You know it's bad when...

...you opt to do some prep for your income tax instead of painting! Yes, that's what I'm doing tonight.

I knew painting today would be a challenge. I had maybe four hours sleep last night (when you add it up) thanks to foal watch. I knew I'd be heading back outside to snow, and lots of it, once the sun was up. Naturally, it was deepest right in front of the barn, and I got to dig it out twice - last night at 11pm, and again this morning before I could get in to feed. The plough guy came just in time to clear the driveway (all half a mile, or 0.6km of it) so that I could stop fretting because the blacksmith was scheduled to come at 9am. Just a short aside: your racetrack lingo for the day! Try using the term "farrier" at the racetrack. I probably haven't used it since the day I did, my first year on the track, and was ridiculed! At the track, it's blacksmith. Just so you know!

At least it wasn't too cold today, because throwing snow around followed by standing holding horses for a few hours can be a recipe for disaster. While wet boots and gloves didn't help, I didn't get too cold. And the kids were relatively well-behaved today.

After that, it was back to throwing around more snow, clearing a path to the manure pile! Fortunately I'd at least arranged for some help to muck out today. After professing that I wouldn't take a nap and the key to not needing one was to just keep moving, I of course passed out when I got back inside. I don't know for how long, and I figure I can tell myself it was a few hours (when I know it wasn't anywhere close to that). It's all about the psychology, and I feel pretty good now! Shall I check in with you at 3am or so?

I haven't posted the latest update on the ghost groom -- I started working on colour earlier in the week. Since then I've put it away for a few days, and yesterday put the racehorses back on the easel. As I'm still working on the underpainting of that one, pushing the detail. I don't usually print my photo reference out large, but in this case it was warranted. Too much going on in this scene!


And while this news probably deserves a post of its own, I'm just going to share it now. Both of my puppy paintings were accepted into the Art Show at the Dog Show. So once again Lara (our favourite Brittany!) will visit Kansas, this time with her new friend Pinkston. I'll be packing them two of them up and sending them on their way shortly!

And So It Snows...

I was beginning to think they were going to be wrong about the intensity of this winter storm that was forecast for Southern Ontario. I decided to leave the horses in - not sure about my logic there, when I actually turned them out Wednesday when it was colder and windier! When I was about to give them their noon hay, I actually considered throwing them out, because it wasn't really that bad. I decided to stick with the plan - it was supposed to get worse in the afternoon, after all.

And so it has! Monster is doing her best to look pathetic, standing by the gate letting the white stuff accumulate on her back. Before you start feeling sorry for her, she does have a run-in shelter she chooses not to use most of the time; she's double-blanketed with a nice high-neck waterproof Wethabeeta as the outer layer, and the temp is actually pretty close to the freezing mark!


Yesterday was beautiful - crisp, for sure, but the sun was shining, the sky was clear. I took a few photos, and it seems little Miss Peaker has an interest in photography. Here's a photo she helped me take. Focus is so over-rated! Well, they have horses that paint; why not?

The ghost groom is still a ghost groom (and late last night had me contemplating the potential significance of that! Another time, perhaps?) but I worked on the horse last night, establishing more of that all-important anatomy! I find a horse's legs fascinating.


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Back to our regularly scheduled programming.... :-)