Trot Through the Forest

Trot Through the Forest 4x6 acrylic on canvas paper

This little piece was very fun to do, as well as a little challenging. Artist tend to get stuck in a rut of constantly drawing the same pose , and this was my attempt at trying to get away from that rut. I always tend to draw horses facing left (oops) and standing with a profile head. Action shots are hard, and different angles are annoying. So, I realize the horse is still facing the habit way, but it's not standing still!

In order to improve at anything really, one must constantly challenge their abilities. Getting stuck in a rut is safe, but frustrating. You know what you can do well, and do it over and over and over again. And while you can do that one thing very well, let's face it- one trick ponies are boring. This painting took me awhile to sketch out because of the difficult angle the horse is in, but over all I am extremely pleased with how it came out. From now on I'm going to be trying for more difficult subject matters so I can constantly be on the upraise of my artistic abilities :)

First Commission of the Year!

"Yin and Yang" 11x14 Acrylics on board

Like the post title says, this is the first commission of the year! A cute pair of Chihuahua's. This painting was a HUGE challenge for me to undertake. Namely because I have never drawn this breed of dog before. Despite all the challenges involved I am extremely pleased with the outcome of this painting! I went a little slow with this one to make sure I nailed it, and I'm happy I did. The thing that really threw me off with this painting was the coloring of the dogs. I've never painted anything with their colors before, so I was a little stumped for awhile with what to do with them. I ended up just sitting and staring at the painting and my available colors a lot trying out different combinations and patterns in my head, and when I thought I had it I put the plan to the canvas. The results were just what I was hoping for!

Massive Chaos

"Silent Comfort"

Melody had another relapse last week with her injury and ended up going back in for surgery. It's now been a 7 month nightmare in trying to keep my horse alive. Every time I see the vets they tell me that my horse should be dead. I just keep trekking, and treating her because I know if I slack off even slightly she could get infected and die.

Back when she first injured herself I put my entire life on hold while I stressed out and obsessed over keeping my beloved mare alive. I felt empty and alone, but I figured this was all because of what was happening right in front of me. My horse was seriously hurt, and that's all there was to it. In reality it wasn't. It wasn't the stress of the horse's injury that was making me feel empty- it was the lack of creative energy that was doing it.

It's only been the past 3 months that I've realized I HAVE to paint, I HAVE to write, I HAVE to use my creativity or there's really no point in being here. After I complete a painting or write a short story I feel so warm, so full of life. It doesn't matter what kind of day I've had, if I come home and do something creative everything is instantly better. Art is a part of life, and I have to do it. Since I embraced my creative side again I'm not as stressed out. The threat of dire things still looms heavier over my head, but I can deal with it now. I can take it and channel it into something- a painting, a short story.

Poor Melody still has a long way to go. She came home Friday after her surgery and it confined to strict stall rest. She's such a brave little mare. Everyday when she sees me she nickers happily and rests her head on my chest. I keep praying everything will be alright, and any doubt or troubles get washed away in layers of paint on canvas.

Watercolor Continued

"Floating" 12 x16 watercolor

One of the biggest things I am learning in my watercolor class right now is to loosen up! And to stop trying to control the watercolor. By just letting the medium 'do its own thing' I am getting some beautiful washes. This was just a quick painting to put to use everything Feng and his other students have suggested to me, and really there is already a big difference between this one and the last.

Whenever I get really flustered with my art I have to do something fun. Something whimsical and off key for me. Thus a series of Wind Horses is slowly being born, and they are all wildly stylized like the horse in today's post. It is important for no matter what your line of work is to take a mental break and do something fun with it. As much as I love to draw and paint, the wind horses are how I keep things fresh and fun. I use them as an excuse to just explore and experiment with the medium.

The next painting I am working on is continuing on with the Dressage theme from the last painting- and boy do I think I bit off more than I can chew! The horse is a beautiful midnight black Friesian and he's proving very difficult to paint at the moment! I'm also a bit nervous with this as well because Feng wants me to paint in front of him this week. I might have to do some more of these wind horses to keep me sane!!

Small Works/ Personal Style

"Dream Ride" 3.5 x 2.5 colored pencil

Over the past few years I have found myself greatly enjoying doing the smaller works of art. Why is this? Mainly because these smaller pieces tend to be quick 'practice' works. I rarely spend more than an hour doing one of these ACEOs, which always leads to the possibility of doing one a day with my busy schedule. I also greatly enjoy doing these in colored pencil! As much as I love the medium, it tends to be a bit of a burden to do anything larger than 11 x 14 with them, and they general take a long time to complete. With these smaller works, it doesn't matter the burdens of the medium because there is less space to cover! Not that I want to discourage anyone from colored pencil! It is a wonderful medium. I think as my personal style grows and develops I just see the need to move away from them.

Developing my style has been an interesting journey, and it is one I feel that is only beginning. When I first started seriously looking into art I wanted to go into a more realistic approach to it. However, through the years my painting have started taking on a more impressionistic/painterly look to them. My palette has grown to non-traditional colors, and everything has started to get looser. Colored pencils will always be a 'tight' medium, just by their nature. They are better suited for the realistic style, and not the one I am currently moving into. It's just amazing how much growth and change my art has undergone in only a few short years, but it is all for the better. I really hope by the end of this year I will finally be comfortable with the new style of mine that is budding. The more I paint, the better I feel about it!

The Secret to a Good Painting

People have always been baffled with what makes a good painting, and it's not just having a good grasp on colors or brush techniques mastered. Although, those things certainly help they aren't the most important part. The key to a good painting is a well thought out drawing. Let me explain, if you were trying to create a painting of a horse, for example, but had a half hearted drawing with lots of errors there is no way you can create a wonderful painting. By making the job more frustrating than it should be- the painting is doomed to fail.
This was a very hard lesson for me to learn as I would rush through the sketching process so I could color it. Guess what? All those paintings were pure crap. They were rushed through making them poor quality and awkward. Art is nothing but checks and balances. There is no one part that is more or less important than the other. Creating a good solid drawing is just as important as painting it. If you rush with anything in the creative process it will fail.
You have to enjoy the entire process of creating a painting, for this is what ensures a warmly received high quality treasure. A treasure that you have put every ounce of your being in.