Today I finished two more caseins for the “Shades of Black” series. There will be only one more painting in this series on the study of how black absorbs color and how light plays off the black horses on our farm.

Light, shadows and design…………..words that describe my work and that excite me about what I am doing. Both "Shades Of Black #8 "and "Shades of Black #9 " will be up on my site soon…….

Tomorrow I start a new paper cutting…..A hunt scene that depicts a sidesaddle rider and the hounds………..what fun this will be. I only hope my hands keep steady for the cutting!!

Let It Snow!

Let it snow... let it snow!!!

Well, that is what I am saying now....but ask me in a few months how I feel about snow and I may have a different outlook! This is the view from my studio this afternoon. I look down on the barn and see the horses sleeping under their run-out sheds. The gardens have been put "to bed" for the winter and the bird feeders are full. I can paint.

Today I am finishing up some caseins that I am working on. I always have a few works in the "works", as I have to wait for glazes to dry before going into the same painting. This system also keeps me looking at each painting with a new eye when I start back working with it.

I am also sketching out a hunt scene silhouette to be done in cut paper.This is for a commission. I just sent two cuttings to the Millbrook Gallery. I haven't done any cutting for a while, so this will be a welcomed change. I always get so into a zone when I am cutting paper and I loose track of the time.

Back to the drawing board..........or do you think I should put the horses into their stalls ?..........

Naw.

Coming Three Filly

Yesterday I took the day off and had lunch and visited with artist friends. We had a Chinese food feast and then talked, talked and talked. How wonderful to have such good friends who share the same interests and tastes....if was a enjoyable way to past the day. One friend brought her Golden Retriever with her, and "Koda" and my Corgi, Addie, had their own party. Actually Koda spent most of the time retrieving slippers and various things from about the house, bringing her booty to us for "our" enjoyment! Addie did what Corgi's do best.......kept a vigil for food droppings under the table.

Today I am back working in my studio, and just finished up this watercolor that I am calling "Coming Three Filly". I had posted the graphite study for this in an earlier post. Now that this watercolor is done, I can work on the caseins that have been drying and are now ready for the finishing glazes.

Early this year I did a watercolor of this Belfast building that I love looking at. It is on Main Street and when you drive into the town Belfast, Maine, you can’t miss this corner building, as it is right in your face.

This painting is a 10 x 8” casein on canvas board. I am working on some other scenes from this area of my world, as I venture forth and document my impressions of Waldo County, Maine. The earlier watercolor of this scene is already on my blog and on the watercolor page of my website. It is interesting to compare them………………..one spring and one summer…….?

Study of a Study

Today I started working on a watercolor of a two year old Welsh Cob filly, but first I had to do a quick study in graphite to get my values correct. I love doing quick sketches with definite line and movement. And I have found that there is interest in the purchase of these sketches too.

Tomorrow I will get into the watercolor more, but I am not quick with my watercolor work........actually I am not quick with any medium , except maybe my graphite or charcoal sketches!

Media Mixed

I have been playing with mixed- media for the past few weeks, and I just finished this piece, a watercolor, casein and pen and ink work....done sort of quickly and loosely. I like the finished product, done on 300 lb cold press watercolor paper. This four-in-hand had stopped for a lunch break with the coaching crowd that met at Acadia each year to enjoy the fall scenery. I was part of this group, as a groom for a gentleman who drove a four-in-hand of Welsh Cobs.
This team depicted here are Kladruby horses. The Kladruby, a handsome coach horse similar to the Lipizzan, originated in the Czech Republic 1579. It was derived from the Spanish Horse and the Old Neopolitan Horse from Italy. There is also other breeds like the Holstein, Andalusian, and Oldenburg horses, mixed in. This breed was produced as a heavy and beautiful carriage horse, and I enjoyed watching them trot down the road, or even standing under a shade three at lunch.
I also enjoyed working with transparent watercolors mixed with opaque casein and then throwing in some pen and ink..........I am sure I will do some more of this!!