So Far This Morning ...

LOVE the face

   So far today, I have NOT cleaned the chinchilla cage. I have NOT cleaned the cat litter box [one of my least favorite chores; I think I'd rather muck out a stall with my bare hands] But I HAVE been painting, as it is once again too wet to ride outside.
   I fell in love with a photo that a friend took while in India. The woman's face is so strong. And I am really trying to loosen my style of painting. I quite dislike how I have come to almost slavishly follow a photograph. Call me a perfectionist and a purist, but I cannot honestly, from my heart, accept such work as a fully creative piece of art. I know I may offend some people, and I am putting my derriere on the line, but so it goes.

Prelim. sketch

1st washes - cobalt blue, burnt orange & violet
Still wet

Building structure with my favorite color combinations

More refinement in glazes.
Quite a way to go yet.

   In this, I would thank Peggi Habets, whose portraits inspire me.

Just a Quickie ...

   A friend was over yesterday, showing photos of his recent tour in India. He works as a tour guide all over the world; next week he's off to Greece ... lucky hot-dog! His Indian pictures were fabulous, almost a visual overload; I can't imagine what it would be to experience the country for real. There were some very good shots of the most intriguing-looking people - you could see the strength in their faces, and the pain and joy in their eyes. I was quite taken by the photo at top, and have done a quick sketch. I think I'll try a painting of her as well.

A Feast for the Eyes [and Some Inspiration, Too]

   Like all artists, I am constantly seeking to improve my art. As a result, I frequently [as time permits] search the internet for "how-to's",  and other artists' sites. Very recently, upon googling "Asian watercolors", I discovered the work of Myoe Win Aung. He is an artist from Myanmar, born in 1972, and shows his work mostly in Rangoon and Singapore. [The Singapore Watercolor Society is also an interesting site] Unfortunately, I found no web site, so I have collected some of his work here to show you. Pleas let me know what you all think of his art.

A Brief Update

The BrunZ

At a suggestion from a "follower"

I had originally thought to do a study on white only. At the suggestion of a "follower", Nil Catalano, I added a soft and natural-looking background for a horse. I think it improves the overall appearance. I must admit to being a quite impatient person, and as a result, I do not take a painting to anywhere near its conclusion. I thank you, Nil, for your advice. And for my readers, a visit to Nil's blog is definitely time well spent. He creates the most wonderful sketches and beautiful, fluid watercolors! His site is www.nilcatalano.blogspot.com

I think this is as far as I will go with this.
Bruno: a study    7 x 7 inches

Great Weather ... GREAT Day!

Japonica in bloom, in front of the pond

The two willows at far side of pond

Bruno, enjoying a munch of fresh grass

My home-made covered kitty-litter box

Daffodils in full bloom

My dear land-lady, Pat, trying to get Buddy to "smile" for a photo

Bruno, on the lower back lawn, in front of riding ring and barn

Wild violets in bloom

I didn't even know I had "paper-whites" in my garden.
They have such a beautiful perfume.

Very odd-looking photo of Bruno reaching, mouth agape, to scratch himself. 

Fruit trees in blossom. As I was taking this, Bruno
was taste-testing lower branches 

Grande Finale - burning off the old, inedible hay

Fire Marshall Bruno

     FINALLY ... we are getting some spring-like weather here on the "Wet" coast. It wasn't a particularly cold winter, but SOOOOO long.

   With the bright, almost-warm weather, I got a lot done the last two days. From the top of the page downwards ... I made a covered litter box for Miss Pumpkin, who is most zealous when she uses the facilities. I took one of the plastic storage bins from the barn, cleaned it up, and, after measuring Pumpkin, cut an opening in one of the narrow ends. She loves it, and I don't have litter and other bits all over the bathroom.

   I took some photos of Buddy, in an attempt to get some references for a portrait. Pat [owner] adores him, and he worships her, so I'd very much like to do a painting that reflects that love.

   I rode the lad. It had been over three months, what between wet, soggy conditions, and me getting over a few infirmities. But yesterday, my trainer/friend, Rhonda,  came over to help. She suggested I use my old dressage saddle with a fleece half-pad underneath. It seemed to fit and work well, [Bruno will let us know if he finds it uncomfortable over time] and I was very happy to be using that saddle. I've been riding him with an equitation saddle, and when one is used to a dressage saddle, it's like riding with no saddle. The dressage one is like a big, comfy easy-chair. And Bruno went very well, much more attentive and willing to communicate. I think he's liking his role as a saddle horse.

   At the end of the day, I decided to finish off burning the old inedible hay. Here in the country, one is allowed to purchase a burning permit, valid for a month. This is done in April and September, when it is still quite wet, and there is no chance of a fire spreading out of control. So at 8 PM, I started cleaning out one of the hay storage areas, and hauling the old hay out to burn. I finally finished around 11 PM, and under the watchful eye of Fire Marshall Bruno, I made sure the fire was out.

      

Welcome to Venus - Ray Bradbury style

The BrunZ

Placed shadows 1st, then my fave animal colors - quin. burnt orange, and quin. violet

Keep building up with same pigments

Almost looking like a horse

More modelling

I just added the mane/forelock.
Looks like it needs more depth

Some quick sketches I did from photos on a friend's site
Peter, these are your birds. I tried for over an hour to find out what that big-footed bird is - I still don't know.

   I have only done a bit of playing around with pencil and brush today. The study of Bruno is on a 9 x 10.5 inch piece of Arches 140 lb. CP. I wanted to try putting down the dark cast shadows first, and then work the painting from there. It seemed to do well, but I felt very constricted working on something that small. I don't think I would make a very good "daily painter".
   The birds are based on photos from a friend's blog. He was out in "his" park the other day, where there is actually spring weather happening, and took some great photos.
   That brings me to Ray Bradbury and Venus. He wrote a superb book, "The Illustrated Man" [which was also made into a credible movie] The book was comprised of several short stories based on the tattoos on a man's body. One of the tales was about three  astronauts  trapped on Venus. This Venus had a breathable atmosphere, but it was CONSTANTLY raining so heavily that if you were outside without protective gear, you would more than likely go mad. OK, weird and extreme. [I loved it; I lived on science fiction when I was younger] To make a long story even longer, our weather here on the "Wet Coast"  definitely reminds me of that story.
   Cheers! And I hope you are having better weather wherever you are. Thank you for dropping by!!!

A Lovely Day on the Farm

SE corner of Bruno's field, showing small berm on other side of electric fence

THIS is what was catching his eye

Three young bucks, out for a late lunch

Really shedding out

One would watch me, & the other two would graze

Very calm & quiet

   I had just finished untacking the lad, and had let him loose in his paddock. He was VERY interested in one spot just outside his field. I looked, and there were three "somethings" out there. So I opened the gate to let Bruno out on the field, and then quietly wandered out myself. I got part way to the other end, and thought I saw deer. So I quietly turned around and went back to the house to get my camera. 

   I slowly meandered again across the field, pretending not to look at the deer. Even so, they started to leave their grazing spot, and move away from me. I carefully kept on, then crawled through he electric fencing, and climbed the low berm. The deer were unsure. I sat down, and hoped they would take me as a "friendly"; they did!  I was up there, quietly taking photos, and just watching them for about half an hour. At one point, two of the bucks reared up, and had a bit of a fisty-cuffs .. all in play. [I've seen kangaroos do so, but never deer.]

   It was a glorious day, made all the more so by being permitted to enjoy the presence of the deer.