Fair time!

Our local fair is soon coming to the close.  This painting was inspired by the 6 horse hitch event a year ago, and I have been working on it, on & off, for the last year.  It was accepted in the Norfolk ArtsCo Juried Competition, and placed.  The next day it was sold.  It has generated many interesting conversations, and best of all, I've seen horse people come up and name the horses & people in the painting.  Now that's cool!

So what will I follow up with for next year's show?!  I have about 10 great ideas from which to choose, after watching the events again this week.  I envision the composition in my mind, to edit the subjects.  So far they're all going to be painted, but the one that will go in the show is yet to be seen.  I better get painting first!!!

Life

Creek Crossing, 12 x 24

I've neglected this blog in the last few months, and have no legit excuses!  The winter was mostly spent painting, and the spring was spent getting the garden ready for my annual show at the end of June.  Thank goodness it was such a wet spring here, keeping the lawns nice and green.  My lawns are like the frame to a painting, setting off the gardens, giving the eye a rest. 

We spent a week in Calgary, in July, and when we came back the gardens and lawns were dry & dormant.  So sad to see, and it's still like that now.  This has not been the good plein air season I'd been hoping for!  So, I've done a few pieces indoors, inspired by our western trip.

I went on a beautiful ride, through fields, across creeks, up and down hills.  We saw these 2 spectators, and I thought how lucky they were to be there, to see what they saw, every day!

Blowin' in the Wind, 9 x 11

Then after traveling a little further, I too was able to see the panoramic view that they could see.

360 View, 12 x 24

It was so beautiful, the moving clouds dropped some showers on us a couple of times, but it never mattered.  It was warm, breezy, and I was on a horse in a spectacular setting ... what could be better?

I'll work at being more regular here!  I have a few more ideas from the trip to get on canvases... sometimes life just gets in the way.  I take it (painting) as it comes... no pressure, no expectation, it will happen when it's meant to.

Recent Projects

                                            Waiting patiently with a handler. The tenderness of their connection really caught my attention.

Same Percheron as above, from the same day.

A Percheron whose picture I took at the local fall fair.

Still a work in progress!

a commission

a commission

a commission

"Learning the Ropes". 

 

"Bows 'n Bums" I was very lucky to be able to  climb up to the driver's seat to get this view!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This piece was donated to the Ontario Percheron annual fund-raising banquet.

 It has been too long!  I've had good intentions to keep up to date with posting here, but over the holidays and up till now, there have been too many excuses not to!  No longer!  One of the excuses was that I was too busy painting, and I have accomplished these pieces.  To see all that I've been up to, check out "Fine Art by Anda" on Facebook.

Long term project

I've been quite busy doing commissions in the past 2 months, and now that they're done, I can go back to ideas of my own.  I do enjoy commissions, don't get me wrong, they're a nice break, and it's nice to have a specific goal and purpose in mind.  But now I can go back to all the great visions I picked up at the Fair and the Plowing Match!
Usually my pieces don't take that long... I don't rush, I'm just a fast painter, and spend a lot of time doing it.  I would like to do a piece that will take me a longer time to finish, one that is more difficult, ambitious, intricate, and eye-catching.  I've been mulling over this concept/idea/subject  for a while, and have started it.  Finding the right size canvas - done.  Initial layout - done.  Base-coat with background and positioning of the subjects - done.

The scene is from our local Fair, as the 12 teams of 6 horse hitches line up for judging.  An amazing scene to witness, an amazing collection of horses, dressed to the 9's!  You can see the whole piece in the first picture,  1' x 4', and in the close up is the first team on the right.   One horse, one team at a time.  We'll see how long this one takes!

the marathon continues!

I'm in the middle of a few pieces at the moment, as they rotate around me, touching up here and there as I see fit.  There are actually 4 on the go, and a 5th to be started soon, all commissions for Christmas.  I love doing commissions... it helps me see things with a different, more critical eye.  It also forces me to keep working till I'm 110% satisfied, because I don't like to send off a piece unless it meets all expectations.  And I like the fact that I'm not rushed for time, yet! 

While working on these pieces, I'm getting lots of practise on horse anatomy etc, and find it's getting easier, and better.  This is good, because a future idea that I have for a 'masterpiece' will require this skill!
This one still needs some work, but you get the idea.  I'll show all 3 pieces (same 4 abreast team, shown 3 different ways) when I think they're 'done'.

the marathon begins!!

I just finished spending 5 wonderful days at the Simcoe Fair, watching and taking pictures of all sorts of horse events.  I took almost 3,000 photos in that time, of every horse/team from every angle, several times, just looking for the right shots of energy and conformation!  So far I've done 2 paintings, with so many more to go!  In that time I also got a few commissions, for Christmas.
To top all that, my piece "Prep for the Lesson" that was accepted into the Sanders Visual Arts Competition was sold!  Only sale in the show, so far.

I'm pumped!

some tiny pieces!

                                                                       the Blue Jay is 4 x 6

These  4 are 1 3/4" x 2 1/2"
which is close to actual size