'Windswept'

Another not very accurate photo of it but the glaze went on fine (phew!), I'm now back to putting in more detailed highlights again... have done the face and mane (which will need toning down a lot) and started the body. Next step will be to finish the highlights on the body and then go over everything emphasising shadows before another glaze goes on. Another 1 hr 45 mins spent so now up to 12hrs 15 mins in total.

'Windswept'

Another three hours spent on this, painstakingly painting hair! I'm still working on the first layer of detailed highlights and have painted this whole layer in titanium white- once I'm finished I will apply glazes of colour over the top which will hopefully *fingers crossed* bring it all together and produce a natural looking effect ready for more detail to be added.

It's just about ready for glazing now, but having spent so much time on the hair I want to make absolutely 100% sure it's dry- daren't risk washing off all my hard work!! So, I plan to carry on working into the highlights this evening (have just started going over her neck and picking out the stronger highlights again) and waiting until tomorrow before I apply some more colour. Don't think I have ever been so nervous about applying a glaze, I just hope it gives me the effect I hope it will!

10.5 hours spent so far.

'Windswept'

Not a great photo due to the terrible light but you get the idea!

A dark glaze has gone over the top, a few shadows picked out and now it is on to the first of the real detail! I have just been starting to work my way over the whole painting picking out highlights- face and mane done so far. Bit of a slow process with such a big canvas!

Another 2.5 hours spent on it since the last update so up to 7.5 hours in total so far.

'Windswept'

Last night I quickly added a dark coloured glaze over the top (pictured below) and today my two little boys were kind enough to have a sleep at the same time so I actually managed to spend an hour sketching in the first rough highlights in white (above). Still working quickly and loosely at this stage- I can't wait to get to the stage where I can paint some fine detail. Once dry another dark glaze will go over the whole lot and I'll pick out the shadows again. I need to correct the eye, I can see that it is far too small at the moment but should be very easy to fix. The waiting between layers drying is a real pain especially when I'm keen to keep going, but it suits the other demands on my time quite well I guess!

5 hours spent so far.

'Windswept'

Another layer on the background on today and main areas of shadow very roughly sketched in. Because it is such a big canvas I'm trying to work quite loosely on the painting as a whole at this stage to avoid it looking disjointed... normally I like to get quite a detailed drawing down in pencil first but in this case most of the 'drawing' will be done in paint as I go along.

I don't mind this ugly stage of my paintings as much as I used to, and I feel like I have laid the foundations for this one now. Once it's dry again I'll slap on a dark glaze over the lot, and then start picking out some of the main highlights. 45 mins spent today so 3hrs 45 spent in total so far.

I actually did a little oil of the same pony in a different pose for an SEA charity fundraiser in November for Debbie Hounsome, a paraplegic rider hoping to to compete at the 2012 Paralympics. The painting (below) was a tiny 5" x 7" so I'm finding it interesting painting her at the other extreme size-wise!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!

The last month has been a lovely break from painting for me, I'm now ready to get going again and full of enthusiasm for new original work I have planned!

My first aim of 2010 is to get work accepted into the Society of Equestrian Artists Annual Exhibition again; the deadline for entries is the end of May so I need to get my skates on! Competition looks set to be even stiffer this year as the exhibition has been made an open one. On the plus side artists can enter 6 rather than 3 works so I suppose there is more opportunity to get up to 3 accepted... if I can manage to rustle up 6 before then (seems a bit unlikely to be honest!).

So, I have made a start on my first original oil of the year today! It's a rather ambitious 36" x 28" entitled 'Windswept' which features a beautiful Dales mare owned by the Nipna Stud that I visited last year. I have never worked this big before- a blank canvas this size is rather intimidating so I have made a start by VERY roughly just slapping paint on to cover it a bit! I will be aiming to paint this with as much realism as I can, so I think I'll be working on it for rather a long time! People always ask me how long my paintings take me, and I never have a clue so I'm timing this one- 3 hours spent so far, including canvas preparation.

I wish you all a happy and successful 2010!

New Arrival

It's all gone very quiet on the art front in this house!

Henry William was born on the 27th November, 8lbs 14.5oz. I was lucky to have a fairly quick and straightforward waterbirth at home; we are all doing really well and very much enjoying the new addition to our family!