Happy New Year!

"High Country Diamond"

Happy 2016!
I am trusting that a fresh season of creating art has begun, and look forward to sharing my progress.
Recently completed, "High Country Diamond" is an oil on canvas featuring a young horse growing strong in the mountain pastures. I enjoyed the challenge of capturing the colts' inquisitive expression, with the marking on the forehead hinting at the quality within.
I kept the palette to just four colors - ultramarine blue, cadmium red light, yellow ochre, and cadmium yellow plus white and black for a unified and harmonious look. The piece is beautifully framed and featured for sale at Art Country Canada in Bragg Creek.

"Prince of the Hamlet"

In progress is this detailed graphite drawing of a handsome Mule Deer buck, a local neighborhood resident who posed quite willingly for my camera last year; I couldn't resist!

The Home Stretch

     
      Wild horses have not been able to drag me away from my grandson and family on the west coast, as evidenced from the date of my last post--it's been quite a while since I picked up my pencils! But, the call of an unfinished art work is a persistent one; it's time to get "back in the saddle"and bring it to completion at last.
      At this point, the sea of wind-whipped grass is more evidence of the strength of the gathering storm. What is perhaps not as obvious at first glance are the additional layers of graphite in many areas, but a careful comparison with the previous post will reveal the subtle changes. Patience and perseverance are required for this "home stretch"!

Making Progress

Graphite on Illustration Board 

 16"x 18"

I have been enjoying working on this piece now that it is in the fine detail phase. My pencils of choice are Staedtlers, ranging from 3H to 6B, and the kneadable eraser is indispensable. The rider is coming into view now, and the action and excitement of the story is beginning to take shape! Part of the creative process is the freedom to imagine the different scenerios that could play out as I work on the drawing - How will the horse react to the thunder and lightning? Will they make it to safety? Can the cowboy retain control of his steed? I can become quite happily imersed in the story as it unfolds in my imagination!

Heads and Tails

Recently completed for Alexis, (my cousin's daughter)  this little watercolor looks perfect in this frame I found at an antique store! Finding frames at antique shops and secondhand furniture stores can be both fun and rewarding. You never know what hidden gems you may find!

Wild at Heart



"Wild at Heart" is a 16"x20" graphite drawing on illustration board. This pair of young Morgans from my home town of Birch Island BC, seemed to epitomize the tension that exists between the willing, domesticated companion and their wild and free spirit. Though anxious to set forth on an adventure, they willingly submit to the restraint of a fence which would hardly withstand an escape attempt by such powerful creatures!