This was a great morning for painting horses en Plein air. I was able to work on two paintings before the wind became too much. One of the horses was a 10 year old Arabian mare, named Angel. This was Angel's first ride to the Goldfield Ghost Town, and it took a while for her to calm down. Since Angle was so animated, I had a little more difficulty when I started the painting. I wanted to focus the painting on her big expressive eye and subtle color transitions in her coat.
The Horsemanship Connection: Watching Angel calm down and relax was very rewarding. The process of being aware of the subtle changes in a horse is a big part of connecting with feel. Rather than focusing on the behavior that is unwanted, offering support and making the environment conducive to learning will allow horses to absorb the lesson. Helping a horse get past something they are afraid of is one kindness we can offer our horses. Whether I am working with a horse or on a painting, remembering to keep my breathing steady always adds calm to the situation.
"Arabian Angel" 6x8 oil painting is available for $40.00 plus $4.80 shipping.
5 comments:
Love the new painting!
Torrie
You amaze me!
The ONE time I attempted painting horses plein air, every shift in their position looked like a better composition. So, I'd change it. After an hour or so I had a disaster. I managed to save the piece by working on it later in the studio.
Do you work on your pieces later?
Thanks, I'm glad you like it! This Arabian was really anxious, and that made it difficult for me to decide how to best paint her. I settled on her sweet face.
Sometimes I do work on them back in the studio. But I try to connect and get as much done when I am with the horse.
I'm so impressed. I have trouble drawing a horse from a photo. Painting a moving horse from life seems impossible.
Thanks for your comments!
Post a Comment