One, Please!

Spider raced again yesterday, so I made a visit to Woodbine to catch the race. He seems like he's figuring it out now, running second to a horse that was twice his size! You can watch the video below (number 10, Bat Out of Hades).



The day's feature was the Steady Growth stakes, won by favoured Sand Cove, who overtook front-running J J for Dave in the stretch (photo at the top of this post). Despite messing up my camera settings I got a few shots that were either cool or inspiration for paintings.

It was a perfect day yesterday - clear blue sky and a nice breeze, not too hot. I hope we get a day just like this for next Sunday's Queen's Plate!

If A Picture Paints a Thousand Words, Does A Painting Really Need a Name?

18 x 14 oil on Raphael Linen Panel

As if we artists don't sweat enough over the actual execution of a painting, we sometimes drive ourselves crazy trying to come up with the perfect name. Sometimes paintings name themselves, even before we start them; other times we so much want the perfect name, we struggle! I find in many cases I end up falling short. A great title can really make a painting, I think - but sometimes I'm also aware the viewer might not be in the same headspace as me, so how much does it really matter?

This is one of those paintings I haven't really named yet. The working title was "Bear Now" just because that's the name of the filly in it. Thoughts? I love the mornings at the track (though I admit I don't necessarily miss getting up at 3:30am to go to work), so I'm always looking for something that will exemplify that feeling - the quiet contrast to the tension of afternoon racing, the hope that pervades of winning that next race, big or small. Bear Now was prepping for a start in the Breeders' Cup Distaff here, one of the pinnacles of the game. I've already called a painting "Dreaming Big" (it was of my own Monster, no less!) or I might be inclined to call this something along the lines of "Dream Big or Go Home!" It's what makes you get out of bed at such a ridiculous hour - this is horse racing, and anything can happen. Might as well happen to you, right?