Birthdays Are Overrated, Right?

"Reciprocal," 8 x 16 oil on panel

Today is Peaker's birthday - Peaker being the first foal that was born on my little farm that wasn't mine (cough*Monster*cough). She was born one very cold February morning, eight years ago, first foal of her mom, Too Clever.  I remember it was cold enough I went and bought a foal blanket for her...and when I put it on her, Clever decided she was an alien, so I had to take it off.  Poor little Peaker!  She grew up tough!  Last I heard Peaker was in Minnesota.  I hope she is doing well, and that she shows up on my radar again.

After remembering Peaker's birthday, it occurred to me that I had completely let Leo's birthday slip by!  Yesterday marked five years since my goofy boy arrived, and he's been causing trouble ever since.  He even broke his halter yesterday.  In hindsight, it was almost as if he was trying to get my attention. Haha! 

Both Peaker and Leo have been models for my paintings.  Above is the most recent one featuring Leo (and his buddy growing up, Spider), an 8 x 16 oil on Raymar panel called "Reciprocal."  Below is on of my favourites of Peaker, galloping through the snow with her friend Maria, both of them yearlings.  This one is 11 x 14 oil on Raphael panel.  Both paintings are still available; if you're interested, let me know!

The next birthday is one I never forget.  Anyone want to hazard a guess whose that might be?  ;-)

"Fresh Snow," 11 x 14 oil on linen

Overdue

I'm not talking about Twine, though by the due date I assign, I guess you could say she is. Due dates for mares aren't set in stone, though Twine does tend to foal fairly close to hers (except for last year!). She us looking as if she'll follow her usual pattern this year, and I am up tonight keeping an eye on her, via camera.

I do have a few paintings I've been meaning to post in their finally-completed form. First is a fairly loose and moderately fast study of the new foal, an 11 x 14 oil on masonite, above. The colt has grown considerably since this, of course, and his personality has grown exponentially!


I've shown this next painting in progress a few times. This is one that I titled before I began - "Guardian Angels." The outriders at Woodbine have to be among the best in North America, so quick to catch a loose or running off horse and I know they are very appreciated for the job they do. This is 6 x 8 oil on Raphael linen panel.

Last I have another quick 5 x 7 study of a racehorse I took a few photos of one morning last summer at Woodbine – oil on linen. All three paintings are available; if you're interested please send me an email!


I've been working on a a few foal sketches, and have another couple of paintings on the go, but work has been rather sporadic with watching Twine and getting mares bred for next year's crop of foals. Things will settle down....sometime in July!

Happy New Year! (four days in!)

Well, we welcomed in the New Year in our typical fashion around here - as January 1 is also the official birthday of all Thoroughbreds in this hemisphere, my New Year's Eve ritual is to be out at the barn at midnight to wish everyone a happy birthday, and to feed carrots to those who will eat them. ;-) My three little boys are now yearlings, and not so little! I'm quite happy with all of them; they're growing up nicely and are even rather well-behaved! I had to laugh at the photo above of Sheldon - he looks as if he did a bit too much partying!


I had hoped to complete one last painting in 2011, but it ended up being the first one finished in 2012. This 11 x 14 oil on Raphael linen panel is of Jubie and her filly, Polly (who is now two, and in training....how time flies!). I'm also happy to report that the painting is sold, which is a wonderful way to start off the new year on the studio side of things. Here's to a great 2012 for everyone.

"Firstborn" 14 x 11 Oil on Linen

Well, I signed this painting today - that's supposed to mean it's done! I have enough other paintings on the go which I'm working hard to bring to completion, so that should help me leave this one alone. My final painting session was a few nights ago, when I was at that stage where I was thinking, "Just a couple more touches and it'll be finished" which usually means I should just stop! The specs: 14 x 11 oil on Raphael linen panel.

It's hard to believe this is the same cheeky little ten-week old I have out in the paddock right now. I am feeling sorry for her - she needs a buddy! She reminds me so much of Monster, resorting to racing the birds for entertainment. Oh well...we'll see what we can come up with!

Hopefully I'll be reporting back shortly with another newly signed piece!

Going Green - 8 weeks old

I did this week's filly painting a day early, because tomorrow I'm off to Saratoga for a few days. I feel better about this one that last week's, and I already have some great pics for next week, thanks to they baby girl showing off for the camera yesterday!

This is 6 x 8 oil on Raphael linen panel. I went back to my old limited palette - still love how those colours come together. If this would dry in time I'd take it with me, but that's not going to happen. As it is, there will be a few of my smaller paintings at the Beresford Gallery, across from the track on Union Avenue. Make sure you pop in if you're there! They have a beautiful collection of paintings for sale from a variety of International artists.

Back to work - lots to do before I go to bed tonight - I'll be leaving at 5AM so I get there in time for the races!

Work! In! Progress!

Please forgive my title - what I used to find annoying (bizarre web punctuation) I apparently now find amusing, and so I've used it for this post. The painting in question is one that I can only say I started by popular demand! So many people commented on the photo after I posted it on Facebook, and thought it should be a painting, and I had to agree. This is 11 x 14 oil on Raphael panel. What you see above is the completed underpainting. It's pretty loose, and I'm going to have fun playing with this as I begin the colour, because in order for this to *work* there will need to be an interesting combination of detail and brushwork. Hoping I can pull off what's in my head!


I thought I'd show you a couple of early stages, too. First one is the panel, stained with transparent red oxide, and the rough tonal drawing. For the underpainting I used burnt umber, ultramarine blue and titanium white. As you can see from the image at the start of the post, I've let some of that red toned panel peek through. I just like the effect, even though it will be covered, more or less, once I add colour! The underpainting has dried very quickly (thanks to some less humid weather, and an efficient dehumidifier!) so it won't be long before I get to start that next step.


For a diversion, tonight I believe I finished my first cow painting! I'll show him off after I get the client's approval. See you soon!

A Busy Barnyard - I Mean, Studio!

I had two paintings on the go today - one of which I finished. Being Wednesday, I completed the next painting of Jubie's baby (who you'll hear me calling Jubaby for reference only!). You had a little preview of my reference shot last week, and above is the resulting 6 x 8 oil on Raphael linen panel.

My other painting is also a small one - 5 x 7 - and also a baby, but a different species. I'm painting a little Galloway calf. He's not finished yet, so you'll have to wait a while to see him.

Sunday was a big day at Woodbine - both the Canadian Oaks and Plate Trial Stakes. It's just about time for me to do some Plate Preview paintings, so I went to get some pics for that. Looks like the fillies may be well represented again this year. I think we're due a filly winning the Plate!

Roan Inish out-games Moment of Majesty to take the Oaks.

Repose

Remember this one? This is the painting I started last November for the demo I did at the Royal Winter Fair - finally completed! It went through some serious uglies, but I'm happy enough with how it turned out. Don't you just love that? Far be it from me to be ecstatic about anything!

This is 14 x 18 oil on Raphael linen panel. My working title for this was "The Crabby Mares," because this is Monster and the two mares she was turned out with at the time. They were put together because they were the ones that would pick on those lower on the totem pole! All is quiet in the scene I painted, and I thought of calling it "Cease-Fire" but went for "Repose" instead. Just the girls taking a little break from the action, and pretending they get along!

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?

A Horse and His Boy

I'm finally going to unveil one of my recent commissions. This is Junior, a sixteen year-old Polish Arabian, and the painting is 11 x 14 oil on Raphael linen panel. It was such fun to photograph this guy, and Junior is obviously a very special horse, so I've asked to share some of his story. I don't think I can put it better than Junior's owner did in her first email to me.

"Junior is a very special horse. He is my son's guardian angel. My son, Riley is 10 yrs old. He has Epilepsy. Riley started having seizures when he was 2 yrs old. When he reached 4 yrs old...kids in school were playing hockey/soccer. Riley thought he was too sick to play sports. That worried me. He wasn't sick. He had seizures...


Riley's first riding lesson – one of many – would be on Junior. One year later the riding school sold their land. They put some of their school horses up for sale. I am a single mom and always dreamed of having an Arabian since I first watched the Black Stallion! I took it as fate. I had been saving up to take Riley on a trip Alberta to see the 'bad lands' and the Dinosaur Museum. Instead, I used the money to buy Junior.


Junior transformed Riley. Riley was no longer telling people he was 'sick,' even though there were days he was having 6 seizures in a day (while on 2 medications!!)! Other kids talk about hockey, baseball and soccer- - Riley just smiles and says anyone can play that- but not anyone can ride a horse!


The first year we had Junior, there was an incident with Riley as he was trotting around on his own in the arena (I was in the middle of the arena) and Junior stopped and would not continue to move. I walked over to ask "Why aren't you making him go?" I thought maybe Junior was being a brat..I then realized Riley was having a seizure while sitting on Junior. Junior had known something was wrong..and he stopped. This happened a few times after, each time Junior would stop slowly and wait for me.


Junior has given Riley so much confidence. Riley thinks he can do anything. Riley is now taking only 1 medication and is so far 1 yr seizure free!


Junior changed Riley's life..and mine. I have people at the barn where he is stabled offering to buy him. I will never part with him. I know the day will come when Riley will out grow him, and we will have to buy a second horse. I like to tease Riley about when he out grows Junior...that Junior will be all mine to ride...and I will buy a pink saddle...pink saddle pad...pink polos... etc. Riley gets mad and tells me 'He's a boy horse- he doesn't wear pink, mom!'

Update for the Royal, 2009!

I know it's been a long time between posts. I supposed my last one explains part of it. Add to that the cold that finally got me, a week and a half ago! I'm hoping it's on its way out now!

Friday was the reception for the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair's Fine Art Showcase, where I learned my drawing, "Adjustments" received second place. With that comes an invitation to submit a design for the 2011 Royal poster. Growing up I used to always see the Royal posters and think about what I would do for it...so I guess now I need to sit down and think about it again!


Sunday I was back down to do an oil painting demo for the showcase. I'd roughly started the piece at home - a 14 x 18 oil on Raphael Linen Panel - and had the shapes of the horses roughtly blocked in. I accomplished what I wanted at the demo - well, besides the obvious of showing folks a little bit of how an oil painting can be worked up! I got some basic colour laid in, very muted, and now I'll enjoy developing the piece from here to make it a finished painting.

Lots of catching up to do now, from my NaNo word count, to the works in progress, to some details related to the barn and horses. I'll try not to leave it quite as long this time!

A Little Bit More...

I'm still working away at the Somebeachsomewhere painting. I'm pushing to get to a certain point right now, and then it will have to spend a day out of my sight so that I can attempt a fresh look and get those final touches done...all in the next week! I'm gradually working up the detail, and the paint coverage. I don't know if I posted the specs on this, but it's 18 x 14 oil on Raphael linen panel. It's kind of fun just showing a little bit like this..the part you don't see is fairly complete, so I'm holding out on you!

Back to work!

So Much for Quality Control

I know I've raved about Raphael linen panels many a time on this blog. I've loved the surface from the first time I tried it. With a cross-border trip in the works, last month I ordered some panels, stocking up on a few sizes, and had them delivered to my friend Juliet in New York. The panels are shrink-wrapped, and I don't take that off until I'm ready to use them. The size I needed for a new painting was one I'd ordered in that latest batch, and brought back from a trip to Saratoga this past weekend. The trip was amazing, but how could a trip to Saratoga be anything but?

Imagine my disappointment when I removed the shrink wrap tonight to find, first of all, that the surface has changed, and secondly that the linen is not completely adhered to the panel. I checked the second panel of the same size, hoping at least one of them would be good - without luck. This is the downfall of ordering online from a company on the other side of the border! Given that the company I ordered from, ASW, is not known for its customer service, I'm left with trying to come up with a way of fixing the panels, somehow. Attempting to return them would be even more of a nightmare! It's a sad, sad day! Thank goodness I have a supply of the old panels, but it doesn't look as if I'll be ordering anymore Raphaels. And now to come up with an alternate support for a painting that is already on a tight deadline! Eep!

A sad post like this at least needs a cheery photo, so I'll post one or two from the trip. In typical Saratoga fashion, it rained one day, but we were blessed with two days of sunshine. Now I want to go again! And I don't want to wait for next year!

I Think, Maybe...

I know this is a shock, after the last few weeks of *nothing* but I may have actually finished a painting tonight. I'd actually hoped to have it done a couple of days ago so that I could take it to the photographer, but that didn't happen. I'll be going back there soon enough, I'm sure, so this one will wait till the next trip.

This is the painting from the image that got the most votes on the poll I posted many months. All the babies around here are a lot bigger than this now. I do have more recent pics of this foal, but...well, they're on that hard drive from which I'm still hoping files will be recovered! The painting is 11 x 14 oil on Raphael linen panel. It may get a few touches here and there, but I'm posting it now anyway!

A week from now I'll be in Saratoga, so these next days will be packed. Meanwhile, my friendly neighbourhood peacock is still around. I think the horses are almost used to him now. I've grown a bit tired of him, personally! I want him to go home!! Stray dogs I know what to do with...stray peacocks, on the other hand, I don't!

Eye of the Eye of the Leopard!

Well...today was such that it was 9pm before I started to even decide what I was going to paint, so I went with small, and a tight crop from one of my images of the Plate winner yesterday. And look, it's another eye! Sorry about that. ;-)

Keeping this post short because I still have to clean brushes and get out to the barn and have another full day tomorrow. So this is 5 x 7 oil on Raphael linen panel, and my subject is 2009 Queen's Plate winner Eye of the Leopard.

In Between Days

Spiderman

Borrowing my title from another Ben Folds song today. I believe it's a cover, actually. Either way, I like the song and the title works! I figured I'd better make a post before everyone thought I fell off the face of the earth after my Thirty Days-plus-one! I did take a few days off from the easel, but now I'm back at it, working on some of the larger/more complex WIPs I put on hold for April.


The first thing I want to do is thank my guest artists/bloggers for helping me out in April: Kim Ratigan, Carrie Lewis, Donna Ridgway, Kimberly Kelly Santini and Karen Thumm. You all helped to preserve my sanity in a busy month, and all the posts were well-received. At the end of March/beginning of April, I was given a couple of blog awards, and I didn't post about it for the sake of my Thirty Days' continuity, so I'm addressing that now! Thanks to Wyanne Chase of Art By Wyanne, and Karie-Ann Cooper for the awards! I hope you'll take the time to have a look at both these wonderful artists. I'm going to pass the awards along to my guest artists as thanks for helping me out! I really appreciate it!

Leo

I feel like I dropped the ball, not devoting a post to the results of this year's Derby, especially after the painting challenge last Friday! I probably did enough gushing on Twitter about it - Mine That Bird, Canadian Champion two-year-old last season, was given his first lessons at Pine Valley Training Centre, operated by Paul and Gemini Caine. Pine Valley is where the 'kids' I deal with go - the yearlings when it's time for their careers to begin, and the racehorses when they're ready to be legged up. I'm pretty thrilled for them up there, being able to say they broke the Derby winner!

Life carries on here on the farm - the two boys are growing up, and I'm still dealing wit breeding season. On the easel, this week I started back to work on the painting of Bear Now on the training track. I'm working on the underpainting now, and have put two sessions' work into it so far - still very early on in the process. Just to refresh, this is 18 x 14 oil on Raphael linen panel.


Well, that's probably enough for now. Have to include a couple photos of the boys. Leo, three months, already losing his foal coat; and Clever's son at a month, with all the white! I'm calling him Spider until I hear differently, on a great suggestion from Elizabeth McCrindle. Of course, much of the time he gets "Spiderman" instead! That works too. He thinks he's a superhero!

Muse vs. Muse: The Faceoff!

I was reminded today that I hadn't painted Monster yet this month, and she might be mad about that! Somehow I'm not sure my choice of reference photos is going to make her happy. The shot was actually from a couple of years ago, and I've already painted a few of the images from the same shoot. The other horse is Gladys, aka "Gladzilla." Gladys is big and athletic and flashy, and I've done quite a few paintings of her as well, though nowhere near as many as I've done of Monster. Still, Gladys has worked her way up to the number two muse around here, and I've always seen this image as the two of them facing off. Of course both of them better watch out, because Gracie has the potential to oust both of them!

This is 5 x 7 oil on Raphael linen panel, and my only deviation from the limited palette was a bit of Naples Yellow, and some of the leftover green mixture from yesterday.

Monster prides herself in being a mentor of sorts, though she's kind of an advocate of the school of hard knocks (like her life has been tough, or something!). In addition to her responsibilities here on the farm with Gladys and Jubie, she's been mentoring a young Holsteiner filly named Tia. This is her first attempt to work with someone other than a Thoroughbred, and I'm not sure how that's going to work out! Tia's adventures growing up are being documented on the Big Filly Adventures Blog. It's well worth a look, and has inspired a new venture by artist and Tia-scribe Lise LeBlanc which can be seen on her website. It appears Monster has been remiss in her duties, so I might have to have a little chat with her! Or maybe it's time to let Tia know Monster isn't always the best mare to take advice from! So much to do, so little time, eh Monster?

How Are Things at Your End?

You might think we horse artists are a strange bunch. And I should probably retract my comments about cliché from yesterday's post after I explain that statement. Yes, eyes are a very popular thing to study, paint, and photograph. You know what other part of the horse a number of us seem to like to depict? The other end.

I don't think non-horse people understand that at all. They just seem to think of a bunch of tired jokes about this part of a horse's anatomy, whereas to a horse person, the hind end is a very important piece of equipment. The musculature is just amazing, I think more so than any other part of the horse. You might hear racehorse people call it "the engine." It's certainly where the power comes from. I've done a lot of paintings prominently featuring the hindquarters, and I know I'm not the only artist out there to do so...yet I've never heard any artist make the claim that they were first to do a butt shot, whereas I have when it comes to eyes! Funny.

Today's painting is 6 x 8 oil on Raphel linen panel. As Saturdays have had a racehorse theme to them, I picked a photo of a horse in the walking ring at Woodbine to work from. I hope you notice the checkers - that's the pattern you see on his rump. When I worked at the track, we always brushed in checkers. I love seeing a horse with them, and they were kind of fun to paint.

Only had one person try to guess who yesterday's horse was, so I figure either I made everyone mad with my discourse, or, more likely, no one is even reading this! I'm not offended by the look at the picture an run approach...but all the same I'll be quiet now! It's getting close to the end of the month, I might be getting a bit silly here! If you're reading...thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you tomorrow!

Joy, The Encore!

I hadn't intended to paint today. I was up extra late last night and finished another painting after posting yesterday's assignment, so I was going to use that one, even though it didn't quite fit the 'daily painting' criteria in the strictest sense. Today is Easter Sunday, after all. But then I was sitting here thinking that I wanted to do a painting, some sort of horsey expression of the significance of this holiday. So this is kind of a spring version of the one I did for Christmas. This time my model was Jubie, who yesterday was enjoying turnout in a new paddock. I didn't paint in the mud that was all over her!

I let myself have another Raphael linen panel for this, and knowing it would be a lot easier to do if I used a larger surface, went with an 11 x 14. On top of all those indulgences, I didn't go with the limited palette, either. The photo isn't likely to pick that up, of course!

I know everyone's assuming I'm up to my eyeballs in chocolate eggs and bunnies today - I'm not! As they don't really play a meaningful role anymore in the importance of the day in this house, I'm more than happy to wait until tomorrow, when I'll do my best to take advantage of those half-price sales! I've got another guest blogger lined up for you tomorrow, so I'll see you again then...hopefully well-stocked with more chocolate!

Saturday at the Races

I'd kind of hoped to get to the races today...how I think that's possible right now, I don't know! Fortunately Sun TV was once again showing some races from Woodbine, so I was happy. I decided to do another racehorse painting, which is a challenge for this daily painting thing because racing paintings tend to be a bit complex. So this is what I went with.

My reference photo was from Queen's Plate Day last year, and this is a crop of an already close-cropped photo I took in the walking ring of the winner, Not Bourbon. By cropping it I didn't have to deal with hands and shanks and the bit, that sort of thing! I still need to do a racing painting of last year's Plate. This year is the 150th running, and that fact has my brain working a bit. I'm sure you'll hear more about that eventually.

I decided to treat myself and use a Raphael linen panel for this. It's still just 5 x 7, but the surface is just so amazing to paint on. I also threw the limited palette out for this one. Yes, this is what an artist does for fun....

Just for *more* fun I'm going to add a photo of the new kid and Clever. I think a video of what came before this would be more entertaining. This colt is following in his half-brother Billy's footsteps when it comes to being caught - it's a bit of a rodeo, hence the smile! He was a bit better today than yesterday, at least!

Time to go clean brushes...hope you'll check in again tomorrow!