The thing about painting horses is that, sooner or later, you're going to have to paint landscapes. We horses artists tend to avoid them for as long as we can - just like we usually do our best to avoid painting figures! I've done a few plein air landscape courses, and gone on the odd paint-out, but normally I get so wrapped up in painting my horse-themed work that I neglect devoting some time to landscapes, specifically.
Last week fellow EAGer Carrie Lewis and I decided to do a "landscape challenge." In 2007, Carrie did a landscape-a-day challenge on her own, painting an ACEO (Art Cards Editions and Originals - 2.5 x 3.5 inch paintings, in other words, tiny!) each weekday. I haven't signed up for that big a commitment, but we settled on a landscape a week, starting today. My aim is to do this for the summer, at least, and see how it goes!
Today's painting is from a photo taken somewhere around Creemore, Ontario. Something about round bales in the field is visually appealing, be it hay or straw. I only used the photo as a starting point, manipulating things to come up with this composition. This is an 8 x 10 oil on canvas board. The summer so far has been so wet, we're still waiting for first cut hay, making this scene a bit of a dream!
Last night, I think I finished my little 5 x 7 oil on Raphael linen panel of the Shire in the snow, which I've titled "Man on a Mission." I still have to sign it, but otherwise all that's left is the drying!
