Observation

Okay, so I have to talk about cliché a little bit. Today's painting can be considered exactly that. When everyone out there was painting, drawing and photographing eyes, I told myself there was no way I was going to do the same. I've never wanted to follow along and do what everyone else was doing. In grade school, when everybody had to have a certain brand of boots, I wanted anything but,that sort of thing. So I was strange! But even I came to admit there is something that compels us to study the horse's eye. Every artist will tell you if they don't get the eyes right in a portrait, the whole painting doesn't work. Cliché or not, there is merit in an artist spending time doing eye studies, and I've done a few since that day many years ago I said I never would. I should know better - never say never, right?

This is 5 x 7 oil on masonite, limited palette. Instead of straight gesso, this panel was prepared with a mixture of gesso and marble dust. I'd initially intended to use it for something in oil pastel, but when I realised I'd let myself run out of straight gesso primed panels...I thought this would work just fine!

As expected it was much more absorbent, and had more texture than the gesso panels. I really liked how it worked. Part of my inspiration for doing this eye study tonight was that I had a busy day at the barn, and knew I'd have to pull something together quickly, and I knew I could probably pull it off with this. Early on it looked kind of dead, because the panel was so absorbent, but that let me build up the layers and get where I needed to go much faster than usual.

Any guesses who this horse is? It's one of the horses on the farm...and it's not my own mare, Monster. Leave a comment with your guess, and everyone/anyone who gets it right, will get a yet-to-be-determined prize! No, not the painting! But I'll come up with something. If you want a reminder of the residents on the farm all you have to do is look through my November and April 30 Days projects!