Just a Lovely, Quiet Summer Day at the Farm ... Well ... Mostly ...

Bruno, enjoying a quiet munch while I clean and re-fill his water bucket.  We had "issues" today, understandably, as he had 2 days off. Thursday we had a lesson, and I got my trainer to ride him so she could feel what we are going through. They both had a bit of a workout, but Rhonda won out [she's a pro - rides several horses a day, as well as training other horses and riders]. The issue is getting the lad to start becoming more flexible through his poll, neck and body - just generally more flexible. Because of his background, he has never had to do this, and it's difficult for him, but also necessary. You just cannot have a riding horse that is not flexible - it's asking for rough unpleasant, and possibly dangerous, rides for both horse and rider. So I think this will be our project for the next few months. He rebelled a bit this morning when I was lunging him. As a result, I am icing some rope burns on my right hand, but aside from that we were good. [Note to self - WEAR GLOVES WHEN LUNGING] He understands, just is not 100% convinced that it is something he wants to do. He's stubborn and tests me, and I wouldn't have him and other way!!
I took this photo to show the nest right over the tack room door.

I stretched up to take some photos inside. Just after I took this shot, a baby came zipping out of the nest. It's FLIGHT DAY!!! They are all over the barn, with mom and dad watching, as they learn to fly. It is so beautiful to see, and to hear them chattering to each other. 

Here's Maggie, out by the vegetable garden.

Scruffy and Bruno, as I clean and re-fill the Big Guy's water bucket.

I managed to get a few shots of one of the babies, as he/she was resting from his exertions.

And another one ...

I have some plans for paintings this week, but it's just too darn beautiful outside.

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Not Jules, but Interesting ...

Overall, I believe it was a good experiment. My focus was on the samurai scalp-lock, and that certainly is the focus in the painting. When I saw that it was going to look nothing like Jules, I felt free to do all sorts of nasty, un-watercolor-painter-like things to it. I would like to do more of him, but definitely will get some decent reference photos, and, if I'm lucky, he'll even sit still for 1/2 an hour so I can do some drawing. 

This was the reference - over-exposed, and he chose to stand under a trellis which cast strange shadows.

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Well, I Like the Background ... or ... Portrait-painting 101

It always amazes me how different it all looks with a background. So far, I like the ground, but the face needs much work. Thankfully, with the darkness behind, I have a fair bit of leeway to play with darks in the face.

I posted this just for comparison - showing how dark the face and hair looks here, as compared to the above photo.

As for the woodland scene, I feel it got too heavy too soon. it's looking over-worked. I think I will flip the sheet over and try something else.

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Hitting the UGLY Stage with a Vengeance!!! ... or ... Two Works in Progress

This is a lovely spot on one of my favorite trails in the park.

First w/w washes with phthalo green - blue shade and quin. violet.

Covered the bottom, and did some spattering.

Masked off some trees, and did some more spattering and direct painting on the wet paper.
This is one ugly ...

My handsome nephew, shaved with a scalplock, doing his samurai imitation.

First washes for shadows

Some color in the hair

I had earlier put some skin colors and shadows down, but it looked so anemic. I took the good old proverbial bull by the horns, and did a wet, runny application of a dark. We shall see what comes of it ...  Yes, this is the second "ugly". Seem to really need to be doing more experimentation right now.

Got to go ... farrier arrived to do Bruno's feet - finally!

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For All Intents and Purposes, the Nit-picking Is Done

White Hollyhock
10 x 10.5 inches
25.5 x 26.5 cm
Available for purchase

Nit-Picker's Delight ... or ... I Have GOT to Leave This for Tonight ...

Since the last post, I added several glazes of a very dark green/violet mixture for a dark background. I also dragged some of that dark color over the leaves in shadow. Just playing around - trying different things ...
I wet the area and dropped in pigment for the cast shadows within the petals, using an aureolin, quin. pink, indanthrone mix.

Then I started on the detail work within the main bloom, and its side-kick - the partially furled bud to the right.

This is where I'm leaving it for tonight.

And the saga of the baby sparrows continues. One fell out if the nest today. He had feathers, and seemed all right. I wasn't sure about bird protocol, so I bundled him in an old fluffy towel, and proceeded to start hand-feeding him. My landlady feeds her dogs some wet food, and I'd read that the babies do very well with that diet. So there I was, using two tiny paint brushes - one to tease his beak open, the other to dip food down his gullet. He was one hungry bird!!! I did this several times over a few hours, and then did a bit more reading about birds falling out of nests. Apparently they can safely be returned, and are accepted by the parents. So back he carefully went, tucked into the nest with his sibbies.

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Practice Run for a Larger Painting

Since I have recently done two paintings with which I am not pleased, I thought it would be wise to do a practice  run  on this one - doing the bottom half of the image.
I began with an aureolin w/w wash over all except the flowers. Then I started the buds and leaves. I had originally mixed quin. gold with phthalo green[yellow shade], but found that the blue shade of phthalo green really gave a much more vibrant green. So far, I have just laid in shapes with light w/w washes, the form and cast shadows will have to be done using complementary colors, I believe.

Although this does nothing for me as a composition, I did learn a good technique. I wet the entire painting from mountains on down [including the robes, but not the heads] and did a graded wash with quin. burnt orange. The pigments on the robes moved minimally - I was surprised at that. It just gave a nice softness to the orange shapes.

And this ... should have left it as a vignette. I tried to put a body on the calf's head and neck, and then tried to give the impression of a stall shape around the calf. Ummm ... NO! I did learn how to better add intense, dark pigments in a soft manner though, so not a complete loss ...  

These are the latest nesters!!! The barn swallow nest is built right over the door into the tack room, so I am in an out several times a day. And the little darlings are peeping and chirping every time. I honestly didn't think mom and dad would have a family here, as it is busy [relatively speaking] compared to the rest of the barn. But they did, and I love them - so cheerful!!!

I didn't want any accidents with babes falling out of the nest, so today I strung an old towel across the top of the doorway, about 6 - 8 inches below the nest.

And His Highness and I are getting along wonderfully ...

Thank you for dropping by! Your comments are always welcome.