November 11 - Morning Run (Horse)

Back into acrylics! This is a 4 x 6 (think tiny) painting and it is an exercise in painting with muted color to convey the sky. Just a quick study, I wanted to put a horse in it because of the ride I was on today... Four and a half hours in the saddle and dust, and tonight I'm just beat to my socks. Lots of hills and climbing, and steep inclines to descend--works the muscles, and I'm a tad sore. The mare came through with flying colors, though, and this is kind of a "spirit running" thought. Now I'm going to get some much-needed rest!
SOLD to the collection of Karen Bresenhan of La Grange, Texas.

November 10 - Tangerines - Clementines

"Clemintines" I was so pleasantly surprised to see the fall tangerines in the market tonight, so I came home, ate about four of them, and stopped long enough to paint these two on one of my plates. They are both gone now, too! I realized I hadn't painted fruit for a couple of weeks, so it surely was time. Still life subjects bring me homeward, and remind me of the seasons. I hadn't painted a tangerine since they were in the stores last year! Original oil, 6 x 8 inches on gallery wrap (no framing needed)
Sold to the collection of Nancy Merrill of Salt Lake City, Utah.

November 9 - Western Cowboy Makeover, Extreme?

"Extreme Makeover, Maybe Not" I ended up painting tonight rather late, so instead of beginning a new canvas, I took one of my older ones, and tweaked it--been meaning to do this for some time to this one, because although the initial idea of the painting was strong (it was/is called "The Conversation"), the overall abstract design and color bothered me. Now I like the way it focuses the attention where I want it to be--between the man and horse. I've attached the older version as well, so you can compare the two. I sure hope you prefer this version!

Available for $440 unframed by clicking the button:

November 8 - Lesson Painting Finished! "Memories of the Ride" 12 x 16 Oil

"Finished: Memories of the Ride" Here's the finished painting, with all the changes, details, edges foundn and lost, and the great fun of putting the finishing touches on this 12 x 16 oil. you can see how I "knitted together" the distant shore and the clumps of grasses by the taller verticals, both on the right and left sides. I had a LOT of fun with the water, too, adding the sparkles and the reflections that break the rules. The riders in the foreground have had all the details added without changing the inherent values of the underpainting (squint your eyes at the earlier versions and this one to see how one must honor values throughout painting). The sky had another layer added to make it alightly bluer, since now I know just how much (or how little) blue wad needed. Now, what can you tell me about the working methods you've seen here? What's important to remember, and what doesn't get painted until the last?
Available for $450 unframed from my Daily Paintings Website.

November 7 - Third pass on the painting of horses in the riverbed

"Third Pass: Memories of the Ride" Lots more paint on the canvas now, and you can realy start to see the color develop as I move away from the source material (bland photograph) and start to utilize the color system and add the appropriate intensity of hues where I want color excitement. I am laying in the middle values of the water, knowing that the final pass will have lighter sparkles and darker wave forms added. I consiously made the left-most horse lighter, so he would separate from the nearest rider with the yellow slicker. I put a few areas of pure color on the riders, but may tone down that later as well. Had I painted the sky as blue as the photograph, it would be fighting for attention now. Still more changes to go through--it may get bluer! Oh, what FUN! I love to paint water. Thanks for all your kind comments, too.

November 6 - The Lesson Continues!!

"Second Pass: Memories of the Ride" A considerable change from the underpainting's structure from yesterday. I am doing this because I have been asked many times by learning artists to show the steps in my painting process, and I am happy to do so. I started to paint in the atmosphere of the work, without worrying about the focal point. You see I've put in the grayed sky, and the distant shoreline. Note how little of the photograph's details show up in those areas, and that's because they are not nearly as important as the riders are going to be. At this stage I also want to be sure I have the values correct for the areas of the water, so I'm putting in some areas of color that will represent the major hue and value for those areas. All of this is done with color from the cool family. Notice I don't "draw" my subjects, but rather "find" them by painting around and up to their edges. The perspective on this piece shows the riders are below you, because the distant edge of the river is almost at the horizon (eye-level) line. More tomorrow!

November 5 - LESSON TIME! - First Lay In, 12 x 16 Oil, Horses

"Beginnings: Memories of the Ride" The river ride today was over five hours long, and I'm tired tonight! And the mare is mighty quiet in her corral, too. But I'm not too tired to begin what I hope will really be a spectacular piece--12 x 16 oil on linen, of the riders crossing the river. This is the first pass, showing the strength of the abstract structure of the design. There's a LOT going on here, setting up the feel for the coming paint layers. The color excitement will be in the riders and shadows underneath them, but all the mid and lower value areas around the perimeter will play rols as well. I really love backlit subjects, and this one ought to be sumpin' special when its finished. I've uploaded the source material so you can see what's in my head. As this progresses, scroll back up here to refer to this photo, OK?