Hmmmmm...

Nearly there now, Talk about a kerfuffle! I have had to scan it in but my scanner sees green and turns it all acidic, its really not that bright and contrasty but no amount of messing with the file helped! I still have to finish the mane, the feet and the final details, and the grass. (Sounds like all of it! lol)

I dont think I will be rushing out to get more acrylics in a hurry, a fun experiment though!

This is going to be one I wish I hadnt blogged! lol!

Feels a bit like a cross between mud and paint-by-numbers, or watercolour, which I hate, ha ha. Anyway, this is a shameful update but Im sticking with it till the end as Im not a quitter :S

I do hope he looks better with a mane and a body!

(and if all else fails Im going over the foal with coloured pencil and making it mixed media!!)

Acrylic painting attempt

I have never used acrylics before so I have no idea what I am doing! This is a 8 x 10 canvas board and I am using Galeria.(W&N) My only issue at the moment is the brightness of the colour, I am struggling to find a natural hue

'Alfie' Yorkshire terrier in Oils

This is a commissioned Xmas portrait, what a cutie! Oil on canvas 10 x10"

Pensive

This is a quick portrait just to have a go at something different. I was quite pleased with the result, not my usual style but failrly successful I thought :)

22 x 36cm coloured pencil.

Monty

This is my most recent commission a lovely cob called Monty.

14 x 18" Coloured pencil on Mountboard

various paintings of mine will be included in the Xmas exhibition at Darryl Nantais Gallery Linton, Cambs, see below.

Finished!

This is untitled as I am still thinking......

Pleased with it in general though.

Face nearly completed

I have had a busy day today, started a commission in Coloured pencil and managed to get the drawing done. I have almost done the face on the Glance II. I am really enjoying it (See above) and cant wait to get on with it tomorrow. I have also done a deep blue background for a new mini painting of a grey pony. My Daughter and I tried to get some nice pics of a little grey pony Stallion but they were not really very good :(

Glance II undercoated

While waiting to get the mountboard for the new commission I have to do, I thought Id use up my pallette of spare paint from 'littleman' and get this undercoated.

I may put a few blue/purple hints in it as yet. Im looking forward to this one!!!!

Littleman Finished

I am really happy with the way this one came out!

On to the next now :D

Littleman part 2

This is really steaming ahead today, so much so that I may even be finished tomorrow.

I am enjoying this cutie, and definately feel a bit more confident with the oil painting.

WIP The Glance II

Whilst Littleman is drying between layers I am also getting on with this box canvas. It is temporarily called the GlanceII and is of a yearling waiting to go into the sales ring at Tattersalls.

I have sketched in the drawing on a black background.

New WIP 'Littleman'

This is a 14 x12" oil on box canvas which is destined for a gallery xmas show if all goes well.

This dear little foal nicknamed 'littleman' was our first foal of the year, by racing stallion Selkirk. His young mother sadly passed away this week with a serious colic. As this little boy is destined for sale in December I thought I would paint his portrait to remember him by.

I have so far undercoated his head and body with a colour blocking layer. I have not done an underpainting this time, I didnt feel it necessary with such a small study.

Finished at last 'THE DEBUT'

I think this may be as far as I can take this now, other than signing it. The reins

are the only bit I am not to sure about, but I will look at it again later as I have stared at it too much today already! The shine on the reddish part of the neck is just the wet linseed oil.

Struggling with this grrr

I am quite cross with this today its just not going right, the neck seems all blotchy and muddy.

heres the update not sure where to go from here

:(

update pic

Still going....

I detest this rubbish dull light for taking photos! humph!

face painting, lol

As I was hibernating yesterday due to the horrid weather I decided to carry on with this, & I now have the first detail layer on the ears, eye and muzzle. I have yet to go over it again but I am fairly pleased with the colours. I am trying to keep the vibrancy and the light.

colour under layer done

Next stage done, this is just a basic blocking in, I am just loving the colours so I am hoping to keep them vibrant with the next layer. I am really looking forward to putting the detail in, I can just see through to my grisaille underpainting (though it doesnt show here!)

Colour map - the Debut

Have now started a colour map for the underlayers of this painting. It looks odd at the mo as the neck colour will extend down to the corner, but have run out of time today! You can still see the tonal painting on the head compared to the soft colours on the neck. I have never done a painting like this one before and I am finding it a real challenge!

Mini painting

This is finished now, a dinky 8 x 8.

I am not convinced by the larger mans face but its so tiny! I may tweak it tomorrow and I also forgot the shadow of the lead rope on the handlers jeans. One day I will be happy with a finished work

lol

Guess who is featured..

Yes, yours truly!!!

http://www.jwjonline.net/Showcase.php

The forum connected to this showcase is great especially for beginner artists and those who need a little confidence. Its a lovely positive and encouraging artist community. :)

Little Sales painting

I have started 3 new paintings on top of the Debut, hopefully this will keep me more than occupied while the oil layers dry!

This is a miniature 8 x 8 oil painting of a horse at the tattersalls Tb yearling sale a couple of weeks ago. Please excuse the handlers yellow face its a terrible time of day to get good pics of wet paint!!

Still work to do on the horses face but I am happy so far. :)

'The Debut'

Already time to move on so here is my new WIP, based on a Dressage Stallion. It will be called 'the Debut' . So far I have the BG roughed in, I dont think I will take the detail any further as I want it to be a simple suggestion of entering an arena. I may tone down the blues, but TBH I love them at the moment, so I will see how it dries. The tricky thing here will be working out the light on the horses coat as the ref photos were taken outside on a summer day ! Always a challenge.....

News!

I have finally completed (subject to approval from my lovely clients) the portrait of Revoir ash and Webster. Revoir turned out well in the end although he has been very hard to photograph!

Several of my original paintings are now for sale through the Daryl Nantais gallery in Linton Cambridge. I will soon be adding to these with some new projects before Xmas. If you are in the Cambridge area its well worth a visit http://www.nantais-gallery.co.uk/index.html, He also has a great collection of Ophelia Redpaths work in his Autumn exhibition, which I particularly like!

Black

So I talked up the difficulties with this guy I think (A very bad habit of mine) :S

His nose looks a little wide, despite my careful measuring, and Im not sure if its actually wrong or if its because the cheek is not finished yet. I also have to darken the whole thing, he looks a little too light brown on the muzzle although his summer coat reflects a lot of browns.

I was hoping to be finished today but never mind. ;)

On the home straight now :)

So this is the final head on this portrait, Revoir, a beautiful black Shire Horse. I have just finished putting his eye in & its all going well so far. There is much more pressure when its a multiple portrait, if this last one goes wrong then the whole thing is spoiled. Fingers X'd that all gets finished well though as I really dont fancy doing this all over!!! :D

Part two finished, Webster

Two thirds finished now, just waiting for approval on the lovely

Webster and then its on to the last, and trickiest, a black Shire. :)

Feeling positive!

Just had the good news that The Glance, a Fresian painting I done last year, has sold out of the Darryl Nantais gallery, Linton. I am very pleased!!!

Webster is coming along well to, I am aiming to finish him today and hopefully the last horse Revoir, by the end of the week. I am very happy with how this is going :D

Webster coming along now

This portrait is very painstaking! But I do feel its coming along nicely. This is the second head, its actually the first time I have drawn a heavy horses portrait. this is a Shire horse, webster. Im looking forward to drawing his hairy chin!!

Ash finished at last

So the lovely Ash is finally finished, one third down, two to go ! :) Clients are very happy so far..

Slowly slowly :D

This is a lot of updates I know... but its the time of xmas enquiries!

This is coming along now, this is a bad photo due to such a dull day, it has lots of detail that the camera cant pick up! I am happy with how this is going (for once!)

Revoir Ash and Webster

This is a new commission, the painting has had to go on hold for now while I crack on with this!

This is two Shires and a coloured Cob x French Trotter, beautiful subjects..and a rather large project. I have done the intial drawings and am starting with Ash at the top.

Grisaille progress

Underpainting is nearly finished now, I have decided to call this 'The Debut'
I have added a feint background of an indoor arena, I will try to get the effect of crowds disappearing back into the darkness with the Stallion coming into the light.

New Painting

I am very excited about this new painting..theres nothing nicer than a blank canvas!

This is a Dressage Stallion head study which I will be doing in Oils. I have a complex commission running alongside this one but I hope to get cracking on both next week and still have regular updates.

So here is the basic composition. The background is going to be dark and plain.

Altered again..but finally ready for framing.

The Rehearsal has been altered yet again..after looking at it for a day or two I felt it needed lifting a bit, so I have added some lighter greens, developed the background, and complimented the colour of the horses with a yellower grass which has given it a warmer feel.
Not sure if the photo shows much change, but though it is still wet I am happier! I have a lovely frame to compliment it. I cant wait till its done =D
I also took a grayscale photo, I was quite pleased with the outcome.

I have also had a new commission confirmed which is quite exciting. This time it is back to my trusty coloured pencils for a very large triple portrait of a coloured and two shire horses. Cant wait!

The Rehearsal..FINISHED!

I have finally finished this. Its impossible to get a good photo

of a damp oil painting but I done my best! the only bit that concerns me a little is that the greys head looks a bit small compared to the others. It does seem to fit him though?? any thoughts???

So this is ~ The Rehearsal 20 x 30 inches, Oil on canvas board.

EEK!

Please ignore photo below its awful!

I will try another but think I may have to leave this to dry it looks dreadful in the pics!