Dressage Mini Painting on ebay

Another half term project! I stared this little 5" x 7" painting ages ago, last year in fact, but have only just got round to finishing it. Unlike most of my work this size it isn't a preparatory study for a larger piece, just a little one for fun!

Bidding starts at 1p with no reserve and free shipping- it's goes for what it goes for! You can find the auction here: http://r.ebay.com/G4K5hx

Happy Valentines Day everyone! 

Half Term

It's half term here so a week off 'proper' painting but a good opportunity to dabble, sketch, and experiment! Last year I decided to buy a Beswick ornament and paint it 30 times in a bid to sharpen up my life painting skills. I dusted it off today for a bit of practice, this is only number 9 though! I'm a bit rusty and the drawing is decidedly dodgy but all good preparation for better weather round the corner and real life equine models to paint. I am especially looking forward to a whole week in June down in Devon painting horses with fellow members of The Society of Equestrian Artists!

'Winter Day'

Finished this painting today. I may tweak it with fresh eyes in a week or two but for now it is signed and complete! Looking forward to having it properly scanned as the photo hasn't really captured it accurately. Really enjoyed the challenge of painting this one, learnt lots throughout which will hopefully help future snowy scenes! 

More on the snowy scene done.

Have worked mainly on the pony today, and the snow in the foreground (the camera doesn't really pick up the light on the snow though!). Very nearly finished, another sitting to tidy up the pony, she needs a few more details/highlights/shadows, then my signature in the bottom right, a few more stick-like plants emerging from the snow, and it will be done!

Need to think of a title...

Snowy Scene, Work in Progress...

I have attempted several snowy scenes in the last couple of years but never managed to produce one I was happy with, they have all either ended up in the bin or overpainted! Determined to crack it this year as I'd love to have my own Christmas cards printed in 2013. This is my current attempt, so far!

The pony and foreground are only roughly blocked in so far but I think the background is pretty much done. There are lots of purples and greens in the trees which seem to get lost completely in the photograph, think this one will need professional scanning if it turns out ok- cameras just can't seem to cope with subtle detail AND areas of strong plain contrasting colour/tone.

Looking forward to it drying so that I can carry on with it. Below is a shot of it last week, two more layers of paint have gone on the trees since. The colours are a lot truer in the older photo!

Hello 2013

Such a long time since I last blogged!

September to December was spent incredibly busy with commissioned paintings so I have not had much to share (or the time to do it!) over the last few months, need to get back in the swing of blogging again!

Above is my first finished painting of 2013, a very little 6" x 6" study based on the wonderful images I took back in September on the gallops at Newmarket. I have several larger originals based on my Newmarket images planned so have been doing some preparatory paintings of which this piece is one.

I'm currently working on a special commission for a friend, and a snowy original painting that I hope will turn out well enough to have Christmas cards printed this year. I have an exciting (challenging!) beach based commission to get stuck into next and plenty of original paintings to transfer from mind to canvas too. Hoping to keep a nice healthy balance between commissioned work and originals this year; it's always an honour to paint for other people but I also need to get my work out there at more exhibitions too.

Looking forward to doing LOTS of painting from life in 2013, below is a still life painting I produced a couple of weeks ago at a workshop with friends. Off to Devon for a whole week in June with The Society of Equestrian Artists which I am super-excited about in particular.

My youngest, Henry, turned 3 before Christmas so now goes to preschool 5 mornings a week- he is loving his time there and I'm loving the extra painting time and riding time I now have! Speaking of Henry, below is a photo of him jumping his snow pony recently! Check out the Society of Equestrian Artists Facebook Page for lots of FAR more impressive equine snow sculptures!

Hope you are all well!

Busy Busy Busy!

 After months of not really having much time to paint I seem to have thrown myself right back into it all now we have settled in our new home. I'm busy working on originals that I hope to exhibit later in the year, commissioned paintings, and regularly painting horses from life when I can.

The above painting is one I did last weekend, I'm pleased enough with it to offer it for sale, it is up for grabs on eBay starting at 1p- http://r.ebay.com/sZqD1h. Had a lovely two days at a workshop, nice to see my skills slowly beginning to improve. Still find painting horses in front of me incredibly difficult, the painting below was another not so successful one, the other two I did were too rubbish to share haha!

I currently have a muddy tangled Dales Pony on my easel, a zebra, and some polo ponies! Nice to be back into the swing of it. My eldest starts school in September and my youngest will be attending a playgroup a couple of mornings a week so I'm looking forward to have a little extra painting time in a couple of weeks.