You Win Some, You Lose Some...

Some days paintings just seem to fall off the brushes...and others, well, are a hard-fought battle from start to finish (or abandonment, as the case may be!). Today was a bad case of the latter. I've wanted to do this painting for a long time - such a sweet moment between Twine and her first foal, baby Gracie. Gracie got her name because at only two and a half days, she was referred to the Ontario Veterinary College large animal clinic with colitis. She spent five days there, and fortunately recovered, though the reason for her illness was never determined. Out of that experience came her name, Therebutforgrace.

This painting is just a 5 x 7 sketch, oil on masonite, and I think part of the issue was the panel - I just felt as if I was fighting it the whole way. I think this is one I'd like to do larger, and it could be a partner piece to the 11 x 14 I did of Toula and her baby last year.


I could easily do a series of paintings of these mare and foal moments. I have some really cute photos of Clever and Billy. I think Leo and Spider were both tough love babies, though, because I don't remember too many touching moments with those two!