Moonlit Canyon

Moonlit Canyon 9x12" oil on panel
When in doubt about the weather, just try to enjoy it and really, look at it in a different way. I have several friends who expressed a desire for spring. I thought, why? If you dress warm enough, it's wonderful to get out in the snow and see things that most people normally avoid. My husband got me out of my couch potato attitude when we first married with a walk in a snow storm after dark. When I start thinking about the attributes of a warm home with a cup of hot beverage, I remember the wonder of that night with the cow & horse stampede, the warm breath of the draft horses checking us out, the snowflakes sparkling in the streetlights, the laughter we shared.

Signing back in to sign out for a while

Looking at a painting that I consider a work in progress, I hope to find a solution for what started out as a painting with a big barn behind the subjects. The barn was too overpowering, so I replaced it (twice) with different landscapes. Now, the mare and foal need something to balance the composition. What to do? I have to consider what may work and not take away from the subjects. I had a girl looking and leaning on the fence, but painted her out...you can still see her shadow in the grass.
I have a lot of work to do right now, and am taking a time out of doing this blog for a while. I'll be back!

Kentucky Horse Park

Kentucky Horse Park_8x10"_oil on canvas

The horse park has been owned by the state since the mid-seventies and has a wide variety of horses to see and also a wide variety of horse shows. People will bring their horses from across the US and the world next year for the World Equestrian Games in 2010. When I was in my early 20's we had a stable of horses in race training here, stabled in the big barn. The stalls are 16x16 feet lined with class I sand, which is basically ground up limestone. It was a real job getting the manure basket up over the top of the manure truck. Melanie and I would have to do this job together with a one-two-three heave! effort. There were many days that we would crack up laughing. Silly girls! But we were tired most of the time, and had an excuse to be silly. I remember a black quarter horse colt we had for a client who learned he could get away from us on the way to his paddock every day. We put two chains on him one under his lip, one over his nose, and he still could do it. There are so many memories for me, but most of all, was the fun my sister and I had out there, before the state bought it. It was utopia, and still is, just shared with the world, now.

Trees by a Pond 2

Trees by a Pond 2_9x12"_oil on panel

A study from an instructional book.

Trees by a Pond

Trees by a Pond 1_9x12"_oil on panel

It seems I have a theme to explore lately, sitting by a pond, minus mosquitos is a very pleasant afternoon. It's even nicer to have a nice book from which to do a study. Today we have a record low temperature since 1901, which was 75 degrees. My thermometer reads 68 and my fingers go numb at the end of this study.

Evening at the farm

Evening at the Farm_oil on panel

Shakertown Hill

Shakertown Hill_12x9"_oil on panel

After a day of painting at Shakertown, we went to find a more remote location to paint. Just a smidgeon away was a creek bed (dry) where I did a small study, then found this just around the group of trees. It was a hot day, with the grass that crunchy sounding crackle when you walk on it. The hay had been cut, leaving swathes of grass lying in neat rows, leading the eye up the hill.