Winter

This is an illustration by Allen Cantrell.
The caption reads "Shit, I hate winter!"
That about sums up my sentiments toward this time of year.

Lucy, modeling a winter coat I bought at the tack shop.

Desi, showing off hers.
It's the same color as Bruno's!

A neighbor touching up her snowman.


Yes, it's true - I HATE winter. While we're on a similar vein, I hate Christmas, too. There ... I am a Grinch, and proud of it! We rarely get a long cold spell. But I do remember one a few years ago, when I was carrying buckets of hot water to the barn for weeks, because the pipes froze. I swear my arms are longer as a result of that session!
I still have my sister's Boxers living with me. They have been here since Denise's house flooded in late September, and I have a feeling they will be here till the end of the year, when the renovations are completed. Denise asked me if I could look at blankets for them, so off we went today to my favorite tack shop, where they have dog blankies as well as horse gear. I picked up two for Denise to look at, when she comes over this weekend to visit her girls.

Obsessive Thoughts ... or Time for a Break

I woke up early this morning, thoughts and ideas whirring and flying around. This portrait was one of the things pestering me.
The last photo is where she stands now, though the colors are more saturated. It's  there, but it isn't. I am not pleased with the front of her face, nor her forelock and mane. I came up with two "solutions". Either I do some sort of muted, soft and almost splotchy type of background on the left, to tone down the redness of the coloring, and add some local color to her face, OR ... I START AGAIN! [which I really do not want to do]  So I think I will leave Miss Maddy for a day or two. I work in the office today, so that will be a good break from painting. Then I'll start playing with the other horse portrait commission, or better yet, do some completely different project.
As always [and even more so right now], all comment are most welcome!!

... Still Creeping ...

from last night's episode ...

more color on face and neck [believe it, or not]

Hah ... it snuck up on you, didn't it? It IS starting to look like a horse!


And if I spent the time painting that I do on the computer, I could be finished much sooner.

Well, The Slug Is Moving Faster than I Am ...

I left off here

I am still primarily using a scrumbling technique. It seems to give the most realistic texture for her coat.

Very slowly, I am adding depth, and modifying colors.


I had a riding lesson this morning, and Bruno was a star! When we  finished, I asked Rhonda to come in, and look at what I had done with Maddy so far. She really liked the head on the first painting, and agreed that this is a much better "pose".  So I shall continue  ... s l o w l y ... scrumbling my way to fame and fortune!  :)

Once Again, with Feeling ...

You've met Maddy before

Better photo for neck

New sketch

Thin glaze of quin. burnt orange

Some quin, pink on her face, some blue-black on her muzzle, and a lot of scumbling on her neck

Still more scrumbling


Round 2 with Maddy. I'm using the same photo for her face; the eye is sweeter.  But I have a better view of her neck in the 2nd photo.  Also, I tried, in the 1st painting,  to get texture and the effect of dappling by applying thin paint with the tip of a bristle-type brush, but it looked too contrived. There is no short cut. I must use a relatively thin pigment mixture, apply it to a "controllable" area [that is, one that I can manipulate before it gets too dry], and scrumble it with a flat brush;  time-consuming, but gives the best look.
She is at the stage where she looks NOTHING like a horse. but I do like the areas on which I have worked.
Again, all comments are most welcome!

I Think I'll Call It ... "Where Did I Leave My Glasses This Time"

DONE


The bug theme was inspired by another blogging artist, my friend from afar, Suzanne Berry.  She paints divine bugs [and portraits, too]. Her blog is most definitely worth a look and read; she has a wonderfully warped sense of humor. I think I am done with slugs for now, but there are still bees and ladybugs in my photo file ...  

The Slug Saga ... or ... I Can't Believe I am Spending Time on This!

Reference photo - giant leopard slug visiting the back porch

1st start - w/w wash of aureolin, pink and coblat blue

Add shadow to step

Start slug - didn't like the colors

Start of round #2 - almost all w/w, to get softness of coloration

Color only on shadowed portion of step, dropped in very w/w

Bit of detail  on step

Some thin washes to suggest shadow and form, and spots are done


The slug is good, though I will have to darken him. I am just not sure how much more I must add to the background. I don't want it too dark, or he will get lost. but as it stands now, it just does not look right. So ... yes, any and all comments are most welcome. You could even ask me WHY I painted a slug.