Gone to the dogs

I am painting quite a number of dogs lately, so here is a mini-gallery of dog paintings. Some of the paintings were based on photographs collectors brought to me, others brought the dogs and some photographs I took at shows. (The "Dogs in Golf Cart" Series) Currently I am working on Blowing Rock Horse Show paintings (still), and a number of commissions of barns, homes, boats, horses and yes, dogs. If you would like to commission a painting as a Christmas present, please contact me soon. I will be in Chevy Chase, MD at Meadowbrook Stable this coming weekend, the in Raleigh NC for the Duke and UNC horse shows or you can reach me at sfilarsky@aol.com

Two Jack Russell's at the Rose Mount Horse Show

This wire haired fox terrier guard the porch from passers-by and dogs on walks

These corgis came from Pennsylvania to NC, helping to deliver a horse

At the Blowing Rock horse show, with the wind in your hair

Dogs in Golf Cart, Blowing Rock

Blowing Rock again. It's 105 down in Raleigh

Dog in Golf Cart, Deep Run

This painting was from a couple of photographs

This painting started the whole dog thing.

Of course, we can't forget the Beaver River dogs

New Paintings

September 13th. I can't believe that summer has gone. It seems that we were just getting ready for the Upperville Show. Traveling to the shows seems to take bites out of time. You come home and time has kept on marching while I've been standing at the easel. Well, anyway, I am displaying new paintings here rather than on my website until I get that organized a bit more. In addition to seeing new paintings here, you can subscribe to my yahoo group, and I will send emails with my most recent paintings. Paintings for sale will be first shown there.

Blowing Rock Horse Show, looking down "the hill." You would think that after two weeks I should be running up the hill. This is a very popular view of the show and I did a number of paintings from here. (Next to EMO Stables barn)

A 12 x 24 painting of Hunter's Lane Barn.

Looking across the arena to the boxes and an approaching storm. Blowing Rock just spoiled me for the rest of the summer. Back to the flat land, temperatures in the 100's, no rain. Yesterday a front came through and we have only had highs around 90.

Click for larger image

A long time ago, 10-12 years or so, we traveled through Faquier County, leaving my wife's uncle's family to visit my sister's in upstate PA. Route 17 between I 95 and I 81 was like traveling through a bit of heaven. Since we have been at shows the last couple of years, I wondered what happened to the farm that was on Rt 17 as you went into Warrenton. We have been taking the bypass around town, but at the Warrenton Horse Show earlier this month I got my answer: Walmart. Oh well. When we got home, pulled a photo from years before out of the file. From that I created this painting. It is 11 x 14, a bit larger than the majority of my horse show paintings. Will sell for $3,45.00, and a gold frame is available for $75.00

Click for larger image

This painting is from a photo I took at the WBTA horse show at Meadowbrook Stables in Chevy Chase back in July. Dobbin is still at Meadowbrook, but Emily has gone on to study at Penn. The painting will be going with her to Philadelphia to remind her of those wonderful years.

We are off to The Plains, VA for the Middleburg Classic at Great Meadow. I am looking forward to cooler weather. I hope to get a chance to do some paintings in Middleburg and Warrenton before hand.

Raleigh, Fourth of July

We are back in Raleigh, after a week at the Deep Run Horse Show near Richmond, VA, or as one woman at the show told me, "the Hotter than Hell Horse Show". Setting up on Tuesday and Wednesday, the temperature reached 98, with that wonderful southern humidity. But it was a good show. I taught a plein air painting workshop at a nearby farm one evening which was a great fun. I met with collectors who I hadn't seen since last year's show. Met others who I had seen at last week's show. And others who have seen my work or me working and decided that now was the time to aquire a painting.

Below is a painting of the schooling ring at Deep Run. Rocking chairs in the shade. What a civilized show...


This week we are at the NCHJA Horse Show in Raleigh, NC. I had planned to be at the Warrenton Pony Show, but a show near home was too tempting. We brought the camper to the show even though it is a 40 minute drive home. It is wonderful to be able to leave the show and sit and drink a cup of coffee in air conditioned comfort. Not to mention that it helps me get to the show earlier in the morning. We sat and watched fireworks being shot off at the State Fair Grounds across the street and got together with friends for a wonderful cookout/party. I have been working on a number of commissioned pieces while at this show, including the house below. It is newly built and I helped the landscaping out a bit.


The other paintings I am working on include two children at the beach, a horse, and two paintings of dogs. I will be adding these paintings as I finish them in the next few days. Including some of the Keswick Horse Show.

Charlottesville, Va Keswick Horse Show

Finished setting up at the Keswick Horse Show, near Charlottesville, VA. An old grandstand, oaks and cedars throughout, it is a beautiful setting. I finished a painting of the main ring, which will be in the silent auction held at the country club later in the week. Met again with old friends and new ones while we all suffered through the heat. An exhibitors party sponsored by BJ's Hunt Room was a great end to the day.

Thunderstorms last night, cooler today but cloudy and chance of rain. I will be working on a commission at our booth until the sun comes out.

Here is the painting I created while at the Upperville Horse Show. It is the view from a farm on Atoka Road in Middleburg. I set up my easel and canvas and blinded by the sun directly in my eyes. Then, in what seemed like an instant, the mountains turned blue and the sky lit up. Only a short time to paint. I went back a couple of evenings to paint. I worked on details of the landscape from photographs during the day.

Ashby's Gap, Sunset from Inisfree Farm

The Upperville Horse Show

It's been almost two weeks since I last posted any paintings. Theresa and I had been getting ready for, going to, exhibiting work, painting, meeting clients and leaving the Upperville Horse Show.

We finally got everything situated in the van and travel trailer. Theresa drove in the car with Rosie the Corgi and I followed in the van with the trailer. We arrived in Upperville late Saturday afternoon. The only campsite available was at the end, under the trees. Being the last site in the row, we were able to park sideways, with a view of huge old oak trees and Salem Farm from the front and the polo field in the back.

Saturday evening and Sunday morning were spent setting up tents and display. The rain picked up in the afternoon and the final touches had to wait until Monday morning. After all that was finished, I got back to work on the two Jack Russell's from Rose Mount. At this point, I was ready to paint and paint I did. There are no photographs of the progress of this painting, so here is the finished painting....

Jack Russells at Rose Mount, oil on canvas, 9 x 12

I don't think that it was hanging for an entire day, before a girl walking by did a classic double take, "That's our dog!" She was on her cell phone to her mom, who came later and bought the painting. The puppy is their's and the bigger dog belongs to her trainer, Winn Alden. The painting was hung in the tack room at the show.

Below is the view from our campsite at the show grounds, across John Moseby Highway to Salem Farm.

Salem Farm, oil on canvas, 9 x 12

Tomorrow I set up for the Keswick show, then start painting. I will have more from Upperville then, including a larger painting "Ashby's Gap, Sunset from Inisfree Farm"

Work in Progress

At the Start Here is a photo of a painting in it's beginning stages. I took photos of a couple of Jack Russell Terriers at the Rose Mount Horse Show in Spotsylvania to use for refernce. Starting with a toned background, the rough shapes where drawn in with a brush and ultramarine blue paint. (I came up with the idea of photographing this paintings stages a bit after the first stage, so no photo) I then blocked in the big shapes, shadows in the grass, the shadow side of the grooming box, the shaded areas of the dogs and the sunlit grass area. Check back to see how this turns out.

Upperville is getting closer and its time to start a loading plan. After the show, Theresa will be coming back home, and I will head to the Keswick horse show the following week. Tomorrow, I will be working on something completely different. 23kt Gold leaf lettering on a Fire Truck.

More Commissioned Paintings

We're back... Arrived back in Carolina late yesterday afternoon. Spent today catching up and getting ready for the next trip to The Upperville Colt and Horse Show.

Today's painting is a commissioned house portrait I created after the Keswick Summer Horse Show, near Charlottesville VA last summer. A wonderful afternoon working with easel set up in the shade under the trees.

A page to showcase commissioned paintings is in the works for the website, deadline tomorrow night.

Contact me through my website www.sfilarsky.com or ebay store ( a work in progress )

Visit My eBay Store: sfilarsky paintings

Vist My website: sfilarsky.com

Where we are now...

No painting yesterday or today. We were traveling from New York to home in North Carolina. A bit of a late start, we found a campground just south of DC on Mason's Neck. Driving to Pohicke Bay Regional Park, it was "deja vu all over again". I had been within a couple of miles of the park last fall painting a commission of the Rams Head Farm barn.



A plein air painting for trainer Ron Esposito served as a study for a larger painting of the barn for owner Kathleen Manafort.

Obviously, these paintings are not available for sale. However, you can visit my website
or ebay store ( a work in progress )

Visit My eBay Store: sfilarsky paintings

Vist My website: sfilarsky.com

Saratoga Cup Painting

Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Lou Dobbs

After laying in bed last night listening to rain on the roof, waking up during the night and hearing rain. After spending yesterday sitting in a booth in the rain, I anticipated loading and leaving in the rain this morning.

Nope, Sunshine, a perfect spring day. Sunshine, a breeze not wind. Warm in the sun but not hot, cool in the shade but not cold. I finished the painting above, Hillary Dobbs, winner of last Sunday's Saratoga Cup, which was presented to her by the St Clement's Horse Show. Since she also won today's Grand Prix on the same horse, I will be painting her on a different horse for the next painting.

Contact me through my website www.sfilarsky.com or ebay store ( a work in progress )

Visit My eBay Store: sfilarsky paintings

Vist My website: sfilarsky.com

Painting of the St Clement's Saratoga Horse Show

9 x 12 oil on canvas

This is what you see as you enter the actual showgrounds. Dappled sunlight coming through the trees and the huge red and white tent against the bright spring green of the trees. After having crossed from the barns, you pass through the vendor area which is part of the racetrack grounds. Through a gate and into the woods to the show rings. The rings are actually on land owned by Yaddo, an estate and gardens next to the racetrack. The house is now an artist's retreat, by invitation only but the gardens are open to the public.


Contact me through my website www.sfilarsky.com or ebay store ( a work in progress )

Visit My eBay Store: sfilarsky paintings

Vist My website: sfilarsky.com

Keeping an eye on Upperville

Even while in the middle of a two week show here in NY, I am anticipating returning to Upperville again this year. We hit the road on Friday, so we can set up on Saturady and have Sunday to get prepared ( actually drive around the amazing countryside ) I have been working on a number of larger paintings for Upperville while creating smaller plein air paintings here of the Saratoga show. These larger paintings are based on smaller paintings that I did at the show. This one measures 18 x 24 and is also available for 800.00

Tomorrow I will crop and resize the photos of Saratoga Horse Show paintings so I can present them to you.


Contact me through my website www.sfilarsky.com or ebay store ( a work in progress )

Visit My eBay Store: sfilarsky paintings

Vist My website: sfilarsky.com

A painting a Day....Saratoga

A rainy day in Saratoga. I partially opened our booth, leaving the sides closed and only the front opened. Still I had to close up for a while. I worked on paintings of the Upperville Colt and Horse Show, now only a couple of weeks away. In addition to the 8 x 10's and 9 x 12's, we will have some larger paintings available.

Today's painting is actually the reason we are here in Saratoga. Theresa (www.mtheresabrown.com ) recieved an email from a woman we met at the HITS show in Ocala in 2006. She decided to commission this 9 x 12 oil painting of Host and Carl O'Callahan as a gift for him. Its size makes it convenient for Carl as he travels around the world. She also told us about the Saratoga Horse Show and here we are...

After we leave, I'll be selling paintings in Saratoga Springs, NY through the Saratoga Saddlery, located downtown on Broadway.

I have just created an ebay store to sell paintings in addition to direct sales through email or telephone.

Visit My eBay Store: sfilarsky paintings

Vist My website: sfilarsky.com

Saratoga Racetrack

The Grandstand at Saratoga Racetrack, seen from the backstretch. After crossing Union Ave from the showgrounds, you walk along the backstretch to the barns. I found some shade from a tree. My clamp-on white umbrella I use to shade my painting and palette has occassionally blown over in the wind. Not a good idea with horses constantly passing by....

The grandstand is huge and walking along the backstretch of the track I am awed at how big it is. After the hunter and jumper rings, this is exercise.

I have been getting out before the show and walking over to the Oklahoma training track behind us to watch the horses being exercised. I am told that with horses coming out of the early morning mist it is quite a sight. I haven't seen a morning mist yet, but it is quite a sight even in the sunlight.

The painting of the Grandstand is 9 x 12 and is $250.00 with a gold leaf frame.
You can find out more at and also reach me through my website: www.sfilarsky.com.

Painting a day.....I'm back!

Well it's time to get back on the ball with this blog. I have been painting the last six months and I need to get works up on Internet....

Toady's painting is from the Saratoga Springs, NY. My wife Theresa ( a portrait artist ) and I are at the St. Clements Horse Show, being held at the Saratoga racetrack. She is exhibiting her portraits and I am painting at the show, equestrian landscapes, paintings of the rings, etc.

What I found unique at this show, were the "crossing guards". The barns are on one side of Union Ave. and the show on the other. Crossing guards are set up to stop traffic so the horses can cross the road. Race horses cross daily to use the Oklahoma track, however they are done by 9:00am while the show horses cross all day.

Standing by the side of the road, on a beautiful spring day, the horses crossing the road, riders dressed in their formal attire, the slate roofed barns and the historic track and buildings takes you back to a less hectic, hurried time.

This painting "The Crossing at Saratoga" is an 8 x 16 oil. Available for $350.00, I am showing it on the easel just as I finished it.

I will be selling paintings of the show and the racetrack while we are here, after we leave I will have paintings available in a gallery here in Saratoga. More information and paintings tomorrow