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Friday, March 26 2021 / Published in Sidelines Feature

Jen Brandon: Jumping Out of the Frame

By Shya Beth 

Jen Brandon’s painting style fits perfectly with the powerful and swift jumpers, delicate equine features being blurred into the brush strokes as her subject leaps over the obstacle. Jen, or “the girl behind the painting,” as she calls herself, loves life and all it brings with it.

Surrounded by horses her whole life, Jen has experienced the equestrian lifestyle from riding to raising her own foals, so it’s not a surprise that one of Jen’s favorite things is her equine paintings. “Horses have been a big part of my life since I was a little girl,” she said. “Raising horses, riding, waiting for the birth of our next foal, training the foals and learning to care for them was an enormous part of my childhood. I’d spend afternoons getting lost in the woods with my horse, or cantering through the fields. It shaped this farm girl’s love of horses, freedom and beauty.” 

Pursuing art as a career was a no-brainer; it was as much a passion as was Jen’s love for horses. “It made perfect sense to combine the two. Creating paintings of horses has always been a joy for me.” 

Graduating from Marywood University in Pennsylvania with a bachelor of arts in illustration in 2005, Jen also had a private tutor her whole life — her mom.

“My mom is a phenomenal artist. She has her master’s in art education, and having a natural love for the arts and a bent toward creativity, my mom and I have a special bond. I’m thankful beyond words for her help and encouragement throughout my artistic journey,” Jen said. “Both my mom and my husband are integral part of my business. My mom travels with me to equestrian shows and helps me while I exhibit my work, which is so fun! My husband manages the business aspect of my work, dealing with all the tedious bits of paperwork and details that slowly suck the life out of us artists. I couldn’t do what I do without him, or my mom. They set me up so my creative energy can thrive.”

Classical Meets Modern

Exhibiting at the likes of the Winter Equestrian Festival and having her painting “A Splash of Red” featured as the Hampton Classic Poster in 2018 are just a few of the highlights of Jen’s career. She describes her style as “classical meets modern.” “When a horse is in motion, I love painting in that light,” she said. “Large brush strokes vigorously express the action, while deliberate brush work depicts the strength and attitude of the animal.”

Jen’s painting “The Gray” is the official artwork for the 50th Anniversary of the Menlo Charity Horse Show in California, which has been rescheduled for August 2021. Jen also uses her skill set to create pieces for collectors, customizing her style to fit both her clients’ wants and the subject matter. “Some prefer more muted, traditional tones while others prefer a more modern pop of color and expression,” she explained.

Jen does live painting demonstrations at horse shows, setting up her easel, fresh canvas and her paint palette, creating a masterpiece right on the show grounds. Curious onlookers can stop by for a moment to see what she’s painting and see what it takes to create a painting, and then stop by her booth to see some of her completed pieces. “One thing I’ve done several times is offer horse and pet lovers the opportunity to submit their own photos via Instagram for a chance to be featured in one of my painting demos.”

Jen’s advice is perfect for all walks of life. “Follow artists you admire, attend workshops, explore new techniques,” she said. “It’s not about having ‘arrived,’ but rather the beauty is in the pursuit — in learning to express beauty. Don’t be afraid of failure; try new things and explore. Don’t let perfectionism be your crutch and stand in the way of creating great and beautiful works!”

One of Jen’s goals is to illuminate the energy and emotion of a moment in time, using different colors and cultivating her recognizable style. “The beauty of paint is that it merges with the artist’s vision and imagination and makes those things, once intangible, perceptible and real to the viewer. To do this, my process starts with morning sketches, a cup of tea and a fireplace with two snoring Great Danes by my side.”

Mastering the Medium

Jen also helps artists of all levels on their art journey through her virtual platforms. “In February I launched my online painting course, Master the Art of Painting Loose, the online course that builds confidence through a step-by-step guide to painting loose and expressively in oils,” she said. 

“It’s a great experience for artists wanting to learn how to be bold and loose, and to have a tried-and-true painting method they can trust while learning how to paint expressively. I’m teaching a lot of pet portrait artists as well as equine artists, amateur to professional, and it’s a great way to connect and see positive changes happening in people’s lives.”

The doors for enrollment are closed at the moment, but you can join the waitlist to be the first to hear when it opens up again. Until then, every Tuesday night at 8 p.m. EST, Jen goes live on Instagram and Facebook for #ArtTipTuesday, giving a free mini lesson on all things art and creative living.

Currently residing in her home state of Pennsylvania with her husband and pups, the girl behind the paintings is never too far away from her easel and sketchbooks. With new images waiting and a hopeful outlook for the horse shows returning soon, Jen’s life is just as vibrant as the paintings she creates.

For more information and to get your own free copy of Jen’s painting guide, visit jenbrandonstudio.com and follow her on Instagram and Facebook at @jenbrandonstudio

Art Of The Horse is the world’s first equine art platform, established in 2014 by Shya Beth. With weekly articles featuring up-and-coming as well as world-renowned artists, exhibitions and art news, Art Of The Horse is the premier source for all things equine art. Visit artofthehorsegallery.net 

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Tagged under: artist, Equine Artist, jumping horse, painting

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It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is. It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is...

 ✨PF'S DIAMO BLUE✨
Diarado-Diamant de Semilly- Chacco Blue
17.0hh, Oldenburg International Hunter Derby/ Jumper Stallion
An outstanding Pedigree- Chacco Blue and Diamant de Semilly
WBFSH/ Rolex top ranking Jumping Sires 2017 thru 2022
Standing at Ryan Pedigo Sport Horses, in California

For more information, you can contact 
🖥Ryanpedigosporthorses.com
🖥Ryan.p.f@hotmail.com
☎️(714) 357-2714

You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

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#stallion #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #equine #dressage #pferd #equestrianlife #mare #hengst #horseriding #instahorse #cheval #pferde #equinephotography #horselove #dressagehorse #pony #horselover #caballo #foal #quarterhorse #aqha #arabianhorse #sidelinesmagazine
Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses—in a way, she was born into her career. She grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where her parents ran a farm. Her mother taught, and her father had a jump business and then created one of the first horse show software programs: Ryegate Show Services, Inc.

Riding all her life, Annette spent many years as a groom and loved it, but knew it wasn’t what she wanted to do as a career. After she finished college, Annette’s father recruited her to help process entries at Ryegate. Since her father, Lloyd Longenecker, founded it in 1981, Ryegate has provided show management and office staff for some of the largest shows in the country. Now, Annette has taken over from her father and directed the company as it focuses on managing memberships and rankings for organizations such as the North American League, WIHS Championships and Equitation, Rolex/USEF Computer Ranking and National Medal Series (THIS NCM and Ariat NAM). Ryegate also provides scoring software for use with video walls, and production teams for hunter and jumper shows.

“Besides running Ryegate Show Services and its various organizations, I can be found in the show office, running a scoreboard or judging jumpers at most shows,” Annette said. “I love getting to wear a few different hats at the show.”

When she’s not busy at a show, Annette lives in Annville, Pennsylvania, with her “fur-baby,” Maggie Mae, and enjoys spending time with her many godchildren. Though she doesn’t currently own any horses, Annette rides when she can at Rolling Acres Farm with Patty Foster, Ashley Foster-Worthington and Mary Lisa Leffler.

Read this month unbridled with Annette Longenecker by clicking the link in our bio. Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine! 🦄
📸Photo by Sheryl Sutherby

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A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself The spor A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself 
The sport of eventing is a demanding and mentally challenging discipline that requires a combination of physical and mental fortitude from both the rider and horse. While having a coach can be incredibly beneficial, self-coaching can also play a crucial role in a rider’s success.

I think that given the opportunity, most riders would like to be coached every day. The reality of life in the horse world, however, is that the majority of us need to absorb as much from the lessons we have on a limited basis and then practice those skills at home to improve.

When I am riding, I try to have a plan for the horses each day and focus on what I’m looking to achieve. It’s important to be aware of the steady improvements rather than trying to solve everything all at once. This is especially important when teaching horses new movements or exercises that they might struggle with, and we need to give them time to learn and understand what we are asking for.

I have a couple of quotes that I use regularly when I’m teaching, and these are mottos that I hold myself to in my daily work as well.

The first is, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.” This is a quote that was said to me many years ago when I was still motor racing and I keep it in the back of my mind each day. It’s easy to get stuck doing the same thing every day with your horse and bad habits are hard to break, from both riders and horses!

This leads me to my next quote, which is, “If what you are doing isn’t working, try something else.” It really is as simple as that! Many riders I see keep asking a horse to do something the same way over and over with an ongoing negative response and they wonder why things don’t get better. In these circumstances, I recommend that the rider change something, even if it’s wrong.

Read the full article by clicking the link in our bio! Don’t forget to keep your eye out for our April subscription!
📸Photo by Alex Banks Photography
The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
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