Progress Slow but Steady ...

I've done an initial thin wash of quin. burnt orange for warmth.

Here, I have done another thin wash, this time of quin. red. You might also barely be able to see that I have started the shadows on the horse.

This photo was taken outside in bright sun. YES, we have SUN today. I have played with some cobalt blue in the background, and am slowly working on the horse. I am trying to avoid getting into a very dark background, as I did with the last gray I painted. I would like to somehow achieve a strong focus on the eye and upper head, but we shall see ...
I am done with painting for the morning. Now it's off to Bruno-land, to clean up his paddock, and go for a short ride!

As always, your comments are most welcome!

Horsing Around ...

This is a sketch of Misty, whose portrait I painted last year. I found another photo, this one from a fascinating angle. I have it on my watercolor board, and can HARDLY WAIT!!!

A sketch from another photo I found today on my trainer's site. I think it's a filly out of one of Rhonda's mares. Her name is Tega, and she is so adorable. Yup, it's another one I can hardly wait to paint.

Bruno and I have had 4 great rides this week, after my not being on him for about a month. He has even thrown me a few moves that would have usually got me at least part-way out of the saddle. But I seem to be more balanced, just "there" deeper in the saddle, and I can quietly sit through his misdemeanors, and then quietly correct him. I think the month of being ill gave me a needed break, and a chance to become somewhat more focussed in both my riding and my painting. I hope so!

As always, your comments are most welcome. 

Subtlety

I started the dried hydrangeas again, trying to evoke more of a subdued, wintery,  even stark look.

I am using only aureolin, quin. pink, cobalt blue and indanthrone blue.

I quite like the effect. What do you feel about this painting?

Bruno and I are having great times riding again. He even threw me a few horsey curve balls yesterday,  and I just stayed quiet, balanced, and corrected him. It is SO GOOD to be riding again!!!

As always, your comments are most welcome!

Cold Feet!

I am calling this "Cold Feet", because they look like they are tip-toeing  on the snow to avoid the cold. I sympathize with that, almost always having cold feet myself. I thought of putting a bit of dry-brush dark here and there to suggest dry grass poking through the snow, but I'm not sure it would add anything to the painting.
Thank you again to Gary Jones for the photo!

I have also started another dried hydrangea. I must be fascinated with  their fragility and mutes beauty.

I am not sure where this one is going, but I am smiling as I work on it!

As always, your comments are so welcome!

Before I Get Back in the Saddle ...

This reference photo of a pair of greylag geese was generously offered by Gary Jones. I'm sure most of you read Sharon Whitley's wonderful art and hiking blog.  Gary is Sharon's husband. This is her challenge for February.

This was a quickie, to see how difficult it would be to maintain the whites without masking. I didn't think I could maintain the wetness I needed for the entire goose, so I used masking.

I am trying to create the impression of grasses in the snow behind the geese for the background. The colors I am using are aureolin, alizarin crimson and indanthrone blue. I am using the same colors for the geese, with a bit of quin. sienna for the bills and feet.  

Here are both geese with masking.

Local color laid in for both geese. I have darkened the grasses, too, to give an overall pattern and cohesion to the painting.

At this stage, I am darkening the geese, and adding details, and touching up where necessary.

FINALLY, after a month, I feel like painting. That pneumonia really took the wind out of my sails.  I am even going to try a short ride today!!! YAY!!!

Your comments are always welcome!

Dental Work - Horse-Style ... or ... Bruno's Dental Appointment

Bruno, the sweet, waiting for an early breakfast.

Mario is feeling the molars, to see what needs to be done.  Bruno, at this point, has been tranquillized, to make the appointment easier for all. 

This contraption looks like some medieval torture device, but essentially it is just  a piece of equipment to keep the horse's head steady, and mouth open and accessible.

Here's Mario, with his head-gear on, and the rasping tool in Bruno's mouth. The tool looks very much like a Dremel tool with a long handle. 

Mario is really getting into the job!

A close-up of the vet, working on the upper right molars.

The diagram on the upper right illustrates the horse skull, showing the dentition.   In each quadrant, a horse has three incisors, sometimes a canine or "tush" [depending on sex and breed] and six molars. They do a lot of grinding-type chewing on grass, so they need all those molars. It's the molars which do almost all the work, and need the dental attention. They tend to wear unevenly, and, as a result, develop sharp points and rough edges which would hurt the horse, if left untended. Leaving points on the teeth also results in the horse being unable to digest its food properly. So, depending on the horse, they need their teeth filed every six to twelve months. This allows them to eat happily, and comfortably carry a bit. Because Bruno appears to have had his jaw broken at least once in the past, resulting in some malocclusion, his teeth wear unevenly more quickly and need attention every six months. I've only had Bruno in my life for about four years, so I don't know all his history, but the vet and I can tell a bit by the wear and tear on is body - sad but true. But Mario and I were both happy to see that his teeth seem to be better than they have been in the past, probably because he is getting regular dental attention ... and TLC! :)

As always, your comments and questions are welcome! 

Almost Back ...

It's been a long month. I won't go into great detail, but the flu turned into a viral pneumonia, and, as a result, I have been out of commission for almost a month. Very hard for me, as I am not a patient person.

Enough said. I want to thank you all for your well wishes. You must forgive me for not keeping up on all your posts - I haven't felt like doing much other than lie around and read, and catch up on my favorite British murder mysteries. I loved Ken Follett's "Fall of Giants", and can hardly wait to read more of his work. 

As for painting, I still find I am not that keen to do much. I've played with the swallow a bit, losing some of the backlit edges. I thank Arena Shawn for the suggestion. And I have started to put some color in the hydrangeas. As usual, I find myself wanting to start again, but really it's not a bad painting so far, so I will put it aside until I can approach it in a healthier frame of mind.

Bruno has been sadly neglected, though I am sure he doesn't mind too much, as long as he is fed. I may try to lunge him today. But I must be firm, as horses tend to become a bit spoiled and unwilling to listen after a long time off. 

Thank you for dropping by.