Chestnut Fillies Rule!

Around here, we don't buy into that belief that chestnut mares and fillies are evil. Gracie is quick to point out the likes of Ginger Brew who made Not Bourbon work for his Plate victory this year. I've done the three chestnut boys this week - Jay, Mute, and Medz - so it's time for a girl! Miss Peaks isn't on the farm right now, as she's started her under-saddle racehorse education, but I wasn't about to leave her out of my project - she's much too special! As I'm doing the horses on the farm by age, from oldest to youngest, Peaker was next in line. The reference for this painting was taken shortly before she headed to the training centre. I miss my girl!


I realised this morning that I'd forgotten to tone a panel last night. While I could have done it first thing this morning and given it time to dry, that's what I did yesterday and the tone was lifting off too easily, so I found a piece of masonite that I had prepared with shellac instead of gesso. As you can see from the in-progress shot, this means I'm starting with a ground that is dark. The surface is also very slick, and very non-absorbent. That's why this piece is more blended that some of the ones I've done this week on gessoed panel. The smoothness and the fact that the paint dried more slowly make it very different to work with.

So here we have our Miss Peaks, 10 x 8 oil on shellacked masonite, using the usual limited palette. I also forgot to clean my brushes last night, which is borderline disastrous. There's no better way to shorten the life of your brushes! What am I going to go do now? Tone a couple of panels so I'm covered for the next few days, then clean those brushes! After that, I believe I have a word count to catch up on! See you tomorrow!