Slowly, but Surely ...

I left off here ...

I've done a bit more thin glazing on the abutment and the base of the abutment.

Some more thin glazes have been done, and I have put in the reflections.  I thought it best to put them in lighter than they actually are, then play with them a bit when I paint the water. I have also done a first glaze on the girders.

Same lighting, but you'd never know it. This one shows the reflections better. The above photo better shows the bridge itself.


As ever, your comments are most welcome.

Cute Pony Update

I left her here last night ...

Finished the eye, and did some more shadowing on her face ...

Added some shadow to her neck, and gave the mane and forelock some shape. I think I'll lift the masking, and get on with the bridle - after some playtime with The Big Guy!


I was sitting here typing, and I could have sworn I heard a tree frog croaking. We have been fortunate in having a mild winter [so far] but I don't usually hear them till mid-February. Hmmm ...   As always, all comments are most welcome! 

Play Misty for Me ... Couldn't Resist That - It's Her Name

I think her muzzle looks done. The inside of the eye is good; the outer aspect needs more shading. Then I'll get to her mane and forelock, and finally the bridle.

You MUST Pardon My Moment of Self-Congradulation ...

Misty started to come alive here ...

I did a quick, thin mask outline, and then painted some w/w washes.
The mask is mostly off, and I must admit I am REALLY pleased with the result [and that doesn't happen often!]
I was dancing around the kitchen, singing "Shit, I'm good". True confessions ...
Now, the edges need some cleaning up, more shading and detail work, and of course the bridle. But first, I am going out to play with the slightly-neglected Bruno.

Bun Done and Horse to Go ...

Smokey is done.  I wanted to get him finished to take to Laara at work tomorrow.

Poor Maddy looks like she has some weird skin condition, but her form is starting to come through.

Update ... or I Need a Break ...

I think I left off here ...

Added some background, to give myself an idea of how dark to go with the car, and to give it a ground

More car color [brown madder]

Some "grass" in front [which looks like it will need some shape change] and a lot of fussy detail work on the car, most of which I can't even see on this screen!


The Boxer Girls have been taken home for the weekend, but they'll be back. Their mom misses them so much; she picks them up Friday night, and then brings them back Sunday evening. So now I have time for my things - Bruno and painting, and some gardening, too.
I still like the old car, but it has reached the fussy detail stage. I needed a break, so I thought I would post what I have so far. I must admit, it has been much more interesting/challenging to paint without a photo propped beside me. I find myself having to think and plan more.
I had a small inner debate earlier - painting or watching an end-of-the-world movie. I LOVE apocalyptic movies. It must be a carry-over from my younger years. I still remember my dad pointing out the satellite "Sputnik" to me, as it sailed overhead. And it was the time of the Cold War, when anyone who had a nuclear or hydrogen bomb to blow up was doing so. I really did have dreams [nightmares?] about trying to run away from some inescapable doom. Sorry, sometimes I get a bit grim!
Back to NOW. If any of you would like to comment, you are more than welcome to leave a note. I love them.  

Amazing ... I Quite Like It ...

I think I left off here, deciding to intensify skin tones ...

The great unveiling - removing masking fluid

I re-did the water with mask, so I could get a more fluid look to the water, with the three background colors.
Afri's Nephew  10.5 x 11.5 in. / 27 x 29 cm.


When I near the end of a work, I usually start to nit-pick the life out of it. With this painting, I am pleased as it is. It's bright and happy; it totally expresses what I set out to achieve. Again and always, please let me know what you think and feel about the painting.

Catching Up ...

I started by masking what will be a spray of water, then dropped in quin. pink, quin. burnt orange and phthalo blue

I've laid in color on the skin, hair and shirt.

Just intensifying everything. Now I need to go in and get some good skin tones and shadows.
This was my morning's effort

  A BrunZ news flash ... The lad was diagnosed with arthritis in both hocks [ hind leg "knee" ] I am not surprised, as he spent at least five years at the pacer track in Cloverdale, pounding on the equivalent of cement, doing his thing as a race horse. It has left him stiff and sore, so to alleviate that condition, my vet recommended injecting both joints with a combination of hyaluronic acid and a corticosteroid. Friday evening, Mario came over, set up all the equipment for filing teeth [ also needed ], filled syringes, and gave Bruno a shot of tranquillizer. It takes effect within seconds, and B. was zonked but standing. Mario first gave the hock injections. Then we muscled his sleepy body into a sort of head-holder, propped his mouth open, and filed the teeth. When the vet was almost done, I slipped back, with a bucket of water, soap and cloth, and cleaned what you would not believe needs cleaning. Ahhh ... the glamorous life of a horse owner!
   Now the lad needs time off till Tuesday. Then I can walk [ only ] for a week, and then gradually build up our work, focussing on strengthening his back and hind end.
   While Bruno's off, I've had a bit more office time, as a dental hygienist. And I've also had more time to paint. Right now, I am working on a long-ago-promised painting of a friend's nephew. I'm really enjoying it, and that is usually an indication that it will turn out well.

Steph ... Continued

I went over the sweater with a glaze of home-made black, w/w.
Then I gazed over her hair with mixes of alizarin crimson & quin. burnt orange

I've been going over the hair, drybrushing with an almost-black brown.

I put in a properly cropped photo, so we could see what it looks like without the distraction of the staples and paint-board.


The painting is actually a bit darker than this. And I looked at some other photos of Steph; her hair, in reality,  has more red, so that's what I did. Now I am wondering if it would improve the painting if I went in, and carefully added more depth and color to her face. to me, it looks somewhat flat right now. As always, all your comments are most welcome.

Meet the Wife of John IV - My Sister, Steph

A quirky photo of Steph ... irresistable pose

Thin washes of grisaille

Some wild background colors

More wildness

Some dark blues for depth and darkness

Work on the hair. It was here that I realized her eyes were too wide. Bring out the Magic Eraser!!!

Eyes better shape. Think I'll play with the hair next.

I've started a smaller version of Buddy as well, to work out any kinks before I do a large painting.


This is what I've been up to lately. And yes ... I am dying to get to some of those old car photos. too!

A Quickie ... or ... What Possessed Me to Use Purple

One of my hay farm photos

First attempt

Delving deep into quin. violet for the shadows

Brown madder on all of the equipment's form 

Added a soft "ground" to give it a vignette look

This was the effort of a couple of hours, off and on.  Obviously, I just had to paint anything, any which way. Hmmm ... I hear that saying whispering in my ears "Patience is a virtue".

Scott's Shed ... or ... Long Time No Process

  I must admit to having a case of the painting megrims. Nothing has really inspired me to seriously pick up a brush. However, I have started two today, and I managed to get this one "finished".
   The Painting is of Scott's [ my friend and farrier ] backyard shed. I was over one evening taking photos, mostly of his pup, Sadie - when she would be still long enough to take a picture. I moseyed into the back, and this scene caught my eye. It's rather stark and bleak, sort of Georgia O'Keefe-ish. But I found it compelling, and still do. In this modern world we live in, I don't approve of hunting [ I still remember my father taking my sister and I to see the doe he'd shot; the two of us had JUST seen "Bambi" ]
   Back to painting...

Rough sketch

Thin, mixed wash of aureolin, quin. pink and cobalt blue

Windows - thin cobalt blue with thick indanthrone dropped in
Walls - thin wash of a brown - aureolin, carmine and cobalt blue

Some quin. burnt orange on window, and some grey to start modeling skull

Skull quite moss-covered, so work in some greens

Detail work on skull and shed

Finished
6 x9 in. / 22 x 16 cm.

Photo - decided to leave out whatever Scott has hanging from the antler