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

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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

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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

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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