Time For Rolex!

When you drop the name 'Rolex' around most horse people, we don't think watches, we think the top three-day event in North America, held in Lexington, Kentucky at the Kentucky Horse Park this time of year. Thing are getting into gear today, with the jog, and competition starts tomorrow with the dressage portion of the event. When I got the reminder this morning that this was Rolex week, I thought I'd try to do a painting with that theme!

I've only been to Rolex once, and that was ten or eleven years ago - I've lost track! I only took around six rolls of film, so I have one or two photos around. Today's painting is from one of those photos. I decided to go with one I took the day before competition, of one of the Canadian participants schooling her horse in dressage. Of course we all love cross-country, which takes place on Saturday, but dressage is to eventing what tracking is to Schutzhund (that's a dog sport, for those who don't know)...if you only come for the thrills, you're not a true fan!

This is just a small painting, 5 x 7 oil on masonite, with the limited palette, and my goal was to keep it loose, allowing little bit of the burnt sienna toned canvas to peek through. For some reason my brain was taxed after yesterday's painting - maybe that was just Cad Red toxicity! - but today's I found much more relaxing. It might have been I didn't have the same expectation - trying to do a horse and rider in small format like this was a challenge for me, and I was reasonably happy with the level of success.

The best part is, it's only 5pm! Time to go out and feed the ponies, and then entertain the possibility of taking it easy tonight...unless of course I decide the to watch the hockey game, where Les Canadiens face elimination! All right, so I can't have everything...

See you tomorrow!