Warm Ups As Avoidance Behaviour

Study on Raymar archival canvas panel, first attempt, revisited.

I admit it, I started a study the other day, and I have been using it entirely as an avoidance tactic.  Big, detailed paintings are intimidating.  Little studies are easier to tackle.  If they get messed up, it seems to be easier to take.  I started this most recent study on Thursday and sure enough, I messed that up! I did something I very rarely do - I started over, on a completely different surface, abandoning the quick sketch of paint on canvas, for a new quick sketch of paint on linen.  Smaller dimensions, which, apparently, I could handle better than the first, slightly larger attempt.

Today I worked on the smaller study, and got it to the point where I'm pretty sure it's done.  Then I looked at the discarded start.  Another thing I very rarely do, is work from the same photo more than once, but as I'd let the sketch in paint dry, and ghosting isn't something I wanted to contend with, I thought I'd see what I could do with it as is.  I already had the palette set, a very limited one of four colours (and a combination of colours I hadn't used before).  So I played.  And avoided the big painting.  And now I'm writing this blog post, to further avoid the big painting.  It has, at least, made it back on my easel.  Time to pony up and get to it, I guess!  :-D

Study on unstretched linen, second attempt, ready to abandon.

Face Lifts, Everywhere!

"Joy! II" featuring the one and only Jubie.  11 x 14, still available on the Thirty Horses, Thirty Days blog

In the blogosphere, at least!  I decided to update my blog to a new template today - not drastically different, just trying to bring it up to speed to see if that helped with a few little issues I've been having with Google + . Then, because I really liked the look of the dynamic templates here on Blogger, but didn't feel it fit with this particular blog, I updated my Thirty Horses, Thirty Days blog as well, using the dynamic template.  I also added a couple of pages, which is something I haven't done here yet!

The new template for the Thirty Days blog better showcases the paintings I did for the project, especially if viewed in the Flipcard format.  Have a look and let me know what you think!  You can change the format from the drop down menu on the left hand side, under the blog title.  And if you're in the mood for some shopping....a number of the paintings are still available, for very reasonable prices.

Thanks for putting up with me while I slog through these changes!

This one I'm keeping....this is Monster's mom, Sass

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!

The Birthday Boy

It was a year ago Tuesday that Leo was born - hard to believe that tiny, sleek baby is the same horse as the fuzzy young man out in my paddock today! On Monday I was over at a nearby farm to take some photos of some of this year's babies, and one always forgets just how tiny they are in those early days. Leo and Spider look small to me because the two-year-old Gracie is so tall and leggy...but they're nothing like the new little ones!

I've been working on commissions and larger paintings this week, so I thought today I was due a smaller, looser one. I was flipping through some of the reference photos I've got printed out, and came across this one of Leo when he was still tiny! This painting is 8 x 6 oil on shellacked masonite.


And now a couple of photos of Leo as he is today - one of him hamming it up, and another of him playing 'fighting stallions' with his buddy. These two have a long way to go before they can match the prowess of those that have battled before in these paddocks! And interestingly, the most noteworthy may very well have been a mare. Rest assured Gladzilla will never be forgotten around here.

Control vs. Abandon

I know as an artist, I tend to stay closer to the 'control' side of the equation. It's not an uncommon pursuit among artists to want to 'loosen up,' the whole 'less is more' scenario. If I can throw yet another cliché at you – the good old "a picture is worth a thousand words" – those words, translated to artspeak, might be brushstrokes, and I doubt I will live long enough to get where I want to in mastering those! The goal is efficiency - to be able to put the stroke down once, and have it say what I want it to say. Right now all I'm saying is, "Not in this lifetime!" though I wish that weren't so!

Today I worked at both ends of the spectrum, or as best I can at this point! I continued to put colour into my present commission project - just a very light, thin layer, and I'm really liking how it's coming along. I have a few issues to resolve with the photos I'm working from - they were taken mid-day, which means high contrast, strong shadows. Great for drama, but this is a portrait, so I'm toning those down. As the paint will dry quickly because this layer is so thin, I'll be able to proceed fairly soon on this one, and I'm looking forward to it!

Tonight, in order to balance an afternoon devoted to careful work, I did a little 8 x 10 sketch. I'm not calling this one done, but one thing I know is I'd like to do this much larger, so I'll try to keep myself from going too far with the sketch. The reference I'm working with is of Alphabet Soup, who is standing this season at Gardiner Farms. I was at Woodbine the day he beat Cigar in the Breeders' Cup Classic, so to see him up close, and be able to get some pretty cool photos - well, it made my day, back in December at the stallion parade.

This oil is on shellacked masonite, a surface I'm still getting a feel of. I love leaving the panel showing, so this and future attempts will include figuring out how to use that to its advantage!

Guest Artist ~ Juliet Harrison

I've never had an issue with considering photographers as artists, but if I had, Juliet's work would have convinced me of their inclusion. In a world now dominated by digital, Juliet continues to work with traditional black and white photography, lovingly developing her images in her own darkroom.

As an artist who prefers to work predominantly from my own photos for reference, I have a particular appreciation for the art of photography. Often I will get an image and stick quite closely to it, but I always have the freedom to fix my mistakes, or make adjustments to make the painting better. Photographers don't have that option. Perhaps there is some leeway in the darkroom and in cropping, but for the most part they are trusting their eye through the viewfinder, and shooting with film demands even more precision. Those of us who shoot digital sometimes rely, perhaps too much, on the knowledge that firing off shots isn't costing us anything.

I have had the privilege of seeing Juliet's work in person, after admiring it online for many years, and like any original artwork, there is just no comparison. I was particularly excited about these shots she took at Saratoga last summer, and thrilled she agreed to share them here! Suffice to say a couple of these will be in my art collection on our next meeting - they would be already, if not for a major 'fail' by the postal system!

More of Juliet's work can be seen on her website and blog, and she also makes some of her images available for purchase to artists for reference. Juliet has also published a book of some of her images, White Horses, From the Literal to the Sublime, a must for any art or horse-lover's library.

Off to the Races
by Juliet Harrison

I never knew much about the Thoroughbred world, at least not the racing part, until 3 years ago this summer, when I spent a day in Saratoga at the track with Linda Shantz. (Equine painter and Thoroughbred horsewoman extraordinaire) Although I have been photographing horses, with my B&W film camera for many years, it was hard for me to figure out what my “vision” would be in this fast paced and often too far for my lens, world of action. I am used to working close up and being able to isolate parts of the horse’s body and environment. This seemed not at all possible at the track. So the images I shot from that first year in Saratoga were pretty much useless for me. They were either boring standard track/race shots or blurry as the horses went by too fast. But I was inspired by being there. I wanted desperately to figure out something that would work for me. Hey, I needed a reason to go back the following year with Linda.

Throughout the year in between, I learned much more about racing from my many emailed conversations with Linda and knew there was something there I needed to capture. Ideas began to percolate in my mind. I had no interest in those distant shots. They would never read well in B&W anyway. Of course the structure of the muscle groups on a sleek thoroughbred is a great subject for me. But to do those I would need better access to the saddling paddock and barn areas. It wasn’t going to be the actual race that I would photograph, but something about what happens behind the scenes. Or what most visitors don’t pay much attention to while there. And I kept being drawn to my thoughts about the relationship between the horse and the jockey. These amazing men and women who dedicate their lives to these magnificent horses. Sure they have to be adrenaline junkies. That is a given. But there has to be more for them to be so driven to do this. So, the question I presented to myself was, how do I portray that “something more”?

Last year, back at Saratoga for two days this time. Armed with more knowledge and a fresh focus….I started to photograph….What I photographed was the moment before the horse and jockey leave the saddling paddock. Hoisted into the saddle, instructions from the trainer done, social “jockeying” with the owners and press is past…this is sometimes the first real moment of communication between the horse and the jockey. As they leave the paddock the jockey goes through a process of getting settled. Part of that process is the tying or knotting of the long reins. It is called “getting tied on”. The reins are often thought of as a live wire of communication between horse and rider. This is the moment I photographed. The intimacy of that moment of adjusting the line of communication. The series title….Getting Tied On….of course.

I will be back in Saratoga this summer with Linda. These images and one other will be exhibited at Terry Lindsay’s Equidae Gallery at the Holiday Inn during race season. And I am excited to see where the series develops and what new ideas I get for my vision at the race track.

It's A Matter of Opinion

Well, today it was back to more familiar territory - working with a reference photo! The photo in question was taken by Judy Wood, who responded admirably to my comments about wanting to do a series of "horses being bad" paintings, inspired by one of my own Monster in my first Thirty Days project. This is one of the youngsters at the farm at which Judy boards her own horse, and she captured a little disagreement between youngster and trainer during a long-lining session. And just so you know, this is *not* a Thoroughbred! Yes, that's right, Warmbloods have such moments! I thought it was a fun contrast to the quiet scene of the other day. As I said, most of the time, things proceed without drama...but every now and then one will feel the need to express his or her own opinion!

This painting is 8 x 10 oil on panel and I tried to work very loosely and quick and not think too much. The pressure helped - I had time to rough out the drawing on the board this morning, then had to go to a much-needed chiropractic appointment, picked up a few groceries (and absolutely *no* chocolate, I'll have you know!) and then spent rest of the afternoon doing stalls. All that meant I didn't get to the easel until after supper. True, it's only 9pm, but, while this isn't perfect, I wanted to preserve the freshness - what I've done probably took two hours, all told. It was a bit of a relief after the sweat that went into Monday's painting.

Don't worry, this horse did get things sorted out and agreeably carries a rider now. As the owner of a bay horse with a fair bit of attitude, I did enjoy the opportunity to paint someone else's horse 'being bad!' Believe it or not, Monster was very easy to start under saddle, and we didn't have any discussions like this. She was a star pupil - the fun began when she decided she knew what was going on!

See you tomorrow!

Working It

Well, finally you get to see Jubie's whole face. She knows how to use it, stretching her neck out and skewing her features to give you the look that normally results in her getting a treat. Jubie's stall is next to Gracie's, and it's kind of funny watching the two of them vie for whatever might be in my pocket. It usually works, too. Can you say, spoiled? While I'll take full responsibility for Gracie, Jubie learned her manipulation techniques at the track.

This is 8 x 6 oil on Raymar cotton canvas panel, limited palette. The reference photo was taken by my friend and web designer.

I was up early today to send one of the mares off to be bred, so I think I'm about ready to call it a day! Tomorrow I'll be featuring another guest blogger, so I'll see you then!

And thanks to those who piped up and made their guesses on Friday's painting! Sometimes I guess whining works! If only I had a face like Jubie's I know I'd have it made...

Learning to Be

I had to laugh at myself yesterday - I had a "day off" of sorts, thanks to my guest blogger, but I was antsy...so I'm going to admit I actually started this painting yesterday. I probably should have worked on one of my non-daily paintings, but as some changes Monday made Tuesday the busier day, I decided to be on the safe side and start drawing out this new one.

This is 9 x 12 (sorry I got it wrong when I posted originally!), oil on masonite, with my usual limited palette. The panel was only very faintly tinted, and I was really surprised how much of a difference that made! As is often the case, this isn't a great photo because the paint is still wet, but even still, I think you'll probably see how strong the colours are. Seems my Cadmium Red decided it wanted a leading role. I actually decided I would post an in-progress photo on Twitter to see what kind of feedback I got and when it was positive, I thought I would just go with it. Of course those helpful commenters aren't seeing the painting first hand....yeah...it's bright! Oh well...nothing wrong with some colour! All I can think is how now I have to clean my brushes, and Cad Red, being a strong colour, is going to be a bit reluctant to come out!

Oh, the "story"....this is Gracie, last summer, with her mom, Twine. I love watching the foals grow up, and it's always cool to see them start the reciprocal grooming. All part of learning to be a horse! And if you've ever spent any time with foals, you'll know that if you scratch them on the withers, they'll try to return the favour!

Indoor Activities

It's hard to believe a week ago we had our coldest night of the winter. Today it rained off and on all day, and naturally the new baby spent the day indoors. As you can see, he still did his best to test out his legs.


The horses that did get out came in as soon as their stalls were ready. I managed to get some painting done in the afternoon. As my plans to post this painting were interrupted on Monday night by the new kid's arrival, I'll post it here. I can't even remember what I was going to say about it! It's 24 x 24 oil on gallery wrap canvas, and this is just the beginning of the underpainting, using Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna and Unbleached Titanium. This is a Thoroughbred in the post parade at Woodbine, and I just love the angle of this horse's head. It makes things a bit more challenging, but there's nothing wrong with that. There is a bit of glare coming off of the canvas because of the wet paint, but this is the progress to date!


I'm hoping to have a more normal sleep tonight - last night I still watched Twine and baby a bit through the night to be sure everything was okay. We're supposed to get a lot of rain tonight. I'm guessing a lot of the snow will be gone by morning! I'm not sure I'm looking forward to that. What can you do?

Making the Best of It

No snow today, just more cold. It's getting kind of repetitious, I know. My days are an ongoing cycle of go out to the barn, freeze, come in, thaw, go out to the barn...and so on. I noted begrudgingly today that it seems as soon as my hands warm up enough that I can actually use them, my feet freeze and I need to come in again!

I started this new painting in one of the "thaw" phases of my day. This is the one I meant to start last Saturday. I had a title for this one before I even took the photo, though I'm not going to reveal it yet. The boys had me laughing and I was glad I caught them with the camera – unlike today, when a very bold/friendly/stupid(?) bird was keeping Gracie and Jubie company. First I saw Gracie following it as it hopped around on the ground, then a bit later it was perched on Jubie's back! By the time I grabbed the camera, of course it had disappeared!


This painting is 11 x 14 oil on Fredrix linen panel. Step one was just starting to work out the drawing with Burnt Umber. Tonight I worked on it some more, still just with Burnt Umber. There are still things that need to be resolved, but I've got the most important stuff worked out. Burnt Umber dries quickly, so I should be able to continue working on it tomorrow.

Now I'm trying to convince myself to take advantage of a bit of an early night! It's only quarter to twelve...that's early for me!