POLO PONY

We had a wonderful warm family Christmas with our youngest son and his family. It meant hours on the road, but was well worth it. This coming weekend we go to our other son's for another "Christmas Day". How neat is that?!

Today life goes on, chores on our farm, painting and I have spent most of the day answering emails and inquires.

I have attached a pen and ink done of a polo pony. I am working on a papercut of a polo scene but did this sketch for something different to do. Again the black and white, yin yang and composition called me.............and I am enjoying doing these quick sketches.

Black and White

It has been a while since I have done a paper cutting, but this one was finished a week or so ago. It is called " Riding Like A Lady", and it already has a home to go to. In this scene the hunt stops as a very lady-like equestrian joins the field, in her side-saddle and fancy attire. Even the hounds are interested in this rider.

I have always liked the challenge of composing a work in just black and white, where you can capture depth and motion, all simple... and direct. I think I have achieved it here.

Now...... back to a watercolor of a Standard Poodle for a client! This is such a nice to day to be working in my loft.My barn chores are done for now and the snow piles up outside, while the horses nap in their stalls in the warm barn.

Winter blankets Morrill, Maine.

What I Do When I Procrastinate

After taking care of our four horses, walking the Corgi and shoveling the snow that was steadily accumulating, I headed up to my studio with a cup of hot tea and "whipped" out this pen and ink on illustration board. It is of two horses who were taking part in a Civil War reenactment. Their bridles are like what the army used back then...........but this was an reenactment...I am NOT old enough to have seen the real thing!!! The photo reference of these horses came from a fellow Equine Art Guild member.

But doing this sketch gave me a needed break from the paper cutting I am working on.... a hunt scene with very small detail. I get so "into" a zone when I do paper cutting, that I forget the time and very often I also forget what I am supposed to be doing. Today was not a good day to be cutting. But it turned out to be a good day for a small [ about 7 1/2 by 8 1/2" ] pen and ink rendering.
I will be putting this work onto my mixed media gallery page on my website.

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…….?