Mountain Wagon Ride

The horse drawn hayrides passed right by my cabin and I was so happy to get the chance to paint them as they passed.  On the final evening, there were actually two horse drawn wagons instead of one!  They move quickly, so I was happy to get the extra evenings to finish my painting!  Twelve year old me was thrilled to stay so close to Jackson Stables, it fed that early love of horses that I've carried all my life. Painting number 4570 in 4570 days. 

Making Camp

SOLD

 

This painting on the Whittenburg Creek was my second painting along the Trail of Tears in Steelville, Missouri.  We were asked to envision a scene and recreate as we captured the very landscape thisc tragic event occurred so many years ago. I did as much research as I could the night before, so that I could faithfully recreate the scene.  It was emotional to paint this, letting it all unfold on my panel  I don't understand how something like this could happen, it all is so unfair. This painting, along with my other one,  will be among others to go to auction in support of a sculpture to commemorate this site. Painting number 4541 in 4541 days.

Forest Gateau Rider

Forest Gateau is the 4th ink from this year's Diamine Inkvent Calendar, and it's rich and decadent.  The surprise sweet treat is that this ink is scented, and smells just like the cake!  Into this miniature landscape I've penned in a horse and rider with a glass dip pen. I keep meaning to try out a little bleach when dry, but I never remember.  I wonder what would happen if I try that on the wet painting?  So many ideas, too few hours in each day.  Painting number 5029 in 5029 days. 

Golden Hour at the Saddle Club

My first ever Quick Paint at a Saddle Club - and it was SUPER FUN!  I could paint here every day and never tire of this!  Tonight we were scheduled at the Wayne County Saddle Club, and cowpokes and their horses were on hand for painting during the 2 hour paint.  The grounds are lovely, the light was perfect, and it was an amazing night for painting! I had so much fun, and finished early to boot!  I've been thinking of painting western art lately - and this confirms that direction! Painting number 3913 in 3913 days, and day 29 of the #stradaeasel challenge. 

Abandoned Ranch

I love these old, abandoned homesteads.  Each one tells a story of the family who built it, loved and lived here, and the how such a beautiful place could come to ruin.  This ranch is on the side of the mountain, with the ground rising sharply behind it.  A row of aspens trails up the mountain, and ends just above the buildings.  No other trees are here, and this northern part of Colorado is so desert like. Even the rock formation in the background is right out of an old western.  Such a cool place, I only had time for a quick paint.  Next time in Colorado, I am definitely going to make more painting time!  Painting number 1671 in 1671 days.

Upon the Horse

Upon the Horse
Pen and Ink on paper, 6x7

I have recently had a longing to draw in the western theme, and my civil war reenactment photos were the perfect aid!  Using my favorite superfine black Pitt pen, I have drawn this completely.  I have so many of these pens, in so many colors, but I continue to return to my one favorite!  It is the same way I am with brushes.  I must have hundreds, and I end up using just a few. Different ones for different mediums, but just a few in each.  I have only started to draw people in ink, and the trick is to leave them loose.  I will probably have to do a great many of them before I am truly comfortable with the process!  Drawing number 1325 in 1325 days :)

Cowboy Talk

Cowboy Talk
Acrylic on masonite, 6x6

Today finds me painting a couple of men from the reenactment, one on a horse.  These reference photos are full of timeless charm - it is just like stepping back in time to paint them!  Using my limited palette of heavy body acrylics, I block in with my filberts, and finish with a little palette knife (or in my case - my Princeton catalyst, have I told you how much I love them?)  Making this a quick post - we’re about to watch a movie!  Painting number 1184 in 1184 days.

Follow the Leader

Follow the Leader
Acrylic on masonite, 7x5

With only a small painting window before picking up the boys, I jumped right into this reenactment painting.  Complete with three horses and one man, I treated the horses as one mass.  I have painted quite a few white horses lately, and it is a study in reflective color from their surroundings.  I really could see the greens, blues and even warm reds reflecting off their coats from other surfaces.  I needed to share the color of the chestnut horse with the landscape, to keep him from sticking out like a sore thumb.  My “sta-wet” palette is drying out, I’ve had to keep the ceiling fan running for big red lab - and it is not conducive for keeping the acrylic palette wet!  At this rate, I will have to replace the paper top in a day or two, when it has otherwise lasted me for months!  This painting makes 1169 in 1169 days.

initial color block in

To the Barn

To the Barn
Oil on wood panel, 7x5
auction - bid here

Some days are so hectic, that by the time I make it to my easel - I REALLY need my painting fix!  I had sketched this one out a while ago, and then I switched gears to another theme.  It was a treat to return to this, the composition and sketch already complete.  It left me to mindlessly paint with brush and palette knife and oils.  When there are no distractions between me and the panel, I can quickly lay in that paint - almost as if the oils just roll of the brush!  I wish it weren't so late, I would go right on painting.  But alas, its been a very long day and I have another one ahead of me tomorrow.  Painting number 810 in 810 days.

Standing at Kill Creek

Standing at Kill Creek
Oil on wood panel, 18x14
purchase here

Mondays are busy days now that I am teaching two classes - so I have to plan ahead when it comes to my own painting.  I am working on a larger scale today - 18x14.  Starting this one yesterday between breakfast and family bowling, I got back to my easel twice today to get it painted.  The landscape reference came from a MVIS paint-out we had some time back by Kill Creek in Kansas.  Such a beautiful place with this rambling wide creek.  I used some of my own reenactment reference for the figures - since that is my focus for the month!  I'm not quite sure it is done.  I am going to leave it on the easel and look with fresh eyes tomorrow, and see how I feel about it then.  This is painting number 772 in 772 days.

Coming Home

Coming Home
Oil on wood panel, 7x5

Working again on figures tonight, I am including a horse and a rider.  A little known fact - I was obsessed  with horses when I was in grade school!  I read every horse book I could get my hands on, I drew them all the time, filled a 3-ring binder with stories of them, and even "played horses" on the playground with my friends!  I know how really weird this sounds, but it is was SO much fun!  I still love horses, and I am finding that I really love painting them.  Getting figures right at this small scale is a challenge - but I feel that after 30 days of doing so, it should become natural!  I guess we'll see!  Painting number 768 in 768 days :)

Back in the Saddle

Back in the Saddle
Oil on panel, 8x10

Another day of coming late to my easel.  I had picked my subject out early, but without time to sketch it in.  Then, one thing after another soaked up the hours, leaving me a 30 minute window - or wait until tonight.  Well, 30 minutes is just enough time for me to really get in the zone, and I can then HARDLY pull myself away from the easel!  With grandchildren to pick up, I just couldn't risk it.  So, it was nearly 9:00 when I started this one (with grandchildren settled into playing a game).  I think that I will declare this month "Figure February"!  I have been wanting to dedicate time to figure work - right down to tiny "carrot" figures in a street scene, and now is my chance.  A funny thing has happened with so many days of painting.  The more I paint, the more critical I am of my own work.  Little things just pop out at me, things I would not have noticed a year ago.  I also paint faster, and I get right to the point with my values and colors.  The values and temperatures are so much easier to see and paint, too.  I can remember when I didn't understand temperature at all.  I guess all good things come with practice!  Painting number 767 in 767 days.

Preparing the Horse

Preparing the Horse
Oil on hardboard panel, 7x5

What a great day!  I just started a weekly painting class last Monday, and I am having SO much fun teaching it!  With my already super full schedule, I have resisted committing myself to a weekly time slot for so long!  I simply love sharing all that I have absorbed through the years, and don't know why I put it off!  This painting is small - only 7x5 inches, which is pretty tight for so much information.  I have started offering this size for auctions, and since the western scenes are attracting so much attention, I thought I'd give it a try.  I was able to sketch and block in the masses after housework and before class.  I was then able to return to it briefly to finish between class and picking Michael up from practice.  With a sorority meeting tonight - and so much laughing and visiting late into the evening, I have only now returned home to get his image uploaded and posted.  Some days are just a non-stop whirlwind of activity - and truly, I revel in it.  I should sleep well tonight!  This painting is number 765 in 765 days :)

Returning Home

Returning Home
Oil on wood panel, 10x8

We finally have a bit of snow for today - only a dusting at present, but still a wonderful accompaniment to the winter landscape!  I am painting in the western theme again tonight, I think this one if done.  The barn image was supplied to me by a dear friend, and the horse and rider are from my own reserves.  With a hint of fading light in the sky, lantern light pours out from the barn onto the horse, rider and snowy ground. For this color, I have used yellow earth by Terra Grezze D'Italia oils. I have never liked yellow ochre, and I use this color in place of it always.  It does not have the greenish cast that yellow ochre does.  This particular paint is coarsely ground, and has a wonderful texture - different from all other varieties of paint.  I also have an olive green and a red earth shade - but I seldom use them.  This yellow earth is always on my palette.  I am having so much fun with this western theme - I wonder how many I'll do before I feel the pull to move on to another subject.  This is painting number 764 in 764 days :)

In the Saddle

In the Saddle
Oil on wood panel, 12x9
purchase here

Tonight my husband and I had the honor of walking our younger daughter, Michaela across the basketball court at halftime.  She has been nominated for Winter Warming Queen.  The game was super exciting - with our team winning at the very end!  To top it all off, much of the family went out to dinner afterwards.  Super fun!!  Earlier in the day, I barely got this painted before having to head out to Michael's basketball games - which we had to leave early to make it to Michaela's event - we actually RAN through the parking lot in our formal clothes!  I'm sure we looked ridiculous!  I pulled out some reference photos from our civil war reenactment of August 2013 to work from, only I changed the pasture to how it looks today with it's winter color on.  The pensive pose of both rider and horse has attracted me since I first took the photo, and it feels SO good to finally get it down in oils!  This is painting number 762 in 762 days :)

To Lead a Horse

To Lead a Horse
Oil on panel, 12x6
Civil War Reenactment

This past month, I have been concentrating on figure work - both of man and horse.  I love the way the light shines on the animal's form.  The reenactment has given me so many great reference photos to paint from!  Next time, I will try to get them to take the horses down to the pond.  Imagine how lovely these creatures would be reflecting in the water's surface!  I've been painting quite a few panels cut to 12x6 - and I really like the format!  It is wonderful for a panoramic composition, and just seems to make the painting more dramatic than the standard sizes.  Since I have finished with my painting a little early today, I am actually going to go get some panels cut!  I am down to bare bones on my panel selection, and it is way past time for me to do this.  Since I have some plein air events coming up, I really must take care of this so I can be well prepared for whatever scene unfolds before me.  This is painting number 245 in as many days, and Day 5 for Leslie Saeta's 30 day painting challenge.

Arabians at Play

Arabians at Play
Oil on panel, 12x6

150 years ago, this place where I live was a horse farm.  This farm was flourishing before the civil war, before Order #11, and before the whole area was looted and burned by Union soldiers.  It seems so natural to have horses on the place again, just like they were always meant to be here.  These two were from the group that came for the reenactment weekend.  Capturing them at play, I, too, am playing a bit with color today.  Having a little fun with cad orange - I am popping lights throughout, and allowing the underwash to show through.  This is Day 4 of Leslie Saeta's 30 day challenge, and my 244th painting in as many days.  Now, I am off to tea sampling at my oldest daughter's house - she just got some new varieties in to try :)

On Watch with the Horses

On Watch with the Horses
Oil on panel, 12x6
Civil War Reenactment Paint-Out

Each morning, when I wake up, I think to myself, "Where is my painting window today?"  This morning, I didn't have an answer.  So, I just go about my day, looking for the first opportunity to get in some painting.  I already had planned what I wanted to paint in my head - actually the next two paintings are already lined out.  But, I did not find that chance until well after 10:00.  Listening to an audio book, I started laying paint.  I primed this wood panel a little differently - lighter texture and a warmer sienna tint.  I was able to prime the next 13 surfaces, which I needed so badly to do!  I really liked this long format for this young soldier and the horses in his care.  This painting would have been easier on a larger size, but alas, there was not enough time and no larger surface.  This is painting number 237 in as many days.

"Quantrill"

"Quantrill"
oil on panel, 12x16
Civil War Reenactment

This man made such a striking image on his horse as he galloped up into the yard, to ask permission to water his horses.  Returning to discuss with his men the recent events leading up to this night, he stayed on his horse as he supported his cause.  Each man voted whether or not to raid lawrence, and the decision was made.  They each went back to their horses, jumped on and left to set up camp - if only to sleep a little before the 40 mile journey.  Last Saturday was the Civil War Reenactment of Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence on our grounds.  The play was great fun, and very informative.  All in attendance seemed to really enjoy the whole day.  After a closing narration, all were invited to walk into the pasture to talk to the soldiers on horseback, and see their canvas tents set up, just as they were 150 years ago - in 1863.  What a great way to bring history to life!  There are a couple of things in this painting I want to adjust, so, I think I'll return to it with fresh eyes tomorrow.  This is painting number 235 in as many days.

Adjusting the Bridle

Adjusting the Bridle
Oil on panel, 16x12
Civil War Reenactment on the farm

This is my fifth painting of the week, painted from our reenactment this past weekend.  What I really like about this one is that our milk barn is in the background.  When I was younger, I wished this barn looked more like the big red ones dotting the countryside.  As the years go by, I truly appreciate the unique design and color of this barn.  In all these years, I have not seen another one like it!  With each horse I paint, they get easier.  I really enjoy capturing the line and form of each one in paint!  This painting is number 231 in 231 days :)