WIP New Horse Action Painting Continued

I truly did not forget about blogging the WIP, just been busy! But now I'm ready to complete the WIP. Once I had the initial sketches done, I made a few changes to correct proportions, like horses head size, legs and feet size, riders arm positions,etc.. and then used tracing paper to copy and lift the designs to the watercolor paper. Here you can see how I placed the drawings ready to be rubbed on the background.











So now the big decision, COLOR! I've decided this painting is going to be more loose in style and more contemporary in presentation as opposed to my usual realistic style. Every once in a while I like to go "outside the box" for me!! When I paint, I really enjoy painting using lots of complementary colors so that was my starting point. Found my trusty color wheel and went to work. Here is the initial color sketch for horses and riders.

I tried to chose colors that would all complement each other (according to my trusty color wheel) in some way or another. This was like putting a jigsaw puzzle together, which color would "fit" with another, I hope I pulled it off though! I used three brands of watercolor pencils, Faber Castell (FC), CretaColor (CC) and Derwent (D). So let's start with the left horse which is in a left spin manuever: horse, blue violet (FC) body, bluish turquoise (FC) mane & tail and receeding areas; rider, naples yellow (D) outline and recessed areas with ochre light (CC) and golden brown (D). For the larger center horse performing a sliding stop, colbalt green (FC) body outline with orange (CC) for eyes and forelock; the rider in madder carmine (CC). For the right side horse in a right handed spin manuever, horse in permanent red light (CC) with magenta (D) for mane & tail and eyes; the rider is in moss green light (CC) and earth green yellowish (FC). Yea, LOTS of color here! Well, this is what I think I want, LOL! So now time for water and painting!

WIP New Horse Action Painting

Ok, I've decided to start a WIP (work in progress) here, testing to see how I handle it schedule wise! An idea came to me about starting an "action" series depicting various horse sports. Somehow, I decided on a reining horse scene. Don't really know why, I enjoy watching reining horses but I was never that interested in actually riding in reining sports. But this is what came to me from Him so I'm doing the smart thing and going with it!



I'm thinking about a loose, more contemporary style, with lots of bold color to create a sense of action, speed and grace. As I'm looking to be original and different in composition I didn't want to depict more sliding reining horse side views that is very common. So I went with a left hand spin horse, a right hand spin horse and in the center a front view sliding stop. Here is a working sketch drawn freehand from references:











And I've started on the background using wet pencils and washes on dry paper, size is about 6" x 10" :


Next I'll "tighten" up the sketches, refine the lines and get them where I want to transfer onto the painted background. Then the color will begin!! Stay tuned....

And the Site builds, Jeweled Bookmark Paintings!

Well I'm making progress for getting art listings in my Etsy shop. This weekend I finished beading the four bookmarks and photographing and listing. Amazing just how much time goes into this process, however it's worth it to me if someone lets me know they enjoy the art! Putting art out for public view is a tricky thing you know, what appeals to the artist and what doesn't is the exact opposite to a viewer or buyer! So I try to create with that in mind.

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the creative process with these bookmarks. Not only coming up with the painting subjects, but then designing the coordinating beaded tassel. So I combined the process of drawing, watercolor painting, leather work, collecting/combining the beads and stones and then sewing and gluing. Then learning how to get good photographs to best represent the art, *sigh* which I think is the most difficult part for me. The creative process flows pretty well in stages. A lot of times, I'll get to a point in the design, and then a little voice will say "stop" or "let it rest" for now. So I'll go do a barn chore or something and then the rest of the design will come to me! Then I just have to remember it for when I can get back to my art desk later! LOL!

I hope folks enjoy the bookmark art, anyway, there's four in my Etsy shop, each very different to appeal to different equestrian taste! I tried in each of the bookmark painting descriptions to delve more into what inspired the painting for me. I found that was something very personal to share. People could think I am one of those "nutty artsy fartsy types"! HA!

I've got to gear up in making more Christmas themed items, but there's this new painting idea stuck in my mind, so if I know what's good for me, I'll get started creating that first!! LOL!

UPDATE ! ! *** UPDATE ! !
BOOKMARK ART SOLD! And just like that, my first bookmark art piece sold this morning!!! The English rider and horse piece "Practising the Good Hack" now has a new home! Thank God! What a great feeling!

Back from My Walk in the Desert

I hope everyone can see the photo slideshow displayed above. These pics are from my latest sojourn out to the desert city of Las Vegas. While most go to Las Vegas for inside a building activities, I go for the incredible scenery outside the Strip and city! My favorite place to get away from it all is the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, which is surprisingly less than 20 miles from the city. Since I was on a solo trip, I could do whatever activity I wanted (my usual travel companions are not interested in hiking for hours in the desert and rock), and getting on the trails at Red Rock was my main agenda this trip!



This was my first time really spending time exploring the trails. There are many miles of trails out there, a lot to choose from. I decided to hike on as easy access trail as I could, which turned out to be the Rocky Gap trail. This trail is well seen and is actually wide enough to drive a 4x4 vehicle through. The trailhead starts at the Willow Springs campsite, which is about a mile from mile marker seven on the Scenic Drive road. It's very easy to drive to and lots of space to park your car, esp. since I was there before 9 AM.



The trail is fairly rocky, but not too difficult to walk on. The trail does go uphill quite a bit and is not marked other than a trail head marker back at the campsite. But I didn't really care, I've had some experience being out on trail for a few years so I knew how to stay smart and safe (rattlesnakes and poisonous lizards do live out there as well!). To make a long hike story short, I wound up covering about a six mile round trip hike. And I loved every step!

When I'm out there what I love is that it is so quiet. Quiet, real quiet, nothing but nature sounds and a dry cool breeze keeping you company. I understand that some people would be scared by this isolation, but I'm not and I really don't feel isolated at all. For me there's nothing that refreshes me mentally and spiritually like a walk in the desert like this. I feel like my burdens are freed into the canyon winds and I come back to my real life with a clean slate, ready to keep pressing on with whatever I'm supposed to be doing in life!

Plus, getting in better shape by slow hiking is a nice benefit too!

When will I get back out to the desert? It will be a few months I'm afraid. Like everyone in today's economy I've had to cut back on just about everything. But I know that the desert trails will still be there for me when I'm able to come.

Etsy Texas Crafters

Etsy Texas Crafters

I haven't ever been a social butterfly per say, my college years saw the most active participation in groups and clubs. And I've been involved with a few horse groups here and there in the last couple of decades or so. But now, with my "fire in the belly" for pursuing an art career, I'm looking into joining art groups that suit me. On Etsy, there are many "team" organizations according to location, theme or interest that artist can join. I'm starting with the Etsy Texas Crafters, and don't think it's going to be a bad decision at all! Check out the website by clicking on the new tag added. I'm already getting inspired and working hard on projects so I have something in my shop to participate in the team events! I will use the ETC blog site to keep my notes up to date on the activities, and my art projects here on Blogger.

Yea, just need to keep up with one more internet blog, that's what I need, Ha! Oh well, it will all draw me out of my "anti-social" shell so to speak!

More Paintings Finished

Well, have to say I'm proud of myself for getting these miniature bookmark paintings done, I'm gitting, oops, getting, more disciplined about my time during the day to devote to creating some artwork. Plus, it's actually fall season here in Texas (hey, when the temps are 90 degress or less in September and October, it's Fall! LOL!), so I'm not tired from working out in the heat around the farm.

I want to start with the bay horse and the hand painting titled "The Polite Offering". This depicts a natural horsemanship concept called the horseman's handshake, which is all about approaching and inviting the horse to seek the human first, not the human just taking over the horses personal space and grabbing and pushing the horse around (which is rude to the horse, and they know it!). The hand in this position shown is placed to simulate another horse's muzzle in a friendly non-threating position. There are volumes of thought that go along with this, and for me, learning about it opened up so much more depth in my horsemanship! The style of the painting is rather controlled, and I'm pleased with how it turned out. Takes a lot of patience to work a lot of detail in a small (2"x2") space! I will put this is a vinyl bookmark sleeve and embellish it with a beaded/leather cord.

The next bookmark I went in a different direction stylisticly, looser and more abstract. I don't have a name quite yet for this one, so it's working title is "Bold Spirit Horses of Color". This painting is based on a vintage Navajo sterling silver pin I have. I love collecting and wearing Native American artisian made jewelry, and have a special interest in horse pins. The horse colors represent the stones often used in NA jewelry; turquoise, coral and spiney oyster. There are stories from several native indian cultures about how the horse was created and was used by the dieties. I found a very interesting story about a horse of turquoise color that was ridden across the sky every morning and thus the reason for blue skys! ( Thanks to Twin Rocks Trading Post of Bluff, Utah for sharing this info online!!) The ruddy colored background is an abstract representation of the red rock sandstone formations that I've seen ancient petroglyphs on. With this painting it will give me the opportunity to embellish with some genuine natural Kingman turquoise and spiney oyster beads (once my bead order gets here) for the bookmark cord.

The very top painting is called "Practising the Good Hack". Here, something a bit more traditional in equestrian painting. While I live in the mecca of cowboy country, there are a fair number of English style riders and activities around. In fact, I know several riders from the UK across the pond who have been riding among the cowboys and wannabe cowboys here for many years! All of my barn boarders are english riders and I myself, ride either english, western or bareback. Depicted in the painting is a rider on a proper turned out horse working on their form. I could just hear the rthyhm of the trotting footfalls across the arena sand and the rider quietly counting, "one-two, one-two" in posting up and down. I think it turned out to be a very plesant looking little painting! This one also will be put into a vinyl bookmark sleeve with a beaded leather cord, perhaps gold embellishment on this one!

I'm planning on getting these in my Etsy shop by the weekend I hope, as I will also have some little notepads ready to list by then too! Now, back to the day job....