IS VOODOO DOOMED???? ... Another Case of My Impatience Showing ...

I left the lad at this stage ...

... this morning I was in an impatient mad rush to get a background , and THIS is what happened.

I tried lifting  in the lower right area, but it's leaving hard-edged lines. I may try to play with it some more, but I don't have much hope for this rendition of Voodoo.

This is the effect for which I was aiming ...
This photograph was taken by Prasad Natarajan [On My Easel], an acquaintance on facebook. He takes superb Nature photos.

I believe I can do it ... IF I TAKE MY TIME!!!

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... Now ... THIS I Like ... or ... Another Go with the Farrier Painting

Same pose, same colors, same Scott and Bruno ...

I like how the tail looks here. I moistened the area, and stroked in thin lines of burnt orange, indanthrone and a mixture of orange, violet and blue [to make a rich black].

I wet the tail again, and stroked in lines of black only. Quite like the look - must remember this for future paintings!

I took this photo with something called AV mode. It's too dark, but it does show the  deeper, more earthy colors of Bruno.
I will not put a background in this painting. I feel what I want to express is solely about the farrier and the horse [and their bums!] If anything, I may put a w/w puddle of different colors around their feet to indicate a ground. Now, back to Voodoo ... I think he would look good in green!

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A "YES" for Voodoo ... Not Sure about the Farrier Scene

Voodoo is looking very Voodoo-ish, which is good. It's time to start a background - something darker at the edges and on the left side of the painting, mostly blues I think.

I painted a quick study for the background of the farrier painting ...

... then cut it out, and taped it over the open doorway.

I masked the edges [don't think I had to do that] and did some wet-in-wet washes to imply a field with trees in the distance. I really do not like how it looks. This morning, I wet the area, and lifted as much as I could. Whether it will improve with finishing the horse, and darkening the farrier, I don't know. I very much like the pose, with the two bums facing the viewer, but I don't think this does it for me. Maybe a smaller format, focussing more on the two figures??? What do you think?

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Well ... So Far, I Like the Drawing Better ...

Love this. Maybe I'll give up painting??? 

More color on the jeans and walls ...

 ... and still more ...

For some reason, the photos are coming out quite light. But I think I am almost done with Scott, and starting Bruno. I still feel somewhat intimidated when painting horses, so left him for last. The painting technique is good, but I am not fond of the composition. I think I'll have to do some subtle spattering in the open area of the doorway - it looks much too blah. And of course ... darker ... DARKER ... DARKER!!! Time to head out to the barn, play with the Big Guy, let off some steam. :)

Thank you very much for dropping by!

IMPATIENCE - My Middle Name

Fairly detailed drawing to start ...

First thin, loose washes - quin. burnt orange, quin. violet and indanthrone. I had considered masking out the horse and farrier, but it's such a pain, and quite often leaves the paper roughened and discolored. 

More washes, a ground and a pair of jeans ...
It looks so dark when I am applying the paint, but then ... presto ... dries to almost nothing. I keep hearing the voice of a painting instructor years ago, commenting on my work  ... darker ... DARKER.   

Reference photo - Bruno and Scott, my farrier - two cute bums :)

I started this one at the same time [being somewhat bored and impatient with Voodoo's "progress"]

Not overly impressed with this either.
Once upon a time, I painted some attractive chickens. What happened? Am I too impatient?

Gave this to my sweet vet.

This was a commission for a neighbor. I ran into her yesterday - we were both out dog-walking. She told me she gets so many compliments on her painting.

And this one I love - bought for a song by my uncle's friend.

Feeling very antsy - impatient and frustrated with my painting lately.  I think I'll head out to the barn, and do some grooming and riding with the Big Guy.
My blog and gmail may disappear for a few days. I cancelled my Visa card. Someone helped themselves twice to my Visa account over the past two months. I wasn't going to re-instate the account, then realized my google accounts were not being paid. So I have re-applied for another account, but not sure when it will become active.

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In a Hurry to Finish These ...

Good effects around the dogs,  though I think it is too dark on the walkway. 

I do like the spatter effect. If I was finish this as a proper painting, I  would do at least one more spatter with more concentrated color. And the shadow does nothing for the piece at all.

OK, that's two experiments finished. On to something else ...

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Feeling Like a Chicken with It's Head Cut Off or Maybe More Like a Pithed Frog

I am not overly fond of this pose, so I am using it a test piece for trying out different ways of applying paint to darken. Who knows? ... it may turn out well. 

Like this one better, so I am going more slowly.  

I did 2 demos on Saturday in class. This is the wet application of the three primaries, followed by spattering, using indanthrone blue and quin. gold.

At home, I did another spatter, using more saturated paint. I got a wee bit carried away with the spattering, but I like the effect. So this is definitely a technique to keep for future paintings.

The second class demo was a poured watercolor. I used the image I did earlier of the two dogs heading toward the Golden Gate bridge.

At home, I did a 2nd and 3rd pouring. It looks quite dark, but I'll reserve judgment till I remove all the masking.

I really like this view of the two bums - the farrier and the horse. I am re-working the original drawing, correcting perspective and shadowing, and will paint it, and varnish it on a 10 x 14 inch cradled frame.

The geese of the Eurhythmy persuasion are also getting a re-vamp. I like the original, except for that horrific puddle of ultramarine blue at the bottom. Whatever possessed me to do that, I will never know!

And here is why my life is different and busier right now. Here's my aunt - I have her set up comfortably outside, bundled up, reading a good book. She is staying here for a while till my sisters and I get her medical issue straightened out. The doctors think she has kidney stones. It's apparently a very painful condition, so the medication she has to take is very strong - leaves her dizzy, loopy, just really out of it. My place is good for her - as there are no stairs, she loves being out in the countryside, and she has Dr. Maggie to provide TLC [and me, too]. So I am doing nursing duty this week.  I am not used to having another person living with me, so am feeling [how can I describe it] not like myself.
So that is life at Kathryn's country spa.

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Voodoo II Is Underway ...

This is the reference for another Voodoo painting.

He's very large, about 17.2 hh. [his back is well over my head] He is not classically "pretty", but he has a very noble face and eye.

Another shot, giving more of an idea of his size, and the boniness of his head.

Sketch

I masked out his eye, and did an all-over wet-in-wet application of cobalt and indanthrone blue. Then I started working on the structure and shadows of his head and neck with a black mixture.

I removed the mask over the eye, and you can see the "white" of the paper there - looks almost beige, in comparison to the background of the painting.

I worked on him for several hours today, going back and forth between very dry applications and softening the edges, and painting very wet. At this point, I think the basic idea is there. I'd like to get some hardness to the look to give more of an impression of the boniness of his head. And, of course, an eye would be good, too!
That's it for today.

Thank you very much for dropping by!

Painting Progress, and Maggie Does the Hay Room

Not too bad. I like the effects you get from doing those all-over, three-color washes with the spattering afterwards.  This is another demo I started in the class, and finished later at home.

Still darkening Voodoo and the background. I have another slightly different pose that I drew, that is waiting on the watercolor paper, after having done only one wash using two different blues. Might get to that this afternoon.

As I was heading to the barn the other morning, something caught my eye. It turned out to be a raccoon. I fed Bruno, then got my camera. My barn assistant was in hot pursuit. Thankfully the raccoon was well up in the tree by the time Maggie got there. Would not want her tangling with one of those beasties. 

There's the rascal, making his escape. I kept Maggie inside for an hour to give the raccoon time to escape. I think a family has moved into the area - I've seen them off and on for the past few months.

His Imperial Highness, after our ride.

Yes, it's a horse bum ... but a horse bum with sweat marks in the right place. It shows he has been using those powerful hindquarters properly.

While Bruno has his munch, Maggie and clean up, and clean and refill his waterbucket.  Maggins has discovered the joys of hunting in the hay shed!!! Today, she actually looked at me like she was asking to be allowed in. So in she went ...

She jumps and bounces from bale to bale ...

... looking for rodents.

I think she is probably a hunter, quite like a Jack Russell. She also shares the same intenseness and focus of that breed.

I just looked at the clock - 3:00 already, but it feels like it should be only 1:00. The time change has really discombobulated me this year.
Anyway, thank you very much for dropping by!!!