Suzy

Suzy is a very athletic Quarterhorse mare in Lethbridge; saddled and ready to move some cattle. This is watercolour with coloured pencil, and is painted on cold press paper, a gift for my friend Barb, who loves riding this chestnut mare!

A Summer Ride

Here is an 8"x10" pencil drawing, done as a 'thank-you' for an opportunity to go riding a few weeks back. With a lovely disposition this 7 year old bay mare was also trained to bow!
I'll be doing more graphite work this summer as I have been travelling back and forth to B.C--the pencils and sketchbook are handy to pick up or set down as time permits. Hopefully more opportunities for horse-back riding are ahead!

Spruce Meadows time again

These paintings were done using Golden's Open acrylics, a paint which mimicks oils with its slower drying time. Even when dry the colours keep their vibrancy beautifully. I always enjoy using these paints!

In the Warm-Up Ring

A Day at the Races

Victorious, oil on paper

The Challenger, oil on paper



(detail image)



Home Run, oil on paper


A day at the Arabian races, that is!  These were taking place at Millarville, just out side of Calgary, on Canada Day. Though smaller and more slender of build than the Quarter horses and Thoroughbreds who raced afterwards, the Arabians have great heart and staying power and were thrilling to watch!
I'm back to my original palette colors after weeks of either failed painting attempts that hit the garbage container, or being away on a trip to B.C.  It is hard to go through times where nothing seems to work out; sometimes we just need to get away for awhile and come back with fresh eyes and spirit---turned out to be just what I needed!

Queen in Summer

This is a portrait of the horse I owned when I was a teenager, Queen, an Anglo-Arab. I referenced an old polaroid photo of mine. She was my best friend for years! The palette this time was Cobalt blue, Cad Red Light, Burnt Umber, and Cad Yellow Light. The size is 9"x12", done on canvas paper.

Still having fun!

This oil sketch on paper of a lovely pair of dark bays in harness is an experiment in greens and reds, still using the same limited palette from my last painting session. I was particularly pleased with how the excited expression in the horse on the left came through!

Doing these quick studies on paper helps me to decide if I want to develop them further on a board or canvas--this one is definitely a candidate! My goal at this point is just to relax and enjoy the painting process. Confidence and skill only comes with much practice!

The paintings below are from a trip to Spruce Meadows, one of my favorite places to be each summer. Here one can get close-up with the very best show-jumping horses and riders--a colourful, exciting, and world-famous venue. These paintings are a little more refined, and I have moved to 9"x12" canvas sheets. My brushes are hog bristle filberts, #4, 5 and 6. Same palette, and I'm getting more familiar with the colours I can mix.

Visits with McNeil's cows



Rekindling the Love of Painting

 

    In true Valentine's Day tradition, I have answered the call of my oil paints after nearly two years of neglect-- and I'm in love again!  It was a bit akward at first, and I had to work up the courage to actually put brush to paper, but the joy of just playing in the brand-new Georgian Oil set was amazing!!

    The pallette was limited to Phthalo Blue, Quin. Red, Lemon Yellow, Burnt Umber and Titanium White.

 Time flew by, and after a day of random sketching on paper, these two are my favorites.

Catfish completed

Here's the final piece--I'm hoping the portrait captures the gentle nature of this horse which makes him perfect for his work at Opening Gaits. He's oustanding among his kind!
In the background you can see Green Briar stables, where Opening Gaits is based.

Progress on 'Catfish'

At this point, I am laying in the foundational layers of graphite and making sure the eye is correct. I will post the finished portrait soon!



Rough for 'Catfish' Drawing

This past week I've been developing some rough drafts for a series of drawings of a Quarter horse named 'Catfish'. He is stabled at Green Briar Stables just outside of Calgary, and is an important part of Opening Gaits, a non-profit therapeutic riding society where I volunteered for a year.

I'll post more drawings as the series progresses!

Inseperable

To start off the blog, here's a graphite drawing that was accepted into the 2009 Calgary Stampede Art Auction, titled 'Inseperable'. The photo I referenced was taken by photographer Shirley DeVooght. Along with photography Shirley operates Serenity Performing Arts Center, an outdoor venue for music festivals located just between Vavenby and Birch Island, BC.

The drawing is 14"x17", on Strathmore paper.