"It's Alive ..."

I left it here last night.

I was up at 6 AM [???] painting. I painted the rest of the background with the violet/black mixture, then found it looked too dull.

So I went over the top and right with violet and indanthrone, in a scrumbly manner.

STILL too dull, so I painted the same area with phthalo blue w/w.

This is what it looks like properly cropped, in daylight. The other shots are studio light. It's better, but NOT FINISHED. Now I must pump up all the shadows in the petals and leaves. And so it goes ...
I say "it's alive" because it seems to have taken on a life of its own, and is telling me where it wants to go. And I love that line, from the Frankenstein movies. :)  There's the mad scientist yelling "It's alive!" just before all hell breaks loose with his creation.

I think this is the last you saw of Bruno and his farrier.

I've been playing with it a bit, as I wait for the paint to dry, or for inspiration to hit me on the head.


As always, your comments are most welcome! 

Way Deep Down, I Always KNEW It Wanted to Be a Drama Queen

It's looking somewhat ho-hum.

I did an overall wash of phthalo blue, for starters.

Then I painted over that with a irregular wash of indanthrone blue. It still didn't do much for me.

Now, we're getting somewhere - not sure where yet ...
I've done a w/w wash of a violet-black mixture, and I am lifting the shadowed leaves a bit. I'm sure I'll have to go back into the large leaves at the bottom for more depth and richness, but so far, I like the look of the deep dark.

As always, your comments are most welcome! 

I Seem to Have Painted Myself into the Proverbial Corner

The leaves were much too bright, so I lifted a bit, and then went over them with aureolin and indanthrone blue.

I've reached the stage where I need the background. I would rather not get into more leaves and branches. I thought of doing some graded washes, with a dilute phthalo blue predominant on the top and right, and darkening to indanthrone at the bottom and left. Needs more thought - that's the painted corner.

Here's the hummer, happily feasting at dinner time.


As always, your comments are most welcome.

"Don't Be a Pussy"

I left off here, with a road map for shadows.

It seems I will be getting into some colorful shadows with this "white" rhododendron. I keep muttering my mantra ... don't be a pussy... don't be a pussy.  I tend to be a bit timid with my glazing. 

I've started the foreground leaves to give me some idea of how intense I can go with the shadows of the blooms.

Before
Studio light

Outdoor light
After ... I am also being less timid with Paulina. I lifted all the old shadow as best I could, made up a more appropriate color, and put it on w/w. I've also started getting some of the really dark ares of her hair.

I suppose we all do it; we become a bit complacent about everyday things. I've noticed the past few weeks, Bruno is getting uncomfortably feisty, almost aggressive, as I go into the ring. And last weekend, when my aunt was visiting, he tried to get between us, and knock her over when we were out in the field looking at the killdeer. There was an old broom not too far away, so I ran to get it, and came back to protect my aunt. He was more respectful, with me carrying the broom [though I did not raise it against him]. And yesterday after work, he was just plain dangerous, galloping around me, half rearing, and pointing his prodigious back-side in my direction. First, don't panic. Second, amble to tack room and get out whip. Amazing difference. Some respect. Anyway, just a short story of complacency. In painting, too, I notice I am going beyond my safe zones [ not just being nitpickingly perfectionistic ] trying different techniques, colors, etc. OK, I am rambling.

As always, I love to read your comments!

The Devil Is in the Details

... and there are certainly a LOT of details here!

I think I've finished my road map - absolutely mandatory with this one.

I left Scott and Bruno here last night ...

I've started adding some color, and doing some dry lifting; a lot more of the same is needed yet.  Linda Roth said she'd never been mooned by a man and a horse at the same time. Trust Linda to come up with a great comment like that! Maybe I could call it "Two Full Moons"?

As always, I love to hear from you! 

More Runny Paint ... More Lifting ...

First wash and lift while wet

Second, with the same colors

Third wash, with three different brown shades, and lifting while wet
I think i'll do some dry lifting, and then add some color, depth and shadows.

WHY did I chose such a difficult flower???

I think I'll make it a bit easier [ I hope ] by changing the reds to whites.


As always, your comments are most welcome.

A Day for Frogs, Ducks and PAINTING

This photo of Bruno being shod lends itself to the saturated w/w lifting.

Couldn't find my old sketch, so I've done another one.

First w/w wash, with some lifting while wet.

Beautiful morning shot of some rhododendrons in the garden.

Little did I know I would need a color-coded road map - still working on it.

Once again, it's too wet for riding outside, so I guess I'll just have to paint. Actually, Bruno has been doing phenomenally well. He seems to like being ridden off seat-bones and legs. It gets very abstruse in a riderly sort of way. All horses have a preference as to how they like to be ridden - the hands, the leg, the seat-bones and weight, or a combination. Right now, the lad seems most responsive when I don't muddle and nitpick with his mouth; he just hums along on weight shifts of my seat-bones, and variable calf pressure. OK ... OK ... you have to be there ...

As always, I love to hear from you!