Comeback

Okay, I feel a lot better about today's painting than I did yesterday's, though to be fair I put a lot more time into it, starting much earlier. I've been looking forward to working from this photo, so I went back to a 10 x 8 masonite panel. After working smaller, that made things easier as well. So this is Mike Fox in the post parade before winning the '07 Queen's Plate. It was nice to do him with the sun hitting him - in the previous painting I did of him, on his way to victory, he's more in shadow so I didn't get to play with colours quite the way I did here. I still used the limited palette, however.

I forgot to mention one very important thing about yesterday's painting - I didn't have a panel prepared that was the appropriate size, so despite my complete dislike for working on a white ground, that's what I did. Can you tell? I sure could, and that contributed to my struggle - as if I wasn't having enough trouble!

The Morning Line

Plate morning! There’s always a special feel around the backstretch, whether you’re running in the big race or not. I remember we always made sure the shed was leveled and raked even more carefully than on normal days, and the apron and lawn outside was particularly clean. We even polished the brass on the halters. Being stabled close to the receiving barn, we witnessed the arrival of the horse guards first-hand, something that was sure to set my dear girl Petunia over the edge! Not her favourite morning, that’s for sure.


When I turned the foals out this morning, they spent the first five minutes running and playing. It was probably inspired by the cool, damp air, but I entertained that they just know it’s Plate Day! Gracie is backing Ginger Brew, because, of course, chestnut fillies rule. Billy’s dad Mobil ran second in the Plate, and Gracie pointed out that it was a chestnut that beat him (stablemate Wando, 2003). Billy kind of likes Not Bourbon today, being Ontario-sired and all, but he let on that he’ll be rooting for Uncle Jerry and Deputiformer. Nothing wrong with picking a longshot! Just ask Monster…her dad Tejabo sired a whopper in TJ’s Lucky Moon back in 2002.


Woodbine Entertainment and LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement are having a neat fundraiser after this year’s Plate. The saddle cloths of all the starters will be auctioned on eBay this week to raise money for LongRun. I’ll post a link to the auctions as soon as I have it so you can check it out.


Okay, so I’m hoping I’ve distracted you from asking about the Mike Fox painting. All right, I admit it, it’s not done. So I came up short. It’s getting very close though. At this stage I’m working on a lot of nit-picky stuff, so progress is a lot slower. Won’t be long now! And maybe I’ll start on this year’s winner a little earlier! Hope that grey sky brightens a little by post time!

The Tuesday Report

Remember when the Mercer Report used to be called The Monday Report? Or was it the Tuesday Report? And I think it's really now called the Rick Mercer Report. Anyway, if you don't know who Rick Mercer is, none of this means anything to you!

Today was a big day! I actually finished the Mural Mosaic panel. I need to write up my blurb that goes along with the painting, and then it will be placed in the grid on the official site. When I have the blurb written, I'll post the panel here as well. It still needs to be signed and photographed before I send it on its way. I was looking at flights to Calgary for the first week of September today. Not sure yet if that's going to happen!

I also more or less finished one of the smaller paintings that has been kicking around. This little oil is 6 x 8, on Raymar linen panel. I have a couple of touch-ups to do before I sign it, but nothing major. The name took a lot of thought: "Dark Bay on the Curragh." How's that for brilliance? I reserve the right to change that!


I'm running out of time on my self-imposed deadline for Mike Fox. Tonight I continued to work on the colour. At this stage I'm only using a limited palette; I'll juice it up a bit with the next layer. The white of the riders' breeches and silks is still wet, so I'm not going to go back and work on them until those areas are dry.

Till next time!

Brought to You by the Colour Green

Apparently I’m on a green kick this week. Could my purple avoidance get any worse?

Look what I finally dusted off today! The painting formerly known as ‘Backstretch’ and later renamed “First Time Past” (current working title). Lots of different greens in this one, and like the Mike Fox painting, I’ve been blocking in colour over the underpainting. recently, having worked on paintings with a detailed underpainting as well as one without (Eccentric), I’m reminded just how much simpler it makes things to have that tonal roadmap. I was able to make a lot of progress, quickly.

I’m also enjoying the Artfix linen with this piece. When I started this one, I didn’t think we were going to be friends! I really did contemplate locking it in the closet on several occasions. It was worth those early “fights” I’ve decided. Guess I’m going to have to buy more!

Mike Fox, Step One!

Wow, I actually managed to get what I wanted done on this painting, ahead of schedule! I completed the first layer of the underpainting on Mike Fox. This layer is very thin, the tone of the panel still showing through, so I will more completely cover the surface one this stage is dry. Sometimes I will go back after a second drying period to establish the details more firmly before I move on to colour. Remember how long it took me to finish the underpainting of my "First Time Past" painting? Um...do you even remember the painting? (Yeah, yeah, I need to get back to that one!).

In case I haven't mentioned, this one of Mike Fox is a 16 x 20 oil on masonite panel. The panel was toned with Raw Sienna, and so far all I'm working with is Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Umber and Titanium White.

Getting to this point on this painting meant I was free to start my Mural Mosaic panel tonight! I've just started blocking in the underpainting, but you'll have to wait to see it. Maybe tomorrow!

But It's Not My Birthday!

A couple of weeks ago, I got a package in the mail. I was expecting something of this shape - flat, about 15 x 15 inches - but just to be safe, I had my bomb-sniffing dog check it out. Finn quickly became disinterested, so I took it inside and opened it up.


What did I find? A very purple panel!



Okay, enough joking around! Earlier this year, thanks to fellow EAGer Michelle Grant, I became aware of a project organized by the Mural Mosaic. Be sure to take the time to look at their site to see the scope of what they've developed. This particular project is called Le Cadeau du Cheval, or "The Horse Gift." Panels have been distributed to equine artists all over the world, and many Equine Art Guild members are taking part. We're having a lot of fun on our forum, seeing what everyone is coming up with. After seeing some of the "shape" panels some of my fellow artists are dealing with, I'm getting over some of my "panel envy" at having been given a plain jane surface to work with!

The "mother image" has not been revealed, so the artists will be watching it pieced together with the rest of you! Well, except maybe for those over-achievers with too much time on their hands on the project, who have puzzled the panels together like a kid at Christmas who just can't wait till the big day! Personally, I don't want to spoil the fun!

I've decided what I'm going to do, but I'm not going to tell you just yet. I've done a quick drawing on the panel, and I'm just waiting until I get the first layer of underpainting on the Mike Fox painting before I let myself get to work on this!

Stay tuned!

In Between Rainshowers

Seems we've been catching up on some rainfall activity in the last few weeks. Today it's raining again and quite cool, but it is Victoria Day weekend so you didn't really expect the weather to be nice, did you? We should all be grateful it's not snowing!

Lest you think my lack of posts lately means I've been doing nothing, I'll try and bring things up to date. Last Saturday I taught a "Painting Horses" workshop for FASM. We started here at the farm where everyone met the horses and got to take some photos, and then dear Miss Monster agreed to pose for some sketching. She was remarkably pleasant - I wasn't sure I had the right horse! Her patience did wear off after a bit, but in all I think she enjoyed being told how beautiful she is. In the afternoon we headed over to Hee Haw Hill, home and studio of another local artist, Terry Shaw. Terry has an assortment of animals, including goats, a pig, chickens and some donkeys. I did a short demo again just to quickly show the laying in of some musculature. I had a bit of fun with the colour, so he's a bit orange right now, but this is Eccentric, one of the better turf horses last season at Woodbine.

On Wednesday night I was invited by FASM to speak at the Annual General Meeting, relating my experience last March in Dubai. It was kind of fun to re-live it for an evening. I also talked a a bit about giclée reproductions to help members understand the process and advantages.


I've started some new paintings in the last few weeks as well. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten I have a handful quite near completion! One of the new ones is of last year's Queen's Plate winner, Mike Fox. It's about time I got to that one - it's been in the plans since last June! It's very rough right now. Hopefully I'll have it done in time for the Plate, but I won't be holding my breath!

Queen's Plate '07 ~ Making History!

Just two weeks after the filly Rags to Riches beat the boys in the Belmont Stakes, the Queen's Plate was won by a female rider for the first time in its history. I think everyone knew it would only be a matter of time before Emma Wilson won the Plate, though I'm sure she'd agree it was nice (understatement?) that it was sooner, rather than later! Mike Fox's late drive between Alezzandro and Jiggs Coz gave racing fans an incredibly exciting finish. Apparently this horse winning was a surprise, but my friend Lorna and I weren't the only ones saying he was the best-looking horse in the paddock. We all want Giant's Causeways now!

So HUGE congrats to everyone involved, and a couple of pics of the winning team!