Loon books still available

Hello everyone,

This morning I spotted two loons flying over my house heading towards Tacoma Lakes, I think they were letting me know to get my kayak out this weekend and meet them at the lake. I cannot not wait to be out at camp once again. Its been a long winter and I miss my time spent kayaking in the early mornings and watching the area loons interact with each other.

This year will make 4 years that I have spent photographing the loons at Tacoma Lakes region and 3 years since I first published my book "Loons of Tacoma Lakes " - A book celebrating the love of loons. www.animalsinpastels.com/loons-of-tacoma.html It has truly been a humbling experience to be allowed such an up close and personal look into their daily lives. And in the summer of 2008 I was able to capture the same breeding pair that I had photographed in my book with there newly hatched chicks and those photographs were amazing. For those of you who would like to view some of the new photographs captured since I first published my book click on this link www.animalsinpastels.com/gallery here you will find some wonderful photography of Tacoma's loons in Litchfield, Maine. And for those of you who would like to purchase a copy of my book, below is a list of the retailers who currently have a copy for sale.

Apple Valley Books - Winthrop, ME 207-377-3967
Gulf Of Maine Book Shop - Brunswick, Maine 207-729-5083
Books-N-Things - Norway, ME 207-743-7197
Country Cottage - Fort Kent, Me. 207-834-6791
Cry of Loons - South Casco, ME 207-655-5060
Loon Preservation Gift Shop - Moultonborough, NH 603-476-5666
Maine Goodies - Albion, ME 866-385-6238
Maine Made & More - Waterville,ME 207-872-7378
Maine Make & More - Augusta, ME 207-443-9338
Marlows - Kennebunk, ME 207-985-2931
Moosehead Traders - Greenville, ME 207-695-3806
Ecopelagicon Nature Store - Rangeley, ME 207-864-2771
Kennebunk Book Port - Kennebunkport, ME 207-967-3815
Owl & Turtle Book Shop - Camden, ME 207-236-4769
Reading Corner - Rockland, ME 207-596-6651
Stacy's Hallmark - Augusta, ME 207-623-3781

If you prefer to order direct from the author email me at LoonsofTacoma@aol.com
and I would be happy to ship you a signed copy. Take care, have fun and enjoy your summer.


Sandra Lee Huston

Art Show Schedule for 2009

Hello Everyone, Hope you are enjoying this beautiful spring weather.
I wanted to take a moment to list my Art Show schedule for 2009. I will once again be joining the Art Fair in Bethel, Maine and have decided to try the Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival this year. See below for more information.


20 Annual Bethel Art Fair
Date: Saturday, July 4 th 2009
Where: On the Bethel Common
One Broad Street
Bethel, ME 04217
Time: 9 am to 4 pm

In addition to the art, the fair will have musical entertainment and will include a special young persons' area where children will be able to take part in a variety of activities. Several local eateries will be serving their special fare for purchase. The fair is open to 50 artists and fine craftsman alike. Not only will you find original paintings and photography to choose from, but also sculpture, stain glass, woodcarving and fine handmade jewelry. Sorry no rain dates.


3rd Annual Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival

Date: August 15, 2009
Where: Maine Street
Brunswick, ME 04011
Time: 9 am to 5 pm

This is a juried art show to display fine arts and crafts in booths set up along the sidewalks up and down Maine Street in Brunswick. There will be original art work along with numbered reproductions and fine crafts available to purchase. Many outstanding local performers will be providing traditional musical entertainment along with street performers, dancers, mimes and jugglers. There are also many cafes and restaurants up and down Maine Street for your dining enjoyment.


Stop by if you are in the area and say hi. I will have many of my latest photographs on display framed and ready to hang and also a few new small gifts items like photo utility holders and magnets for the wildlife lover on your gift list. Take care and hope to see you this summer~

Sandra Lee Huston

Loon books still available

Hello Everyone,
I hope all of you enjoyed a nice thanksgiving holiday with family and friends as we did. Since I have had several messages on my answering machine as to where you can pick up a copy of my book I wanted to quickly type up a list and publish it online for your gift giving pleasure.
Below is a current list of bookstores that have copies available:

Gulf Of Maine Book Shop located in Brunswick, Maine 207-729-5083
Bath Book Shop located in Bath, Maine 207-443-9338
Maine Made and More located in Augusta, Maine 207-622-5723
Maine Made and More located in Waterville, Maine 207-872-7378

If you prefer to order direct from the author email me at LoonsofTacoma@aol.com and I would be happy to ship you a signed copy.

Have a wonderful Christmas holiday and a Happy New Year~
Sandra Lee Huston

Summer is Over and Fall is upon us.....

Hello Everyone!
Can you believe that summer is over and fall is just around the corner? I guess its time to get our warm clothes out and enjoy the crisp fall days. This summer kayaking and photographing the wildlife at Tacoma Lakes was a little frustrating with all the rain we had, but I was able to capture some stunning close ups of a loon family with their newly hatched chicks and a few great shots of a Bald Eagle. I just finished uploading all my new photographs captured in 2008. So for those of you who have been waiting to view my new photographs just visit my photo gallery at www.animalsinpastels.com/gallery you will even find a wonderful photograph of a doe and fawn captured while kayaking early one morning. As always you can order a number of different gift items from my photographs, just select the drop down menu on the add to cart or download the order form available and enter the items you would like to order. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to email me.

I also have a number of my Loons of Tacoma Lakes book available for those who are unable to find a copy at your nearest bookstores. Just email LoonsofTacoma@aol.com to order your signed copy from the author and I will be happy to mail you a copy. I decided to write this book in 2005 because I wanted to share the incredible experience I enjoyed when a special pair of Maine common loons allowed me to photograph them while they raised their chicks. If you would like more information about my book just click here www.animalsinpastels.com/loons-of-tacoma.html I continue to be blessed with the trust of the loons at Tacoma Lakes and I am truly amazed as they allow me to continue to capture up close and personal shots as they interact among themselves each summer. It is a very humbling and exciting experience and I truly enjoy sharing these wonderful moments through my photographs with all of you.

For those of you who will be visiting Maine during the month of October, stop by and visit my Art display at the Central Maine Medical Center Art Gallery on High Street in Lewiston, Maine. You will be able to view and purchase a number of my framed Scenes of New England photographs and view a small selection of my original pastel and charcoal artwork from September 26th to October 30, 2008.

For those of you who wish to contact me about commissioned pet portraits for the holidays please email me by October 15th. I have one opening available for the holiday. Email bornhorselover@aol.com Enjoy the beautiful fall weather everyone, until next time.

Sandra Lee Huston

Art Shows and Fairs for 2008

Happy Spring Everyone!

I wanted to quickly mention my list of art shows and fairs for those of you who like to plan your visits to Maine around the summer and fall. If by chance you are in the neighborhood stop by and say hi!

19 Annual Bethel Art Fair

Date: Saturday, July 5th 2008
Where: On the Bethel Common
One Broad Street
Bethel, ME 04217
Time: 9 am to 4pm

In addition to the art, the fair will have musical entertainment and will include a special young persons' area where children will be able to take part in a variety of activities. Several local eateries will be serving their special fare for purchase. The fair is open to 50 artists and fine craftsman alike. Not only will you find original paintings and photography to choose from, but also sculpture, stain glass, woodcarving and fine handmade jewelry. Sorry no rain dates.



CMMC Gallery

Date: Sept 26 through Oct. 31st, 2008
Where: Central Maine Medical Center
Lewiston, Maine 04240

The artwork of Sandra Lee Huston will be featured during the month of October by the Woman's Hospital Association of Central Maine Medical Center. The artwork on displayed will include Scenes of New England Photography also Pastel and Charcoal animal portraiture.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For those of you who have not visited my website lately check out my new additions on my gift shop page www.animalsinpastels.com/giftshop.html here you will find new Canvas Gallery Wrap art work and Photo Wall Plaques to order easily from the comfort of your home and for those of you who love sunsets,don't miss the panoramic view of a sunset I captured over Mooselookmeguntic Lake in Oquossoc Maine last fall located at the bottom of my gift shop page. For the Draft Horse enthusiast visit my gallery of Draft Horse photographs captured at the Famous Fryeburg Fair www.animalsinpastels.com/gallery including the famous 8 horse hitch. So if you are unable to make any of my shows this year you can still enjoy viewing my new additions on line at my website. Enjoy~

Until next time, take care,

Sandra Lee Huston

Catching Up

Hello everyone,
A lot of changes have occurred this past summer and fall. My son was married in June for one and in October I accepted a full time position at Spillers working in their credit/collection department. http://www.spillersusa.com/. This is something my husband and I discussed at length and felt with the slow economy the way it is and with health insurance cost for individual coverage skyrocketing, it was best for me to go back to work and receive health benefits through my employer. At least now we will not have to face a monthly insurance rate of $600.00 a month, with an increase slated to go up to 728.00 by Jan 2008 for a $10,000.deductible policy for the both my husband and I.

What does this mean for my Animals in Pastels business and my clients? Mostly there will be a change in the amount of time that I will be accessible to the public during the day. You will still be able to reach me by email and leave messages by phone, and I will do my best to answer all inquiries after 4 pm in the afternoon Monday through Friday. As far as portrait commission I will have to limit the total to 6 per year and the turn around time will change from 2 weeks up to 4 to 8 weeks depending on my waiting lists. For those of you who are unfamiliar with my portrait work visit this link: http://www.animalsinpastels.com/pet-portriats.html

I will still be marketing my loon books to local bookstores, schools and any one who just wishes to buy one as a gift. Even though sales have dropped dramatically from last year my book is still very well received. For those who still wish to purchase a copy of "Loons of Tacoma Lakes" for the upcoming holiday just visit this link for more information http://animalsinpastels.com/loons-of-tacoma.html . You can easily place your order my mail or by emailing LoonsofTacoma@aol.com As a holiday special, through the month of December I will be waving the shipping cost for all single copies ordered.

My other big change came in September with my photography, I decided to go completely digital and replaced my Canon Rebel 2000 with a Canon Digital Rebel XTI and have been very please with my decision. No more waiting to have rolls of film developed and saving images in digital format. Now I just download my images and use my Paint Shop Pro image software to edit my photographs. In the spring I hope to add a new 500mm image stabilized lens to my equipment so that my wildlife shots will have even more detail. Even using my old 300mm lens I am able to capture some exceptional pictures with this Canon digital XTI. When you have a chance visit my online photography gallery at http://www.animalsinpastels.com/gallery/main.php Here you will be able to view and order a variety of my scenes of New England photographs as magnets, greeting cards and prints right from the comfort of your home. Over the winter months I will be uploading many new photographs including draft horses captured at the Fryeburg Fair, sunsets in Rangeley, Maine, flowers and of course my new loon photographs. So check back often to view all the new photographs I have captured.


On a sad note, in October we lost our beloved Choc lab, K-C to cancer. She was a very special dog and my husband and I miss her dearly. You do not really know how intertwined your lives become with your pets until you have lost them. Everywhere we go we are reminded of her. This past Sunday breakfast we looked at the leftover pancakes, and tears came to our eyes knowing we would not be sharing them with her again. I am even reminded of her when shopping for steak because she would always lick her lips in anticipation of having the leftovers. I am fortunate, though being an avid photographer I had taken many photographs of her throughout the 11 + years she was with us. And of course her pastel portrait that I painted 5 years ago hangs in our living room with her looking over us. That old saying is certainly true that dogs leave paw prints in our hearts. May you always have water to play in and squirrels to chase. Until we meet again my friend. K-C March 19, 1996 ~ October 26, 2007

Until next time, wishing everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful Christmas season.

Sandra Lee Huston

2007 List of Art/Fine Craft Shows, Photography Contests and Book Signings

The following is a list of the show dates and book signings I will be attending this year. If you are in the vicinity please drop by and say hi. I will update this listing as new dates and venues are added to my schedule throughout the year~

March 3, 2007 "The Arts of March"

Sponsored by the Kennebunk Land Trust

Saturday between 10 AM - 4 PM at the Kennebunk High School,

Art & Fine Craft Show celebrating Maine's beauty in many forms.

Over 70 artists and fine crafters will be attending. Located at the high

school gymnasium - 89 Fletcher St. Kennebunk, ME 04043

March 30 to April 1, 2007
State of Maine Sportsman's Show - Photography Contest

This 3 day event is located at the Augusta Civic Center in

Augusta, Maine. The sportsman show displays art work, photography

and wood carvings in categories depicting Wildlife, People in Outdoor

Activities, Landscapes, and macro (close-up) photography of flowers,

butterflies and insects. All art work and photography will be hanging

on walls on display and not in individual booths with the artists.

Winners will receive ribbons and trophies awarded by judges. Also a

"Sportsman's Choice" award will be voted on by the general public.

~

July 7, 2007

18th Annual Bethel Art Fair - 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Located on the Bethel Common, One Broad Street, Bethel Maine 04217.This event is being held on the beautiful village common in the National Historic District of Bethel, Maine. In addition to the art, the fair will have musical entertainment and will include a special young persons' area where children will be able to take part in a variety of activities. Several local eateries will be serving their special fare for purchase as well. I will be located in booth #14 to the right of the Chamber info tent and raffle area. There will be a total of 50 artist booths set up for your enjoyment. Sorry no rain dates.

~

August 18, 2007 Winthrop, Maine 04364

Winthrop's 20th Annual Sidewalk Art Show - 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Located on Main Street downtown Winthrop. Put on by the Winthrop Area Chamber of Commerce. This show is open to 84 artists, sculptors and photographs. There will be a general display of art work for the public to purchase. Art show purchase prizes to be purchased by participants for $350.00, also Art Show Judge's awards. Look for display maps set out for locating your favorite artists. Sorry no rain dates.

~

Canine Art Guild - Online Art Show

The Artist's Best Friend" CAG online Art Show will be live April 1st 2007. This a newly formed group of canine artists showcasing artwork depicting their own dogs or dogs that have been influential and inspiring to them. Below is a sneak preview of my entries.

My best canine friend is our beloved chocolate lab, K-C. Her portrait is featured in a place of honor at the top of my pet portrait page on my website. (www.animalsinpastels.com/pet-portraits.html )This 11x14 soft pastel painting was completed when she was six years old and painted on grey tinted velour pastel paper. It was a joy to paint this particular portrait of her with all the different colors highlighted on her fur as she sat in the setting sun. She is now 11 years old and showing more white hairs around her muzzle and paws each day, but is still beautiful to us. My husband calls her my constant shadow, following me out to the barn each day, and curling up by my rocking chair when I read in the evenings. If I am working at the computer she is sleeping on her dog bed behind me in our office. Even in my studio while painting, you will find her napping at my feet and always runs to the door eagerly, if she hears "OK girl, time to take a break, let's go for a walk." K-C is the seventh dog my husband and I have owned and raised, each of the animals that have come into our lives throughout the past 30 years continues to weave a special place in our hearts. The love and bond between humans and animals are very unique and that special bond is the reason I have been painting commissioned pet portraits since 1990. Through my portraits my clients display the love and bond that they have developed with their animal companions and keep these cherished memories alive for a lifetime.

For my second online submission I would like to share with you a recent pastel painting that was of one of my client's best friends, a Yellow Lab, named Zeke. I chose a Crescent Moorman suede board with a Pearle tint to compliment the color of Zeke's beautiful golden fur for this soft pastel painting. Below is the completed 16x20 portrait commissioned in January 2007 and also a small close up version to show the finer details of the finished portrait. Even though I have always loved painting on French velour pastel paper with my soft pastels, I feel the Crescent Moorman suede board allows me to create finer details without compromising the softness of the animals fur. Judge for yourselves with the examples below. I hope you enjoy all the other wonderful canine artwork displayed for your enjoyment through our CAG online art show at www.canineartguild.com

The Artist Horse As Muse Show

The Artist Horse as Muse Show is a show of the Equine Art Guild Artist showcasing their love of horses. The online art show will be live on March 18, 2007. Below is a preview of my submission.

"Food for the Soul" ~ Black & White Photograph ~NFS

This photograph was taken in June of 2006 of my Morgan mare "Rosie" and I, by a friend and fellow photographer; Arlene McConnell. Rosie, who has filled the void in my soul since she came to us in 1994, is also a constant inspiration to me in my equine art. With Arlene's permission, I edited the photo by cropping and removing some of the background objects, enhanced the tonal quality by converting it to black & white, than added an artistic edging for this photograph submission of us together.

My Second submission is an 8x10 digital reproduction titled ~ Celebrating the Love of Horses ~Available to purchase @ $25.00 +s&h. This reproduction is from my original pastel painting of my first horse "Misty" purchased by my husband for me in 1982. She was my childhood dream come true and I was very fortunate to have owned such a wonderful animal for my first horse. My fondness memory of "Misty" was when I rode her bare back on a snowy winters night with the full moon shining across the freshly fallen snow. Over the years we would jump fences fearlessly and complete our first level dressage test together. I will never forget my 3 year old son walking up to this mare in her stall after we first brought her home, telling her to back with authority so that he could pass, whereas this mare backed and then followed my son through the stall door and into the pasture. My husband and I both looked at each other and knew than that our son was safe with this mare. This print is actually from my original Morgan montage completed in 2004, painted in soft pastels on Moorman Suede board. Since most of my time is spent painting commissioned portraits of other people's animals, I wanted to paint this montage for myself as a remembrance of the horses we raised. The original 24x36 montage is displayed in our living room and continues to evoke fond memories of our beloved Morgan horses each time we pass. If you would like to view the complete montage as displayed on my website, click here: www.animalsinpastels.com/images/morganmontage.jpg You will notice my Morgan mares depicted at different ages throughout their lives starting when they were just a few weeks old. I also added the stallion's portrait of each of my mares in the lower corners, "Immortal Command" on the left and "Merrilee Aquarius" to the right. I than finished the montage with a small portrait of my son, Christopher, meeting our first horse Misty when he was three years old.

My third and final submission for this online muse show is of "Beau" a Shire Draft horse. This is an 11x14 original pastel on rose-colored Moorman Suede board. For those who are interested, Beau's original portrait is available for sale, framed and ready to hang for $400.00 + s&h. Also available are 8x10 prints of the original for only $25.00 each +s&h. To view the framed portrait please visit my website link at www.animalsinpastels.com/graphics/framedbeau.jpg Beau is the current ambassador for the Rockin'T Equine Rescue Farm here in Lisbon Falls, Maine. I fell in love with Beau nearly seven years ago when I first saw him just after he was rescued. Standing alone, nobly in the corner of the paddock with his mane snarled and matted, his frame bone thin and his legs severely mite infected. Over the next two years during his rehabilitation, I visited Beau several times taking many rolls of film of him and sneaking little hand fed treats. Slowly a bond began to develop and it wasn't long before I could stand outside his paddock and call his name and he would come running to greet me. I decided to paint this painting in celebration of his recovery and the dedication of all the people caring for the animals at Rockin'T. To see him today you would not believe he is the same horse with his shiny coat, long mane and beautiful black and white feathers surrounding his legs. 25% of the proceeds of the sale of this painting will go towards the continued care for all the animals currently residing at the rescue farm. If you would like to read more about Beau and his rescue please visit the link on my website (http://www.animalsinpastels.com/rockin-t-rescue-farm.html ) Thank you, and enjoy all the other wonderful equine artwork displayed for your enjoyment through our EAG Muse Show at

http://www.equineartguild.com/gallery/index.php

Latest Commissioned Portraits

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and was able to enjoy the festivities with family and friends. The month of December is especially busy for us artists who accept commissioned portraits as gifts for the holidays. I promised to post the ones I completed for my clients for you to view. Below are the three I completed in Nov/Dec. The first one is a 11x14 memorial portrait of a dog named Katherine. This portrait was painted with soft pastels on Moorman suede board with Mt. Katahdin in the background.

The next memorial portrait below is a 11x14 pastel pencil portrait on Canson paper, commissioned for a client in Vermont of his White Shepherd named Cain. The last portrait completed was a 11x14 Charcoal portrait of a young boy named Chase and his dog Jaxson for a client from Washington State. I hope you enjoyed viewing my latest work as much as I enjoyed painting them for my clients. Wishing everyone a very healthy and Happy New Year !

Loons of Tacoma Lakes book

Hello Everyone, hope most of your Christmas shopping is complete. Only a few days left before Christmas! Surprisingly, we still do not have any snow here in Maine. That is very unusual for us Mainers, and has been very hard to get into the Christmas spirit, but it has been nice to have 40-50 degree weather in the afternoons and easy driving conditions for traveling. Maybe Christmas Eve we will have a little dusting just to put us more in the spirit......

For those of you who would like to purchase a copy of my book Loons of Tacoma Lakes (ISBN#0-9785143-0-0) as a Christmas gift, please call your local bookstores or gift shops to see if they still have a copy on hand. I have restocked my book in 30 locations throughout Maine, NH and VT . If you are unable to locate my book and still wish to purchase an autographed copy please email LoonsofTacoma@aol.com and I would be happy to mail you a copy. Enclose a check for 24.95 plus 5% tax (Maine residents only). Mail to my studio: Animals in Pastels, 162 Main Street Lisbon Falls, ME 04252 . For those of you who enjoy viewing loon and scenes of New England photographs please visit my new gallery at www.animalsinpastels.com/gallery here you will be able to view and order a selections of my new photographs captured in 2006 as prints, greeting cards, photo magnets and book markers.

For school librarians looking for a new book for their students, my book has been very well received not only with the adult nature lovers of this area but also the student photographers as well. The following is a review written for the Winter issue of the Maine Audubon Habitat Newspaper by Luke Seitz, a ninth grader at the Falmouth High School in Falmouth Maine. (permission to reprint courtesy of the editor:Marie Malin, of the Habitat Newspaper)

Loons of Tacoma Lakes is a spectacular book documenting a single family of common loons in the Tacoma Lakes region of central Maine. The author, Sandra Lee Huston, kayaked the lakes photographing and observing the loon family, and the book's wonderful, full-page images- over 40 of them-record the lives of the chicks from late summer through fall.
My favorites aspect of this book is the spectacular photography. On every spread, there is a full- page color photograph showing another stage in the breeding life of common loons. All images are extremely sharp and well exposed.
Natural history information about the loons is included in many of the photograph captions and descriptions. Some examples include the stage of molt the bird is in, feeding behavior, and the interactions between the adult and young loons. There is also basic life history information scattered throughout.
As a beginning photographer, I found the chapter explaining the author's photography process very rewarding. It was helpful to learn how Huston photographs the birds, and her tips on developing film. Overall, you can see that I enjoyed Loons of Tacoma Lakes immensely. The spectacular photographs, photography pointers and great information regarding the life of common loons made it a pleasurable read. I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in photography, loons or natural history in general. Luke Seitz - Falmouth, Maine

For librarians who are interested in purchasing my book, I offer a discount of 30% off the 24.95 retail price, your discounted price is 17.46 + 1.95 s&h for each book ordered (for two books ordered s&h would be 2.95). For more information on ordering books email: LoonsofTacoma@aol.com If you would like to view more information about my book just visit www.animalsinpastels.com/loons-of-tacoma.html here you will be able to view 12 of the 40 photographs published in my book, read the preface page, bio and a sample of other review comments.

Soon after the holidays, I will post my new commissioned artwork completed this past month, for you to view. Until than, Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Sandy

Happy Holidays

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends and is not getting too stressed out with shopping for Christmas. I have been very busy with commissioned pet portraits for clients and marketing my loon book "Loons of Tacoma Lakes". Sales continue to go strong and we have just passed the $8,000.00 mark. Unfortunately we have not paid the printers bill yet, but we are hoping for strong Christmas sales so that we will see a profit by the beginning of next year. My 5th and next book signing will be at Percy's Burrow - located at the Lewiston Mall on East Avenue in Lewiston, Maine. You can find us between the Radio Shack and the Silver Feather between 1 and 4 PM on December 16th. I will also have my new loon photographs, book markers, greeting cards and 4x6 loon photo magnets along with my autographed books for sale. Stop by and pick up some unique gifts for the loon lover on your gift list.

Our last book signing in Meredith, New Hamphsire on October 28th at the Innisfree Bookshop turned out to be very nice even though the weather was particularly rainy that day. On our way home we stopped at The Loon Center in Moultonborough, NH and they also purchased 2 dozen books to sell during their Christmas open house. Not only can you find my book in gift stores and many independent bookstores throughout Maine, but now NH and just recently Stowe, Vermont. For those of you who cannot find my book at your local book store or gift shop, please visit my website here you can order by email or phone. I will be happy to mail you an autographed copy of my book- with free shipping and handling for December. For additional gift ideas click on my Gift Shop page, here you will find an assortment of gift items to purchase including gift certificates for the animal lover on your gift list.

Starting in December I will have a new Photo Gallery Album complete with shopping cart from which you can order one of several items easily by clicking on the drop down menu after selecting an image. You will have your choice of ordering greeting cards, magnets, digital prints also book markers. This will be a new item, so if there are any problems please feel free to email me to let me know. This new photo album will showcase all my Scenes of New England Photographs including my most recent loon photographs captured in 2006. And do not miss checking out my unique 24- month custom made calendars located on my gift shop page. Many are now ordering them with a new loon picture. After the holidays I will post my newly finished artwork for your enjoyment. Until then, wishing you all a safe and happy holiday !
Sandy ~

Fall Splendor

Hello everyone, I hope you have had time to enjoy all the beautiful Indian summer weather we have been having. I know we have. During our vacation the first week in October, we enjoyed a nice walk on the beach also a visit to the Fryeburg Fair and just enjoyed the warm sunshine while catching up on some yard work. The Fryeburg Fair turn out this year was great, with the weather warm and sunny for most of the week. This year I took time to walk around behind the scenes at the draft horse barns and captured some unique photographs of the horses being harnessed, bathed and even captured a few draft teams during warm up before the pulling contests began. The photograph to the left and below are two from the 6-hitch draft horse show held on Wednesday October 4th. Notice the matching ribbons braided in the manes of the horses matching the color of the wagon they were pulling. All of the draft horses in this show were beautifully presented with their polished harness and shiny coats, all decked out in their best for this spectacular event.

If you would like to view more of the draft horse photographs captured that day visit my website at http://www.animalsinpastels.com/ click on the link named My Gallery on each of the photography pages and or the gift shop page. Or click on this link: www.animalsinpastels.com/gallery Look for the sub title horses album and you will view more photographs from the Fryeburg Fair also various new horse photographs will be featured here in the future. I took a total of 6 rolls of film in 2005 and again in 2006 of just the draft show at the Fryeburg Fair, so their is only a small fraction of the photographs displayed. If you would like to know if a particular draft team was captured and you do not see it, please email bornhorselover@aol.com and I would be happy to look through my archives to see if I have one of your team. Please give me the name of the draft breed, color of the wagon, any possible distinguishing marking (or color of ribbons on the horses) that may help me identifly your team. You may come back periodically as more photographs will be added when time permits. This is a new item that should be up and ready to view sometime in November/December of 2006. Here you can go and view all the photographs available to purchase in a variety of styles ranging fro 8x10 digital photographs, to 24 month custom calendars, including greeting cards, 4x6 photo magnets and even bookmarkers. You will also have available an order form to download where you can easily fill in any order you would like and simply mail in to my studio with a money order or check. For those of you who love loons, check out my new loon photographs captured the summer of 2006 at the Tacoma Lakes area. Many have surpassed even the photographs I was able to capture last year that were published in my new book titled "Loons of Tacoma Lakes" in April. For those of you who are not familiar with my book click on this link www.animalsinpastels.com/loons-of-tacoma.html. Here you will be able to read the bio and preface page, also view 12 of the 40 photographs published while listening to the calls of the loons in the background. To date we have sold and distributed over $7,500.00 of my loon book in over 40 locations ranging from Kittery to Moosehead, Maine including independent bookstores, giftshops and sporting good outlets. If by any chance you are unable to locate my book in a location near you, just email me at LoonsofTacoma@aol.com and you can order an autographed copy mailed to your home. I am even extending my free shipping and handling for all individual orders mailed in the US as a Christmas special.

For those of you who will be in the Meredith, NH area on Saturday Oct. 28th between 2 and 4 PM stop by at the Innisfree Bookshop where I have been invited to attend a book signing and give an informal talk about publishing my new loon book. I will also have my portfolio of my loon photographs available to view, including some gift items to purchase for all you loon lovers.

For those of you who would like to commission a custom portrait of your children or your beloved animal companion for Christmas there is still time to reserve a spot for this season if you contact me before Nov. 1st. After that date I have gift certificates that are available to purchase for that special someone on your gift list. Email bornhorselover@aol.com for more information about commissioning a custom portrait in charcoal or pastel. Enjoy the fall season everyone! Take care,

Sandy

Newest Charcoal portrait....

Here is the digital photo of my latest portrait, hopefully it will upload today. This is of my husbands niece, Marlene and her 6 week old baby girl, Samantha.

If you would like to commission a portrait of your children in charcoal, visit my website at www.animalsinpastels.com for prices and more information or email me at bornhorselover@aol.com. Have a great weekend.

Sandy

Busy in August....

Well, summer is over and fall is fast around the corner. August was a very busy month for me. The Winthrop Sidewalk Art show/ book signing hosted by the Apple Valley Bookstore on August 19th turned out to be a great day. The rain held off and the turn out was high. Although the 80+ artist's reported that art sales were down by 50% from last year. I not only displayed my book "Loons of Tacoma Lakes" ( http://www.animalsinpastels.com/loons-of-tacoma.html ) but also my Scenes of Maine greeting cards, bookmarkers, 4x6 loon photo magnets, small 5x7 framed loon cards and a few 8x10 enlarged prints of loons. I did very well with my small items, it seemed that my bookmarkers, loon magnets and greeting cards made up most of the sales for the day.

Besides continuing to market my book to the NEBA independent bookstores throughout New England I also managed to complete a few commissioned portraits.

This 11x14 pastel portrait of an English Setter was for a client in NH. Jesse's dog portrait was painted on Rich Beige, Art Spectrum Colourfix Pastel Paper.

This next pastel portrait was also for a client in NH. This is a memorial portrait of their beloved cat, Casper. My client wished to have their cat portrayed full size with his toy mouse and large double paws showing. Casper's, 18x26 pastel portrait was painted on Blue Haze, Art Spectrum Colourfix pastel paper.

And I have also just complete a charcoal portrait of my husbands niece and her new baby girl, Samantha. Marlene's 11x14 charcoal portrait was drawn on Flannel Grey, Canson Mi-Tientes pastel paper. This is a new addition to my commissioned portraits advertised on my website. I have decided to also include commissioned portraits of families in charcoal besides children and pets. (sorry, it seems that blogger.com is not uploading this new charcoal portrait for you to view, I will try again on another day)

For anyone who is interested in commissioning a portrait for a Christmas gift there is still time. I accept orders up until Nov 1st. Please visit my website at www.animalsinpastels.com for more information on the styles of portraits that are available for you to commission. Gift certificates are also available for that someone special on your gift list.

On my weekends at camp, (when it hasn't rained that is) I have continued to capture some more beautiful loon photographs at Tacoma Lakes. These new loon photos will make a wonderful calendar that I hope to have published and begin to market next year on line and at giftshops and bookstores throughout New England.

Well, that is all my news for now, enjoy the Indian Summer weather everyone and have a great fall season.

Sandy

Summer's Here !

Hello Everyone,

The Moxie Festival in Lisbon Falls, Maine on July 7th through the 9th was a great success, with lots of fun and sun for all, including great Fireworks to celebrate the festivities and of course our famous parade on Saturday morning. My book signing on the first two days of the festival was very encouraging. It was especially heartwarming to see people drive from as far away as Waterville just to meet me and have me sign their copy of my book, Loons of Tacoma Lakes. Sales from my new book continues to be strong. I now have my book distributed in over 28 locations throughout Maine, in bookstores, gift shops and sporting goods outlets. Reorders have started to come in as early as three weeks ago. Very encouraging!


I also had a delightful meeting with the ladies of Altrusa International Inc. of the Pejepscot Area on Wednesday evening, July 12th. Jane Long the President, asked me to give their group a little demonstration of my artwork and talk about my new loon book. This is a great group of ladies getting together to volunteer their services in projects dedicated to community betterment. I had a wonderful evening talking with these ladies about my new book and artwork and enjoyed a nice supper with them at the Brunswick Cafe.

I also continue to photograph the breeding loons at Tacoma Lakes on Sunday morning. I have documented 3 new breeding pairs on film, from Woodbury Pond so far this year, each pair with one newly hatched chick and also a pair that renested for the second time since the end of June. Below is one of the new breeding pairs captured on July 4th with its young chick hiding behind its parent. I should title this one peek-a-boo.

I was also extremely lucky to capture this shot below of a Great Blue Heron in the cove between Sand and Woodbury Pond from my kayak on Monday July 3rd.

Its unbelievable but my photographic opportunities on Woodbury this year have actually outshined last years. Maybe not in quantity, because of all the rain we had this past month, but certainly quality. Once again I have been extremely fortunate capturing the new breeding loons of the area ponds. I will be bringing many of my new loon photographs to my next book signing Saturday, on August 19 at the Winthrop Art Show in the form of bookmarkers, note cards and 4x6 photo magnets for all you loon lovers. Look for me set up in front of the Apply Valley Book Store between 10 AM and 3 PM. Until then, enjoy the summer, have fun and stay cool! Sandy

Catching up ....

Hello, trying to catch up, as I have not been able to post as often on my blog page as I would have liked in the past 2 weeks. Memorial Weekend Photo opportunities were pretty good although not the best. I was able to capture some lady slippers and a few loon photographs at camp, even though the rain has been on and off for the last 3 weeks (mostly on)! The birds and ducks are happy with all this rain, but it does not make for good photography outings for sure. Even the flowers in my garden are starting to develop rain rot. Not good at all. For all you floral lovers, here are a few of the lady slipper photographs I was able to capture at Beaver Park in Lisbon, ME. Even on this day it was partly cloudy and the pictures did not come out as bright as I would have liked. For those of you who enjoy florals you can visit my website at http://www.animalsinpastels.com/floral-photography.html this link will bring you to my floral page to view some of the other flowers I have captured over the years . At home I have been busy with my own garden and have tried to keep up with the weeds, when the rain has stopped. This is a picture of our back yard garden that we built when we removed our old above ground pool several years ago.

This is a beautiful place to enjoy the sound of the water fountain and hear the birds singing while eating breakfast and to also retire in the evenings in our enclosed screened gazebo watching the sun set. (The screen gazebo is the only way to enjoy the outdoors in the evening in Maine as the black flies and mosquitoes will surly carry you away) hee hee. For you loon lovers who have been keeping up with my earlier posting. Yes, I was able to capture some great loon photographs last weekend. Actually the only weekend out of 3 that did not rain all weekend. The photograph below is one I captured last Sunday while at camp, with this years new loons chicks just hatched. This baby is about one and a half weeks old. I was also fortunate to capture a few shots with a loon chick on the parents back, but will have to wait to finish the film before I can share those with you. Speaking about loons, sales for my "Loons of Tacoma Lakes" book are still growing strong. It has been nearly 2 months since I published my new book and we have reached just under $4,000.00 in distribution and sales so far. Hopefully by the end of the fall season we will start to show a profit, as all money goes to pay the printer bill first. It has been a great learning experience publishing my own book and I will probably do it again. Please if anyone tells you that you can make a lot of money writing and publishing a full color book, do not believe them. The truth is, it will be 2 years before we see any real profits and that is if sales continue to be strong throughout this season and into Christmas. Honestly though, it was a labor of love for me to write this loon book and I still continue to enjoy the marketing part, although to be truthful, taking the photographs are much more enjoyable. For those of you who have not seen my new book, click on this link: Loons of Tacoma Lakes . It will direct you to my website where you can view some of the photographs that were published in my book while listening to the calls of the loons in the background. Here you will also be able to read the preface page, back cover bio and some of the review comments. If you are interesting in purchasing a copy for yourself or for a loon lover in your family, please email me at LoonsofTacoma@aol.com and I would be happy to mail you a signed copy (free shipping and handling is still available for single orders in the US). For those of you who will be in the area of Lisbon Falls, Maine on July 7th & 8th, stop by at the Moxie Festival on Friday evening July 7th between 4 and 7 PM. I am scheduled for a two day book signing event at the Teen Center on Main Street located between the fire station and the bank. For those of you who will only be attending the festival on Saturday , I will also be available between 10 PM and 2 PM sharing space with the Lisbon Library book fair, at the teen center. I promise to bring a few of my new photographs as bookmarkers and 4x6 photo magnets for all you loon lovers out there. Looking forward to seeing you at the book signing during the Moxie Festival. Until then, take care, have fun and pray for sunshine! Sandy

New additions to the family....

Hello,

Just wanted to say that I am happy to start my new blog spot, to be able to keep in touch with everyone and let you know what's new. I wanted to announce that I have just published my new loon book called "Loons of Tacoma Lakes" and wanted to report that sales have been very promising for the first month. I have sold and distributed over $3,200.00 throughout Maine since my book was first published on April 28th and I have enjoyed reading all the wonderful comments that everyone has emailed and mailed to me. I also wanted to thank Edward Turner of Bidderford, for his glowing review of my new book in the Book Nook section "On Maine Writers" in the Sunday - Sun Journal Newspaper on June 4th.

If you would like to purchase a copy of my new loon book, you can visit your local book store and ask if they have it available or order it directly from the author (myself) for $24.95 (note my promotional special on my website: free shipping and handling in the US for the first 100 copies). To order, just email : LoonsofTacoma@aol.com, let me know your shipping address and if you would like me to autograph a copy for you. Send check or money order made out to Sandra Huston or Animals in Pastels, mail to my studio at 162 Main St. Lisbon Falls, ME 04252. Maine residents please add 5% sales tax (1.25). You should receive your book in 7 business days. Below are just a few of the review comments I have received so far:

" You have created a very special volume. It is much more than a book of beautiful photographs of loons. The Completeness of the description of the life of the loons makes this a very superior volume, very unique. "

" Your week by week journaling of this aspect of nature is fantastic, educational and profound. I welcome this gem to my classroom library."

"My wife and I wish to compliment you on your fine work. We thoroughly enjoyed your book celebrating the love of loons and will cherish it for many, many years to come."

If you would like more information about my book you can visit my website at www.animalsinpastels.com click on the loon book cover at the top of the page and it will bring you to a dedicated page where you will hear calls of the loons in the background while reading about my new book and view some of the photographs published. Loons of Tacoma Lakes is a book documenting the raising of two loon chicks from 3 weeks old to when they are fully fledged and ready to fly. There are 40- 5x7 full color photographs in this large format 72 page book. My books make perfect gifts and a beautiful addition to any loon lovers library.

Besides working on marketing my new book I have been busy taking care of the new additions to our family. Two- Five year old pygmy goats: Butterbean and Pepper. These little munchkins are fun to watch and have bonded very well with my Morgan mare "Rosie" in the month they have been with us. Below is a picture of them grazing in our back pasture.

On Memorial weekend my husband and I were busy at camp on Woodbury Pond opening up our RV camper, cleaning and attaching the screened in porch. This is where I photographed all the pictures for my book(Tacoma Lakes) and will continue with documenting the loons again this year. I did notice that one of the breeding pairs is still nesting and the chicks had not hatched yet. Even as late as last weekend when we drove by the inlet during the rain on June 4th she was still sitting on the nest. Hopefully this weekend the rain will end and I will be able to kayak around the ponds and capture some more new and exciting photographs of the new babies just hatched. I promise to upload a few for you loon lovers out their to view if I capture a special one. Until then, take care, and have fun.

Sandy