Online Auction For Texas Wild Burros Starts Today.

Item #18
On the Move
Original Watercolor
8.5 by 11 inches
Opening Bid $150.00
50% of Winning Bid to be donated.

18 items are now listed on my Facebook page:  Linda L.Martin Affordable Animal Portraits and Art  Anyone may bid on  the items over the next 7 days.  The Auction begins at 5pm EST now and ends at 5pm EST on Wednesday May 2.

A portion of each winning bid will be donated to the preservation work for Texas Wild Burros  through The Wild Burro Protection League operating under Todd Mission Rescue.

Item # 9
In his Mother’s Shadow Signed Print
8.5 by 11 inches
Opening Bid $17.00
50% of Winning Bid to be Donated

All Items in this auction are originals and prints from original work by artist Linda L Martin. They were painted to bring awareness of the plight of the Wild Burros of Big Bend Ranch State Park in Texas and the efforts to preserve these wonderful symbols of Historic Texas.

Please place your bids In $1.00 increments under the picture of the item you are bidding on.(If you decide to bid please message me you email address so that if you win I can contact you via email so you can make payment.) Please do not bid if you have unpaid items on other auctions.

Payment is expected with in 48 hours of auction end unless prior arrangements have been made.

Copyrights are not sold with the auctions.

Item #10
Spring in Texas
8 Blank Note Cards 8 Envelops
4-3/4 by 5-3/4 inches
Opening Bid: $9.00
10% of Winning Bid to be donated

Shipping and Handling is $5.00 in the USA for the first item $3.00 per item after.
Shipping and Handling is $7.00 to all other countries for first item $ 3.00 per item after.
 
Bids may also be made via email to llmartisticservices@yahoo.com
Be sure to include the number and name of item you want to bid on with your bid amount.

Please direct any questions to email llmartisticservices@yahoo.com Thank- you for your bids.

Please Direct all Bids here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150743397873585.413579.61141573584&type=1

What Adopting a Mustang is Really All About

This week I have been painting some of the wild horses being offered for adoption over the Internet  by the BLM in hopes of helping to get some of them adopted. There are some amazingly beautiful animals and well handled ones too. Anything I can do to help preserve, protect, help adopt, or anything positive in dealing with Wild Horse issues I will do.

 Everyone who loves these mustangs has the same concerns about them. Over all we are worried about what will happen to all those 35,000 plus horses that  are in Long Term Sanctuaries also known as BLM funded Long Term Holding Facilities and what will happen to the horses that are adopted into situations where they aren't handled at all or are put a risk because people find themselves inadvertently in financial crisis and cant keep their horses any longer.

We find ourselves in a quandary, the underdog, the ones who are trying to break in to the already competitive big money breeders retailing Horse industry. We continually seem to be trying to convince people that mustangs aren't culls, castoffs and useless animals.. and we are right to do so. Truthfully this isn't working for either us or the horses( and burros and mules) that are running wild and protected through the Wild Horse and Burro Act. And those wild horses not protected by the act are even more at jeopardy.

I wrote the following and posted it to a group I am in on facebook advocating for mustangs.

Maybe we are looking at this from the wrong direction. I don't think its a positive thing to always be comparing Mustangs with any breed or domestic horse... its like saying the cheaper generic brand is just as good as the original thing.

I don't think we should compare Mustangs with other breeds. Thats where it falls down. Mustangs are a unique living history of our country. Every time someone does a DNA test on a mustang it tells you things.. about the people who settled our nation and about different events in history.

You don't go into a dog show and judge a poodle by the standard for a Doberman. You judge poodles by other poodles or you judge different dog breeds against a test of skill. Even in best of breed or Supreme grand champion you don't judge an Arabian against an Appy. You judge them against the breed standard for the breed they represent.The one with the highest score is the winner.

What we should be selling is the uniqueness of owning a piece of living history, the adventure of finding a connection with a wild animal that far surpasses anything in a book or movie, Owning a mustang is more than owning a horse; It is owning an adventure. Its traveling down a path that is going to teach you not only about a horse that can think for its self and problem solve but it will teach you about yourself. All of our support development for new owners and trainers and all of our marketing for the horses and potential first time buyers should be along this line.

We who have trained mustangs( I haven't) and we who have friends who have worked with mustangs right off the range (I have) know that working with a mustang after having worked with any sort of domestic range bred or fancy breeding farm bred horse is a completely different ball game.

People need to know that they are getting something special and unique, that has an interesting history that will wrap them up in the imagination of experiences and yes the mystery and ambiance of the old west, the pioneers, those who made it through wars, economic disasters, natural calamities. Mustangs are not just horses they are America.

Yes of course you can do almost anything with a mustang that you can do with another horse with patience and hard work but that isn't the point. The point is as long as we compare a mustang with every other domestic horse out their all we have is a horse but if we let mustangs come into the market place and stand on their own merit then we have something special, unique and completely sell-able that with a tweak or two in marketing and owner support will bring about a high demand.

Lets face it people in this country are still making emotional purchases and if we can show them how to maintain these guys and develop relationships with them we will have successful adoptions.

IMO we have to change the insecure bad self image way we talk about them and talk about them, especially to the outside as being something worth having, worth paying the feeds bills for , worth the time and effort to train. etc. All the "bad self talk" and defensiveness is going to take time to over come regarding Mustangs ... I don't think we have time to waste.

Note: Please feel free to share this link with anyone interested in owning or adopting or helping others become wild horse owners but do not post with out giving me credit. Please do not  copy, use or other wise publish this with out express written permission All North and South American,  World and Electronic Rights Reserved  copyright©2012 LindaLMartin

You may contact me through email  with questions and comments : llmartisticservices@yahoo.com

Celebrating 300 paintings On the Mustang A Day Challenge!

Yep its another Giveaway! I love this part of my job so much, hehehe! Winner will receive a signed 5 by 7 inches print of  " In His Mother's Shadow"  How to enter?

Winner Gets a Signed
5" by 7" print
of this Painting:
In His Mother's Shadow

Here is the code: GIVE300

Post on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/LindaLMartinArtist
or
Post here in the comment section under this post
or
Post in an email to: llmartisticservices@yahoo.com

 You have 24 hours from 5pm Monday April 16th until 5pm Tuesday April 17th to enter.
Eastern Daylight Time of course! One entry per person, please


Let the Party begin!!

Remember the winner has 24 hours to respond once the announcement is made or they forfeit their prize.

So How Long Does it Take to Receive My Painting

So How long does it take to receive my painting once I have ordered it?

A lot of people think that since I am painting a mustang a day challenge that it means that I will be able to paint their painting and have it mailed out within 24 hours. The truth is a little different. While its true that I can very often paint a painting a day, I usually cant paint two paintings a day.  So I have a schedule.

Usually, I have the schedule set up on a 6 weeks rotation. Meaning, I usually plan 6 weeks in advance. So if you want your horse on the Mustang schedule the sooner the photography is submitted the sooner you can get on the schedule. This usually goes on a first come first served basis. I generally paint 10 to 15 owner mustangs in a month however not everyone buys their painting immediately. Sometimes its might be a month or two, especially if the owner is in the midst of a training rotation for the EMM or SEMM competitions.

Also In the middle of painting the “happy” mustangs I am also painting for charities. So at least two weeks out of the year I am painting for a worthy wild equine cause to help them widen their audience and show case their efforts at preservation, adoption, rehabilitation and rescue.

What if I have a horse or pet that is not in the Mustang A Day Challenge?

Commissioned work is usually done on off days.  So I have about 4 to 6 days a month that I can schedule commissioned paintings. These paintings are on a 6 to 8 weeks production schedule. So generally when your photography is submitted and your payment clears that is when the 6 weeks begins. Most of the time the turnaround is quite a bit quicker. However, if you contact me and don’t submit your photography or your payment doesn’t clear right away that will delay the speed at which I can finish your painting and mail it to you.


What are other things that might delay my painting?

Well aside from an act of God or War right now the gas prices are limiting my trips to the post office to one day a week.

Payment by check will also delay your painting from getting to you. With my bank even if it clears your bank in 5 days, my bank will not officially clear a personal check in less than 30 days. This is why I prefer PayPal as the payment is cleared in less than 12 hours if there is already money in the account.
If your money has to clear PayPal, it will take about a week longer than usual. Paintings are not shipped unless the money is cleared since so many of my clients are out of state and overseas.

Some people have suggested that I change banks however I think the inconvenience is worth it since my bank is one of the few in the country that didn’t need a bail out when all the other banks did. And money that they were forced to take they paid back almost immediately. That gives me a lot of confidence in that bank and the way they manage my accounts and protect my money and yours in our transactions.


Incorrect or partial names, incorrect addresses and no email address are other things that can delay communication with potential clients and keep you from receiving the beautiful painting you have ordered.

Another thing that will speed up your shipment is using a properly filled out postal money order. That money can be cashed immediately.
 I also accept Credit Union or Western Union Money Orders. However be advised that these take 5 days to clear my bank. There has been a problems with fraud in the use of these types of  money orders in the past so my bank verifies them  before they accept them.

 If any type of money order is rejected by the bank or post office your purchase will be delayed.

What if I want my painting faster?
The best way to assure that you receive your painting quickly is to make sure your payment arrives in full as quick as possible, that your photography is received and in the right format and size, and that you approve any sketches for larger paintings as soon as possible. Your 6 to 8 weeks doesn’t begin until all money, photos and approved sketches are received by the artist.


I hope this answers some of your questions.
If you have more or need to follow-up on a painting you have commissioned or have on the schedule for the Mustang A Day Challenge please email me at:

info@llmartin.com

All correspondence should be directed to this address.