All in a Day's Work ...

Why I felt compelled to do this, I'm not sure, other than it was too delicate. It needed some oomph.

Today I tried to minimize the garishness of those dark lines by going over the entire work with a lavender color. 

Did some work with Drake the II - lifting with the magic eraser [it really is magical], and starting his eyes.

And I started my cowboy painting.

Cobalt blue on the left side of the shirt, a mixture of aureolin and quin. burnt orange for his hat, and flesh tones of quin. sienna, alizarin crimson and cobalt blue.

The shirt I also started with a quin. sienna/alizarin mix. I'm amazed how much it already reminds me of Scott. 

And I took this to the framer. It will have a dark brown/black mat and a somewhat rustic-looking mid-brown wood frame. I originally thought to varnish it, but after looking at it critically, decided it needed a boundary, a perimeter - the background is so light.

All this painting was done because I couldn't ride His Highness. We've been working on getting him to use his right hind more effectively. He has a gorgeous, powerful trot on the left rein, but his right side is quit wimpy, probably due to all those years of racing around a track in one direction. Unfortunately, my right side is weaker, too. I had a whopper of a cycling accident years ago - a woman rear-ended me doing about 50 mph. The impact was so hard, she couldn't drive her car after - the damage was so bad. And I am left with a bad back. But I spoke with my riding trainer today, and she feels we can overcome both our inadequacies by working in shorter intervals. I am definitely NOT quitting riding!!!

Thank you so much for your visit!

Just a Lovely, Quiet Summer Day at the Farm ... Well ... Mostly ...

Bruno, enjoying a quiet munch while I clean and re-fill his water bucket.  We had "issues" today, understandably, as he had 2 days off. Thursday we had a lesson, and I got my trainer to ride him so she could feel what we are going through. They both had a bit of a workout, but Rhonda won out [she's a pro - rides several horses a day, as well as training other horses and riders]. The issue is getting the lad to start becoming more flexible through his poll, neck and body - just generally more flexible. Because of his background, he has never had to do this, and it's difficult for him, but also necessary. You just cannot have a riding horse that is not flexible - it's asking for rough unpleasant, and possibly dangerous, rides for both horse and rider. So I think this will be our project for the next few months. He rebelled a bit this morning when I was lunging him. As a result, I am icing some rope burns on my right hand, but aside from that we were good. [Note to self - WEAR GLOVES WHEN LUNGING] He understands, just is not 100% convinced that it is something he wants to do. He's stubborn and tests me, and I wouldn't have him and other way!!
I took this photo to show the nest right over the tack room door.

I stretched up to take some photos inside. Just after I took this shot, a baby came zipping out of the nest. It's FLIGHT DAY!!! They are all over the barn, with mom and dad watching, as they learn to fly. It is so beautiful to see, and to hear them chattering to each other. 

Here's Maggie, out by the vegetable garden.

Scruffy and Bruno, as I clean and re-fill the Big Guy's water bucket.

I managed to get a few shots of one of the babies, as he/she was resting from his exertions.

And another one ...

I have some plans for paintings this week, but it's just too darn beautiful outside.

Thank you for dropping by! Your comments are always welcome.

Pushing Myself ... and Bruno ... and the Monks and the Calf ... well painting in general

I could have left this as a vignette [it would certainly have been easier] , but I find I am pushing myself HARD to improve in my painting,  and my riding, too, to Bruno's chagrin. We had a most interesting session yesterday [after a perfect ride the day before]. At one of his favorite spots to act up, he started bouncing up and down on his hind legs - not really rearing, just thinking about it. Then he tried to escape by cantering away [he has almost never cantered under saddle yet - too unbalanced] The upshot was a lovely almost- collected canter, and some very good listening on his part for the rest of the ride. Sometimes I feel guilty pushing him through the difficult parts of his training, but he likes it. He always comes out of the field when he sees me coming to get him for a ride, and he shows no signs of horsey grumpiness or anger. I believe the acting up is a horse's way of testing the limits ... testing the rider. I could go on forever about this and wax philosophically on the subject of training horses, but not right now ...

Anyway ... back to the calf
I did a very w/w loose wash with aureolin and quin. burnt orange to suggest a warm, comfy stall ...

... and then realized the calf looked ridiculous, floating in mid-air with no lower body. So again, I did a very loose and wet wash with the dark chocolate color I am using. Needs some fixing around the neck and back area yet, and probably some more work on the face, and some cropping. We shall see.

I had darkened the robes, in a tentative manner, then went back in again and put much more of a violet-orange mix in the shadow areas.  Earlier today, I was looking at some of Caravaggio's paintings - absolutely adore his chiaroscuro within figures. I realized [well I saw it before, but was a bit timid to go so much darker] the figures needed much more darkness in the shadows if they were to appear backlit. My main areas of work were the robes and the feet, with less contrast of the head shadows. Looking at it now, I may have to do more. I also put a "ground" at the lower level of the painting. The white of the paper was too stark, and not suggestive of a hot, desert-type trek at all. I wet the paper around the monks, and dropped in fairly thin applications of aureolin, and a pink-orange mixture. I had some blue ready to add, but am very glad I didn't add it.

This photo is of my sister's hollyhock, and is one of two images I will be drawing on watercolor paper, to take with me when I do some demo's at the Federation Gallery on Granville Island, in Vancouver. You must know how much I hate to go into the city, but I think it will be fun, once I am there, and set up and painting. Granville Island was, at one time, more of a port, ship-building, fishing area but has now become quite an interesting market spot - restaurants, fresh food markets, book stores, and tons of galleries. In the summer especially, it is quite a popular spot. So if you're in Vancouver, you are most welcome to visit and watch me do my painting. Sorry, NO BRUNO!!! I will be there this Saturday, June 28, from about 10 AM till 3 PM, and am scheduled for July 19 and August 16.

Thank you for dropping by! Your comments are always welcome.

PS - Blogger has thrown a monkey wrench into my computer. I am not seeing ANY of your blogs that I love to follow. So, if I do not comment on your posts, that is why.

Easter with Bruno ... or ... Horse 101

Bruno, in his shed, having a quick munch.

I wonder what we are doing today?

Blanket coming off, fastenings undone from back to front of horse.

Ready for a good grooming.

I use a small, soft brush for his face and ears.

For a great massage and to remove excess hair, I use a round, rubber grooming pad. I go all over his neck and body, carefully over the bony and sensitive spots. You can see it is most effective at removing loose hair. 

Then I go over Bruno with a short-bristle brush, to remove the loosened hair and dander. The metal comb is used to clean the brush, and sometimes for really heavy muddy patches.

I remove his boots to groom the legs and clean the feet. The boots are to protect his front feet - he has a long stride, sometimes over-reaching and hitting his front feet with his hind feet. This causes trauma, and can twist or remove the front shoe.

Tools for cleaning his legs and feet.

Before picking his feet ...

... and after.

Now, we are getting tacked up.

He is wearing a green saddle pad and a sheep's wool pad under the saddle. The saddle pad basically just keeps the saddle a bit cleaner. The woolen pad I use because this saddle was not bought specifically for Bruno. I had it for my last horse, and she was much more round in the back than Bruno. So to make it absolutely comfortable for him, I bought the woolen pad. Saddle fitting is a whole other story ...
This is an English saddle, specifically for dressage.

Here, I have buckled the girth on one side. I gradually tighten it over several minutes. A snug girth is a MUST - I have had a saddle swing around the horse's belly with me in it [not for long].

Here we are - starting to lunge. Lunging is done for several reasons. In Bruno's case, I do it to let him warm up, and for me to see what his frame of mind is that day.

Here he is, at a lovely trot!

After lunging, I take off the side-reins, check the girth to ensure its snugness, and get on.
We had a fantastic ride today!!! I think he liked having his picture taken!!!
You will notice that his mouth is all frothy. That is an indication that the horse is relaxed and comfortable in his work. Also, he has a very soft and gentle look to his eye  - he is a happy boy.

The frothy bit - I use a light French double-linked snaffle. Again, as with saddles, the fitting and use of different bits is a LONG story.

Finally, after the tack [saddle and bridle] are off, Bruno gets LOTS of healthy goodies. Then he is allowed out onto the back lawn for some grass.

Thank you for dropping by! Your comments are always welcome!

If a Battle Cannot Be Won, Do Not Fight It - Sun Tzu

I am trying to keep my mind occupied today, so I have been working on these two paintings.
Above, the entire paper, except the focal flower,  was done in a w/w wash of quin. pink

Just hopping around ...

Getting some darks into the background ...

... and a bit more detail in the petals.

This painting got a varied wash of permanent rose.

Then I did the same with indanthrone blue.

Here I've done some work on the grain of the wood, and the glass of the window.

The quote from Sun Tzu explains [sort of] why I am not riding today. It is sunny - gorgeous, but cold and SOOO windy! I would either be blown out of the saddle, or unceremoniously jettisoned from the saddle by you-know-who. This type of weather makes horses very frisky - to put it mildly. So that, plus the more intense level of work to which I am taking him, makes for a much more difficult ride. I think even a pro would have her hands full riding today. So I am choosing my battles. :) This is one I would not win today.

As always, your comments are most welcome!~

Hi-Yo, Silver-laced Wyandotte!

I've done a thin gray graded wash, dried it, then gone wild with the masking fluid.
A silver-laced wyandotte is a breed of chicken.

I am using quin. burnt orange, quin. red and indanthrone blue mixtures for the body and tail.

I am deepening the dark colors, and playing with the head while the body dries. I am SO tempted to remove the masking, but I think it needs more of the darks first.

I have also started a smaller version of Clementine. I may try exaggerating some features and colors to enhance the bulldoggishness.  

Misty is at this point. I may have to put her away for a few days or weeks, and then take a hard critical look.

This is my offering to watercolor land today. I submitted some images of my work to a small gallery in Vancouver, and received an enthusiastic response. I'll have to drive into town next week, and visit at the gallery. I hope it works out - I would love to get some more exposure for my paintings.
Life in the land of Horse is pretty fine right now, too. I'm riding 4 - 5 times a week, and Bruno is coming along. I have a feeling he will always be a bit stiff, and reluctant to yield to the inside leg - all those years of racing, pulling a sulky. I'm realizing levels of evasion with him. [Evasions are what horses do when they don't understand, or don't want to do what is asked - and I do ask nicely.] There is the "I have absolutely NO idea what you want".  Followed closely by "I think I get it."  Then there is "Yes, I'm trying, but it's hard for me."  And sometimes from Bruno I get a "Not on your life. Can you stay in the saddle while I do this??? I just feel like playing HARD."  So far, I have managed to stay in the saddle. :)

As always, your comments are very welcome!