Paddock School Study #1

With "Hush" on its way to Australia, I managed to get back to the easel today. As previously noted, studio time has been less than productive of late, and this week I've been more or less bumping into myself, trying to get back to things. I tidied up a couple of little foal studies, started a few small pieces, but have mostly felt as if I couldn't get out of my own way. Not a good feeling! Today, I decided I had to stop thinking so much, pulled out an 8 x 10 panel that had been prepped with shellac, and set to work, determined to complete something in a single day - or better yet, a single session.

While as a groom I admit I hated schooling horses in the paddock, I love the imagery of it. When I get there early enough on the card (typically permission to school is given before the first race or two), I always stop and watch, and snap a few pics. This is just another example of the work that goes on behind the scenes to prepare a horse for the races.

I'm actually (gasp!) happy with the result. I'm going to choose not to dwell on what's wrong with it, and instead go off and prep more panels with shellac, because it really lends itself to nice loose studies, and I find I'm craving those right now. Given that I've numbered this study, I'm hoping to produce more!

March pARTy - Bellator #2!

I've been having fun watching the pARTy paintings come in, and decided not to put off any longer posting my own. I did this one on 7 x 5 oil on shellaced masonite - every time I do a painting on that surface I learn how to handle it a little bit better!

Just a short post this AM - I'm off to take my two black and whites to the vet for their vaccinations, then I will see if I do better than yesterday at getting up to ride Miss Monster! I need to remember to take my camera, because I know all the horses will have their blankets off. Of course if they're anything like my horses here, they'll also be covered in mud. There's that trade off again!

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!

Chestnut Fillies Rule!

Around here, we don't buy into that belief that chestnut mares and fillies are evil. Gracie is quick to point out the likes of Ginger Brew who made Not Bourbon work for his Plate victory this year. I've done the three chestnut boys this week - Jay, Mute, and Medz - so it's time for a girl! Miss Peaks isn't on the farm right now, as she's started her under-saddle racehorse education, but I wasn't about to leave her out of my project - she's much too special! As I'm doing the horses on the farm by age, from oldest to youngest, Peaker was next in line. The reference for this painting was taken shortly before she headed to the training centre. I miss my girl!


I realised this morning that I'd forgotten to tone a panel last night. While I could have done it first thing this morning and given it time to dry, that's what I did yesterday and the tone was lifting off too easily, so I found a piece of masonite that I had prepared with shellac instead of gesso. As you can see from the in-progress shot, this means I'm starting with a ground that is dark. The surface is also very slick, and very non-absorbent. That's why this piece is more blended that some of the ones I've done this week on gessoed panel. The smoothness and the fact that the paint dried more slowly make it very different to work with.

So here we have our Miss Peaks, 10 x 8 oil on shellacked masonite, using the usual limited palette. I also forgot to clean my brushes last night, which is borderline disastrous. There's no better way to shorten the life of your brushes! What am I going to go do now? Tone a couple of panels so I'm covered for the next few days, then clean those brushes! After that, I believe I have a word count to catch up on! See you tomorrow!