Maryann’s Horses

My mom’s friend, Maryanne, is a wonderful photographer. She made a point to give me a large print of a recent picture of hers. These gouache sketches convince me, it would be a wonderful oil painting.

Bye Boris

Boris is his name. A magnificent horse that I’ve known for years and have the utmost respect for, as he has a presence that is absolute. He is strong, obedient and beautiful to watch. And he is very big… over 17 hands, half thoroughbred, half Belgian draft with enormous (bare) feet. (Someone correct me if I’m off.) His owner, Jeannie, has trained him to do tricks, stand without a halter, close gates, stand on a stump with his front feet! And she rides him without saddle or bridle, even out on trails.

The painting has a mate (below) that I sold years ago. Now, I think this one is finished. It was hard to tackle so long after I had begun, but I focused on that day, walking in the dry field early in the morning. I was fascinated by his coat which reflected the sky and the bright yellow grass… cool on top, warm underneath. They are large (for me) 24″ x 30″ oil on board.

Grrr

Man, I’ve painted and wiped off this horse’s head dozens of times. I think he’s getting there. To finish: ears, forelock, mane and highlights.

Pastel figure

Yesterday, I painted all day and drew into the night. What a great day! Last night I used pastels on the Colorfix paper (which I’m loving). I worked on a painting (below) that I “finished” in 2008, but just didn’t seem right. I’m determined to fix it. You’ll see… maybe tomorrow.

Resurrection

I finally have time to work on this little painting which I began quite a long time ago. I’ve been looking at it for at least 6 months and it was bugging me, especially the drawing. The horse was too small for the rider. The horse’s legs were too short. I think I fixed it by working the edges of things, particularly the horse’s legs. I can see I could stand to work a bit more on the rider’s hands. I like the limited palette and the looseness.

Two Butts

I believe this to be one of those magic paintings that begins easily, then drops into much more learning than I thought I wanted. The horse on the right, painted himself. I had a good photo of him, which inspired the painting. I decided to add a second “butt” as a way to fill the space. I tried to draw him in but he wouldn’t stand there for me. I took pictures, but the light wasn’t right. Does it work? Sort of.

But I loved this painting, one of the few for which I have attachment. I especially like the scribble on the left horse’s hip, oil pastel sticks. The horse, by the way, is named Boris and is owned by my amazing friend Jeannie who trains him to do tricks! Actually, Boris inspired the painting.

Thank you Margaret for sharing the picture. I finished this in the fall of 2008. It’s one of a series of 3 which are all of Boris, all the same 24”x36”. But this one definitely stands alone, as the others are very different.

Jump Again

Not exactly abstract, but there are some ambiguous passages. It needs more work on the horse itself, but I’m pretty happy with it otherwise.

Another Self-Portrait

It seems important, in my quest to abstraction, to begin with a pretty tight drawing. Look for this painting to become much more abstract. I am going to as my friend Francine says, “Save the best, lose the rest”.

I always loved this image. I think my father took the picture, one of the few times he ever saw me ride. The horse was named Laguna, a horse I took home from Camp Winamac in New Hampshire, after summer was over. I kept him until the next summer. He taught me so much. I worked at the boarding stable to keep him, cleaning stalls in the morning, and teaching beginner lessons in the afternoon. He was a wonderful horse. I even took him on a fox hunt! The hunt was probably the most fun I have ever had on a horse, and that’s saying something. I was probably 20.

Lose the Edges

This image is much more to my liking. I began to select edges to soften and blur to continue my goal toward abstraction. It could be more abstract. I could further simplify the shapes and lose definition, especially where there is movement, like on the legs of the black horse. But I have learned a lot with this one and will leave it stand and try another. I was inspired by a couple of painters: Philip Buller and David Prentice.

Schooling

This is the initial pass. I like the idea of having two overlapping subjects. I like the way these overlap. I want to jump toward more abstraction. It will come as I work it.

To change the subject totally, I am so grateful.

Our new cat, Deiter, is back home again. One of our farmers’ market community, Rhonda Stalling at Arroyo Vet Clinic, suggested I bring him in for a micro-chip scan, to see if maybe he belonged to someone else. She said he qualified for the “Good Samaritan” discount. So I took him in last week, hauling out the dusty cat carrier and shoving his surprised body into the little space and shutting the door quickly as he dashed around to find his way out. He suddenly found his voice. I’d never heard him meow before then.

Dr. Rhonda found no micro-chip but she did find he was positive for AIDS and he had such bad teeth that some needed to be removed. I just got him back after his dental surgery. He spent one night away and has to spend two days inside while he is on pain medication.

I am so grateful to the Good Samaritan program. He even had a bath! I have volunteered to paint a portrait to be given away as at their annual auction… every year for as long as they want me to. He’s a very happy boy and loved all the attention, seems completely recovered. Thank you all, who participate with the Good Samaritan program.