HORSING AROUND

Tis the season ...
Halloween!

I thought I'd model the mask one of my patients gave me years ago, when I started riding. When I was feeling goofy at work, I'd wear it under my protective mask, and then take the top mask off to reveal the "inner me"!!! Dentistry really can be too serious sometimes, so I add some humor.

I left the red/green man here ...

I glazed over the background with a mix of quin. violet and phthalo green. I gave him pupils, and started on the mouth. 

This is un-retouched. 

I've increased the saturation somewhat. The colors are weird, but I think it looks quite good. Whoa!!! ... I think I like it! The painting still needs a fair bit of work. I'd like to put a fig leaf earring in the ear. [Julian wears an earring.] And I am tempted to do a graded wash over everything, dark on the right to almost nothing on the left.

I had the BEST ride today! Finally after five years, I feel like I'm getting my strength, endurance and muscle memory back. I've been riding during that time, but not really training. Either I had someone else's horse, or had a horse that I couldn't "push". Good ol' Bruno [not so old] is eminently suitable for training. He's fairly young, fit and very strong physically and mentally, and he has come to really trust me. That took time - when he first came here, he did not even want to be patted. I guess life on the pacing track was hard. I am LOVING our times together.

As always, your comments are most welcome.