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!

New Beginnings

Happy New Year! It sure has been a while since my last post--with a move out to the country near Bragg Creek, followed by the greatly anticipated arrival of our first grandchild, my art has had to take a back seat...but these are welcome diversions!

Here's what I've recently started. This is a detail shot from a larger drawing on illustration board. The colouration of this horse is referred to as "skewbald", as it is tan with large white patches. The horse also has a "bald" or white face, resulting in the eyes being blue--which is a challenge to translate in a drawing. It's still in progress, but the final piece will include a stormy background and a glimpse of the rider.  
  

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.