A Little Horsing Around ... or ... a Well-Needed Lesson

This is Rhonda, my horse-meister. She is actually a great hunter/jumper rider and trainer. She herself trained with Ian Miller [Captain Canada], of Big Ben fame. Yes, I prefer dressage, but she is such a great trainer, and so darn positive and most considerate of the horse. I really love riding under her tutelage!!!

Bruno and I walking out a bit, to give him a chance to get the saddle comfy before I really tighten the girth.

And we're off! I must say, seeing the photos, he is a big, beautiful lad, and a good mover.

We were taking a big learning step today, working on lateral flexion. It's something he really has not done before to any degree, as he raced, pulling a sulky - NO lateral flexion there, just boot and scoot!

WOW ... looks like he is starting to get it.

Almost done. Looks like I'm asking Rhonda how to keep improving the flexion, and being advised that it's going to feel pretty rough for the next month or so, till Bruno really gets the concept.

That is one soggy and dirty horse. I let him loose after I untacked him, and he very happily went for a good long roll on the ground. I spent the next half hour drying and cleaning him with towels - a nice rub-down after a good work-out!


BOY! Did I need a lesson! Not that Bruno has been "bad"; I don't think he has ever had a bad thought in his life. But, in riding, there is a progression. In dressage, the idea is to improve the horse's thinking and movement, so that you achieve a horse with better balance and muscle tone, a horse that is more graceful, powerful, flexible, fluid and more in tune with the rider. And it is definitely not one-sided; the rider must improve in much the same way. I LOVE it - find it compelling and fascinating! It is such a thrill to build one's sensitivity and communication with such a subtle and noble and elegant creature.
So, this is my other great passion. And if truth be known, if I had to give up one of the two, it wouldn't be riding!!!

Success ... and Not So Much ...

My nit-picking is done. "Full Bloom" is finished, and I like it.

Reference photo from Pat's garden

Working sketch

First, a graded wash of aureolin

I then masked the rose, and probably did about 10 washes of quin. burnt orange mixed with phthalo green [blue shade]

W/w wash on orange part of rose, using aureolin and Holbein brilliant orange [quite a cool orange]

Fro the rose, more of the same, plus quin. siena [warmer]
The leaves and stem are mixes of aureolin, quin. burnt orange and phthalo green [yellow]

All hues painted in, and starting shadows

This is as far as I will take this. I am not thrilled with the colors of the rose, and I think the background is too heavy-looking. [doing my own critiques, too]


I finally found a decent video on painting loosely alla prima. I find Cembranelli's videos not too helpful, in that I have no idea what colors he uses, nor exactly what he is doing with them. This one, by an East Indian artist, was very good in those regards.
As ever, all your comments are most welcome!

A Year for Being Bold and Intuitive

Neither of the paintings is finished, but I am very happy with how they look, especially the rose.

I just couldn't wait to finish it before posting a photo, so here it is .

As ever, all comments are most welcome.

And to all of you ... a most HEALTHY and HAPPY and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!!

FROM ALL OF US TO ALL OF YOU ...

From Big Guy [aka. Fat Bastard] and Baby ...

From Pumpkin ...

From Bruno ...

From Lucy and Desi ...

From Betty ...

A good dose of humor ... always ...

And from me, of course ..


We all wish you a most healthy, Happy and Prosperous New Year !!!                                                                          

Hmmmm ... Looks Like My Riding Was Better than My Painting Today

Masked the perimeter, then painted graded aureolin wash

Realized I had to mask the entire thing, then started painting very dark green washes [yes, I know it looks black here]

After about 5 dark washes, I removed mask

Roses = aureolin with aureolin + pink + cobalt blue  for shadows
Leaves and stem are mixes of phthalo green + quin. gold + quin. burnt orange 

Bit more playing with the rose petals, and tone down the leaves a bit


I had to paint something today ... ANYTHING! So I did some sketching, and decided to finally get this rose out of my system. [I've been thinking of painting it for weeks] It's small - only 7.5 x 5.5 inches, and I just about went cross-eyed finishing it this evening. I find yellow and black very hard to work with. Any way, here it is. And as ALWAYS, any comments or questions are most welcome.
As for riding, Bruno and I had a very good time today. He is finally getting the concept of "inside leg into outside rein", and he is carrying himself better all the time! :)

The Christmas Guest

Miss Betty, heading for the garden

Closer inspection

Bruno, out for a munch on the back lawn, wearing his "apres-workout" cooler

Amazing ...  they largely ignored each other

Bit of a sniff and closer look on Bruno's part

... and then they go their separate ways

Betty, up close and personal

And a bit more garden time before we go inside


I've ben doing a lot of dog-sitting for relatives this fall and winter.  Betty arrived Christmas Day.  My aunt [who was taking care of Betty for a sister] brought her here, as my aunt was going to another sister's for dinner, and that sister didn't want Betty at her house as she sheds [Betty, not the sister!] It's all mildly convoluted.
I finally got to ride today, as the weather was quite fine and the ground was not frozen. So out Betty and I went. Bruno was fine with her, though he did pretend to be afraid when I was on his back. All horses practice this art of evasion to varying degrees, feigning fear in order to rattle the rider, and thereby avoid "work".  Anyway, it was so good to get outside and ride, evasions or not!

NOT the Christmas Goose ...

Just a few sketches I'm playing with while the painting composition percolates in my head. I am really keen to do something, or several somethings, with geese.