about my Horses in Glass series.

                                                           "Equus" 32" x 36" Oil and Cold Wax on Glass

I am so looking forward to participating in the Artist Workshop Weekend at Triple Creek Ranch, October 22nd -26th, along with Brent Cotton and Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey. At the time of this blog post, I believe there are just one or two openings left available for this workshop on our weekend, if you are interested in attending this truly unique event! Triple Creek Ranch was just awarded the #1 Hotel in the World honors, and it is an absolutely marvelous, and extraordinary, place to hold an Artist Workshop Weekend. One of the (many) things I love about this workshop (the only one I teach, and I believe the same is true for Brent and Nancy), is that our classes allow for small group sessions with hands-on tutelage. There are numerous opportunities for art discussions on a more personal level...and in breathtaking settings. If you have not had artistic training of any kind, we welcome this! It is always so fun and amazing to see what the guests experience, and the works they complete, at the end of the weekend. I can't wait!

I have been working on some new pieces to bring along to our Triple Creek Ranch weekend, as Brent, Nancy, and I always display some of our latest works at this event. We hope to see you there!

If you can't make it to our weekend, there will be another Artist Workshop Weekend on October 29th-November 2nd, featuring: Andy Thomas, Greg Kelsey, and Jason Rich!

"October's Breath at Triple Creek" 12" x 16" oil on panel

If painting isn't your fancy, there are numerous other activities provided at Triple Creek Ranch, and I promise you'll have plenty to choose from! Brent couldn't decide if he wanted to paint or fly fish this day on the beautiful Bitterroot River that meanders along the ranch, so he chose both! 

A major project that I am focusing on this spring is a very special collaboration and event that I am working on in conjunction with Triple Creek Ranch....it is another "Christmas in Montana" painting in my series that has spanned over the past 23 years. This project is one that you can follow along with us on if so inclined, right here on this blog page, as the painting unfolds over the next few months.

One of several distinctive details of this project is that this is the ONLY original painting in my "Christmas in Montana" series, that will be made available for purchase. ALL of the proceeds from the sale of this original painting of "Christmas in Montana 2015" will be donated to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, and the Montana Parkinson's Foundation.

To learn more about all of the prominent details of this unique project, please visit my page featuring "Christmas in Montana - A Special Project with Triple Creek Ranch". I am honored to be able to work with Triple Creek Ranch on this important fundraising effort to help benefit these two causes that are close to our hearts.

June 14, 2015: Well, the printing process is in full swing for this latest "Christmas in Montana" limited edition print series and greeting cards...you can scroll down below to view how the painting process evolved along the way each week on this piece, from the beginning sketch to the final brushstroke. Limited edition lithographs, as well as a limited edition of Giclée prints done on canvas with hand painted highlights, will be released by July 1st....as well as boxed greeting cards. You can view purchasing options on the "Christmas in Montana - A Special Project with Triple Creek Ranch" page, starting July 1st, 2015. If you're interested in placing a bid on the original painting itself (the only Christmas in Montana I have done that will be made available outside of our family...), AND help support both The Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Montana Parkinson's Foundation at the same time, you can find information regarding the silent auction bidding process that will take place on this painting, on the above page link as well!

June 7, 2015: Following is post number eleven, featuring the painting as I begin to work on finalizing the border and title layout for the finished lithographs and greeting cards. The gold metallic highlights will be added on a separate "plate", during the printing process on the lithographs and cards, and I will be painting the gold and copper highlights myself, on each limited edition Giclée that will be released of this image on canvas, as well. More details about these products, and this project, to follow in next week's post!

May 31, 2015: Following is post number ten, showing more layers and details that I have added to the horses, snowy foreground, and snowflakes in the air! The trees also needed more layers of snow in them, and I added more detail to the bottom row of cheerful patterns and sleigh bells. I added the "wrapped lights" elements around the top and bottom borders, in honor of a farmhouse near our home...the family decorates their home, barn, fence lines and weathervane outline with rows and rows of white lights every December. It is a cheery sight that I look forward to seeing each year as we drive to and from our home, and I can only imagine how much work it is for them to put these lights up every year. In order to give the piece more warmth however, I painted the white lights in vibrant yellow hues...it gives the illusion of bright shining lights, but to my eyes does not add even more colder white tones to the already-cool snowflakes falling, and chilly hues in the snowy foreground. The yellow hues add a warmer "balance" to the piece. I added some more darker values to the graphic border in the foreground, as I need those darker tones to accentuate the gold metallic highlights that will be added during the printing process...I am going to "pop" the border more with these highlights when the prints are produced. The American Flag must be in this piece, in honor of this great country we are all so truly blessed to live in. More to follow in next week's post!

May 24, 2015: This ninth post reveals more layering work in the snow in the foreground, as well as in the background distant mountains. More color is working its' way into the horses, and the details in the bottom section of graphic elements, cheerful sleigh bells, and flying snow from the running horses are emerging as the piece unfolds. More to follow in next week's post! Pat and I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of those and their families, who have served, do serve, and have sacrificed a great deal for our country, on this Memorial Day weekend.

May 17, 2015: This eighth post shows the beginning layers in the snowy areas in the foreground, and early layers in the horses as well. It needs more color! More to follow in next week's post...!

May 10, 2015: This seventh post illustrates a close-up of beginning layers on one of the horses in the scene. I was beginning to wonder when I was finally going to start using some color in the piece(?). At any rate, these initial layers in the horses will stay or ultimately go...they are merely a roadmap for me in laying out my initial layers in the horses. Snowy fields are yet to be seen! More to follow in next week's post.....!

May 3, 2015: This sixth post illustrates my beginning to add details to the background trees, as well as the softer values in the mountains in the distance. In keeping with the vibrant hues and playful theme, I am letting some of the vibrant background colors continue to show through in some spots. The horses are beginning to fill in with the base colors, and the foreground is showing another layer of detail and depth. The dark values will push the sleigh bells to the forefront in the final stages. More to follow in next week's post....

April 26, 2015: This fifth post shows my beginning layers in the hues of the sky and the darker values of the trees in the background. The bright gold in the sky will show from underneath the blue values in small spots, creating a cheery contrast with these blues. I am leaning towards a crisp blue Montana winter sky, as opposed to a sky filled with snow. I will see where this takes me in the following stages! More to follow in next week's post....

April 19, 2015: This fourth post demonstrates the progress made from last week's post (see timeline below). This painting is certainly pulling me towards vivid, happy colors! I have filled in the background with base colors of red, orange, and magentas, and am beginning on the details of the horses. More to follow in next week's post...:

April 12, 2015: This third post shows my progress from last week's beginning rough outline in red. I have begun filling in the areas blocked out, with initial base colors that will beginning the layering process. I find I am being drawn towards a palette of warm, happy colors in these bottom layers, as you can see by the reds, oranges, and golds being the predominant hues. More to unfold in next week's post...:

April 5, 2015: This second post shows my starting outline, following last week's post featuring the painting's rough sketch layout. I am choosing the color red to be interwoven in the background, as red reminds me of Christmas and the joy of the season. More to follow in next week's post....!:

March 30, 2015: This first post features my initial rough sketch, the very first step I take when beginning a new painting, and each week I will post an updated image to this blog page, as my progress in transforming this painting from a starting sketch to the finished piece is made. I hope you will enjoy viewing the process as much as I know I will enjoy painting this piece, in the continuation of my "Christmas in Montana" series!

It is impossible to convey, in a simple black and white sketch, the colors that I have in my head for this painting! In describing a little of how I envision this in "technicolor", I want this to be a lively scene of horses in the midst of a snowy romp on Christmas Day....the finished painting will incorporate a multitude of vivid hues, loose brushstrokes, and energy!

A limited edition of prints, as well as greeting cards, will also be published of this finished painting by July 1st, 2015.

Here are a couple of my previous "Christmas in Montana" releases, "Fishing Santa", released in 2000....

and "Bearing Gifts", released in 2005...

More to follow in next week's post, and thank you for reading!!

And...here's to Spring! May you and yours enjoy all of the promise and beauty that it brings.