I Think I'm in Love ... and it's not another horse

I left off here ...

I've lifted some of the color from the robe - it was too warm. And I have deepened the shadows on the left of his face with a w/w wash, and done a bit of detail work around the eyes..

More of a close-up. This is why I am in love. It is the serenity and  impression of quiet inner strength.

Working on the pillars - painting the shadows first.

Then a wash of quin. burnt orange with quin. violet. It looks like it will need more wood color, as well as more shadowing.

I am going to reluctantly put the monk aside for today, and head into Vancouver to deliver the dreaded bridge painting to John, and have a visit with the family.
While you are here, I invite you to visit Gallery at the Farm.

As always, your comments are most welcome. 

It's SO Weird ...

I've worked a bit on the face and robe. I may have gotten carried away with the warms in the robe - have to lift a bit. 

I'm working on subtle nuances of skin color - fascinated by the interplay of warm and cool hues.  The "weird"  is how this painting is almost emerging from the paper. It's another one that is painting itself!

As always, your comments are most welcome!

Just in Passing ...

Studio light

Outdoors, sunny day, in shade

I think I've found the best lighting for my work. The only problem is that is is not often sunny in Vancouver in the winter. C'est la vie! 

The Pilgrim's Progress [OK ... Bad Pun]

W/w varied-intensity wash of orange over the background

Some violet and blue

A road map of the head and upper torso, with warm and cool flesh colors

Intensifying flesh colors, and starting robe

It's a play on titles with John Bunyan's late 17th c. novel. I took a course in English lit. - loved it.  I waded through Milton's "Paradise Lost" and Spenser's "A Fairy Queen", among many others.
The monk seems to be coming along well. So far, all has been done wet-in-wet. The real fun will start when I start playing warm and cool colors off each other in the skin tones. Anyway, this is what I am up to this morning while waiting for the glaze of heavy frost to melt from the riding ring. Bruno does not have skates!!!

A Day Made for Painting - INSIDE

I think Missy is done. I'll put her aside for a bit, and see how I feel about her in a few days. I am still not 100% thrilled with the strength of the composition, but there is a nice diagonal flow, and a "v" there.

Value sketch for the monk.

I've done a varied w/w wash with quin. burnt orange. I recently realized I use a lot of this triad of colors - burnt orange, violet or pink and a blue. Wonder why? Years ago, I went to see a clairvoyant. She said I had a very strong orange aura. I thought maybe it had to do with all the carrots I feed my horses! :)

Anyway, as alway, your comments are most welcome!

Odds and Ends - Horses, Chickens and a Monk

Trigger's painting, sitting under the spot where he'll hang in Kim's kitchen, where he'll be seen all the time.

I thought I was finished ...

The background wasn't right for Kim, so I said I'd try to really darken it, and neutralize the purples which were wrong for the intended setting. This is after two w/w washes of phthalo blue and indanthrone blue.

I am also warming his face and neck with very thin, carefully applied glazes of quin. coral, quin. siena and quin. burnt orange. It looked too cold and flat after darkening the background.

Chick is coming along nicely ...

This is from a photo of a friend of mine. I can hardly wait to get to it!!! The strength and serenity of his face are magnificent. I still have to plan the background.

I was very upset earlier this week when Trigger's mom called to tell me that the old boy had died on Saturday. It was very sudden and completely unexpected. Kim also asked if I could change the background in the portrait; she wants something almost charcoal gray, very dark.  I promised her I would try, or do another painting. So this is where I am right now with the painting.

As always, your comments are most welcome!

Working on my Weakness ...

The Green Man and the hanging horse have been recycled. Not my style, and not looking very inspiring. 

I picked up a great book on composition a week ago, and am avidly devouring it. Composition is definitely my weak spot in painting, and I am working to improve that. I appreciate that my technique is good, but without strong design, there is not much to an artwork.

I've started the two paintings with the aim of creating something much more striking and impactful. Neither of the above paintings is finished; they need a lot more strengthening of value and color to integrate the subject into a cohesive and hopefully striking piece of art. Onwards and upwards ...

As always, you comments are most welcome.