Works-in-Progress - Sunflowers, and Bruno's Dental Appointment ... a Very Mixed Bag!

First gradated washes on this painting - aureolin and quin. burnt orange ...

... followed by many more gradated washes of quin. burnt orange mixed with phthalo green [blue shade]. For some reason [a different paper, an unusual paint mixture?] I had some trouble getting the really smooth washes I like. I finally resorted to spraying the paper with water, not applying water with brush, and then applying the pigment very gently.

This is an earlier stage of the painting. You can see some of the streakiness here, as well as the faint imprint of  a leatherjacket bug. NO BUGS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS PAINTING!!! I gently coaxed it off, and took it outside. My work area is a small alcove in my bedroom, and as I almost always have the window open at this time of year, the bugs are everywhere in the painting area. 

This is the other sunflower painting. I am at this point right now - working on the flower, and soon, the leaves.
The background is primarily a mixture of quin. burnt orange, quin. violet and indanthrone. The flower is aureolin, with shadows of quin. sienna and cobalt blue.

Here we are waiting for the vet. Looks like he just arrived, judging from Bruno's ears cocked back to listen.

My vet used much less tranquillizer this time. I was really impressed with Bruno's behaviour. You can see in this and the photo below, his eyes are completely calm. If anything, he is concerned only that I get his good side in the photo!!!

It looks a bit like bondage or something, but the halters and braces holding his head steady are comfortable, almost loose. And of course, the metal bracket in Bruno's mouth keeps his jaws apart, and the soft tissues of the oral cavity out of harm's way, so the vet can readily access the molars at the back. Just some odd info - horses have six molars in each quadrant of the mouth; we humans have two in each quadrant [or three, if you have wisdom teeth]. 

I took these next few shots today, after I rode the lad.
He is quietly enjoying some hay, while the "garden gnomes" and I are out in the field area watering the vegetable garden, and doing a few other chores.

Here's Scruffy, with her partially-done home hair-cut. I work on her bit by bit, as she is not a patient girl.

And here's Maggie, looking for excitement. She is turning out to be such a bright and loving dog.

So that's life for now, on our little rented piece of Heaven.
Thank you for dropping by!