What is Blue and Orange and Reminds Me of Summer?

I think I have actually finished a "real" painting that's been in the works for a while.  The process I used for it does actually have something to do with the painting I'm posting today.  This larger WIP was rather involved - what started out as a challenge of sorts with fellow artist/photographer Renee Fukumoto, sort of dissolved into something far away from the intended task....but I'm getting sidetracked.  All that is for another post.

You may recognize the fellow to the right.  There is a story behind Kim Santini presenting me with the plush Smurf toy in Saratoga a few years ago, but that's one of those inside jokes I sadly can't share here, haha.  It has morphed into the emergence of Spa Smurf, who has his own Facebook page....something for you to peruse one day when you're looking for avoidance tactics.

I've been meaning to paint Smurf for a while now, inspired by Kim's paintings of various toys and dolls (if you don't get distracted by the animals, have a look at them on her site). While my palette is a lot stingier than Kim's, the simple use of Cadmium orange for the ground does the trick to provide some punch.  I'm going to save discussing complimentary colours until I post the "challenge" painting...but that's what I'm making use of here.  Yes, it was actually intentional!  Sometimes I do pretend to know what I'm doing.  ;-) Our blue friend is 10 x 8 oil on canvas. 

C'mon, Keep Up!

Apparently, that's something I haven't been doing.  I *do* have updates....really.  Everything seems to be keeping me busy enough not to get to them, however.  Some people do New Year's resolutions, but I find fall as appropriate a time as any to form new habits (haha...or attempt to).  Maybe it's all those years of going to school.  Seems as good a time as any to start something new!  Like, perhaps, posting regularly again?

Horses have been coming and going - yearlings off to the training centre for the next stage of their lives, two-year olds back for a rest after a bit of time at the track. Fall seems to be settling in a little too comfortably, but I guess that's inevitable.  It's dark when I get up to feed the horses.  Dark too soon after they come in for dinner. 

The two April foals, Moxy and Stella, were weaned last week, and are adjusting to their new life as individuals.  Well, mostly.  They still have each other, and soon they will get a formal introduction to Victor, so that the latest version of widgets can begin to entertain!

Fall will be a busy time for art as well.  The Milton Studio Tour is less than two weeks away, and the way the trees are changing colour, it should be a beautiful time for a drive in the country!  I'm back at my home location for the tour this year, so come out and see some artwork and get a glimpse of those 'kids' out in the paddock that provide my never-ending inspiration!  Dates are October 5&6 from 10am-5pm both days.

The following weekend, which is the Thanksgiving long weekend here in Canada, I'm joining a group of artist friends to show work at the Erin Fall Fair.  If you're visiting, look for us!  There are five of us involved, and I guess you could call us the founding members of the Canadian Equine Artists Society.  So far we just have a Facebook page.  Join us there to keep up to date on developments!

Busy days ahead.  Hope you can make it out to one of the upcoming events to see my new work!

Keeping On

I figured you all could use a rest from me yesterday, so I posted my current WIP on Facebook instead. ;-) This is what I've been working on, with a bit more progress. You saw it here first a while ago! This is 14 x 18 oil on linen. Not my usual smooth linen, but a heavier weave which I've painted on a couple of times. I like to change things up from time to time!

This is Clever and her 2008 colt, Billy, who is now in training at Woodbine. Billy had a lot of very original facial expressions as a baby, and always seemed to be nattering at his mom. Here I've started to lay some colour in over the underpainting - just midtones and darks, and scrubbing them and blending them in with a dry brush rather than a true glaze, though the effect is the same.

Her current foal is two weeks old today, and looking very handsome!

Background Noise

I joked on Facebook last week that I'd received some good news, but I wasn't going to share it yet. I had enough on the go, what with my Thirty Horses, Thirty Days and the income tax deadline. Now that the dust has settled from that, I'm preparing to ship three paintings south for the New Jersey Equine Artists' Association's Art of the Horse exhibit which opens on May 20th, 2010, with the opening reception Sunday, May 23. Getting one painting juried into an exhibit is an honour...three, well, that's just got me stunned – in a good way, of course. You'll recognize the three pieces - above is "Promises, Promises," then "Pause," then "Outside Chance." All are oil paintings.


The NJEAA runs this show every two years. I first took part in 2008, and was able to attend the opening when I made the trek to New Jersey to visit a friend. It was a lovely show and my little painting "Man on a Mission" even received an honourable mention. I wish I could manage the trip again, but my one and only in foal mare is due May 21, so I don't think I'll be going anywhere!


As a surprising bonus, the NJEAA asked permission to use "Promises, Promises" on the website announcement for the show (scroll down to see it), as well as on the show invites. You can guess what my answer was! Sometimes as artists we can go a long time without much news, and start to feel a little left behind, so it's nice to get a spring pick-me-up like this. The show is held in the Johnson Gallery of the Sommerset Art Association in Bedminister, New Jersey; if you're in the neighbourhood, be sure to take a peek! It will run until June 19, 2010.

Another Commission, Another 30 Days, and Yellow

I have to admit these days that I'm a little worried about how I'm going to fit everything in once the mares all come back, as I seem to be able to keep myself quite busy with just four horses in the barn. Either I'll become more efficient, or something will have to give!

I finished another commission last week - this one was an oil pastel, 14 x 17, of a Golden Retriever named Monty. I also did Monty's portrait when he was a puppy, so it was fun to do him again as an adult. I used to work almost exclusively in oil pastel, so this was like visiting old friends, though I admit it did take me a little while to warm up again! Oil pastels don't get the respect they deserve. Sadly, that's part of what drove me to work more in oils - well, that and the fact that oils don't need to be framed behind glass!


Tomorrow is April 1st, and I'm not fooling about doing another Thirty Horses, Thirty Days. I'm going to post the paintings over on that blog, so if you'd like to follow along, join the followers over there, or join my page on Facebook. Some will be for sale as we go, so this might be a chance to add a small original to your collection.

Yellow. You're probably wondering about that. You might remember that last May I went to Saskatchewan and took a workshop with Val Hinz. I've been using the palette she taught quite a bit since then, and more recently I've been exploring different yellows, to the extent that last night I had oh, twelve, on my palette. It keeps life interesting. Yes, that's what we artists do for fun!

Better get to it - hope to see you over at the Thirty Days blog in April!

PS - This is a little WIP I'm not completely happy with at the moment. I played with it in Photoshop (out of complete frustration, no doubt!) and I've decided PS can paint better than me...at least with this one! It may show up in the Thirty Days if I can get it sorted out to my satisfaction, we'll see!