Small Equine Work-in-Progress

Well, the holidays are now well behind us (small sigh of relief), and Ellie seems to be behaving herself for the most part as well as developing a bit of much-needed maturity.  I am happy to report that despite my concerns the Christmas tree did remain upright, and she only destroyed one ornament.   : )))

I've recently resumed my work on this small piece, one of three I have in progress.  Using both Faber-Castell Polychromos and Caran D'ache Pablo pencils, I am laying in the final details of the leather bridle and the horse's eye.  After completing these and the silver fittings, I will finish building the values and detail in the horse's coat.

Thanks for reading, and a Happy New Year to you.

Wishing you and yours a ...........

Its the dog's fault. Really.

Ellie, shortly after her arrival.  She sure looks cute, but........

Several of you are aware that last winter we sadly lost both of our golden retrievers, less than three months apart.  First, fifteen-year-old Gus who simply lost his battle with old age, then thirteen-year-old Clare who suffered from recurring cancer.  As goldens tend to be, they were wonderful dogs: Clare was my relentless running partner for many years, and Gus was the kindest and noblest animal I have ever known.  Life without them underfoot just didn't seem complete.

When I began to make murmurings about getting another golden early last summer, the males of the house tried to dissuade me: my son lobbied for a Rhodesian Ridgeback, and my husband requested I consider a Clumber Spaniel.  As I read about both of these breeds online, I wanted to think I was being open-minded -- but really, I was having none of it.  I mean, if it works......why fix it?  (And you know, what Mom wants................)  So, after researching several golden retriever breeders in southern Michigan through the summer, "Ellie" came home to us in September.  

It did not take long for me to begin to wonder if, a) I had been tremendously naive, or b) I had simply forgotten what cute, little puppies are really like -- though I'm quite sure my memory serves me correctly in that I'd never experienced anything quite like Ellie.  I'd envisioned walking through the fields with my beloved golden puppy at a perfect 'heel' by my left knee, (okay, okay.......that was naive), and suffered from delusions of me working at my drawing table with Ellie quietly napping on her fleece mat at my feet. 

This was not to be.  Actually working for any length of time, soon seemed like a distant memory.  Ellie seemed much less like a sweet little puppy, and more like the whirling Tasmanian devil I recall from cartoons as a child.  Even my husband, more dog-savvy and tolerant of puppy foibles than I, was heard to mutter on several occasions, "I think there is something wrong with her."  Listening was clearly a totally foreign (or selective) skill on her part for many weeks, and there seemed to be a great deal of confusion as to who was actually the pack leader around here.  Averaging about every forty-five seconds, I was either taking something out of her mouth that didn't belong there, saving my elderly cat from her puppy exuberance, or removing her from somewhere or something that is off-limits.  (And I'll spare you the potty-training details.)  My life was quickly reduced to a pocketful of "cookies" (food being the only thing that motivated Ellie toward anything that even remotely resembled good behavior), and a vocabulary consisting of, "no", "leave it", "sit", "stay", "STAAAYYY", "off", "leave the cat alone!"...............and the occasional, "good girl".

 I knew (hoped) things would get better; I just did not realize it would take so long!  Over the past two to three weeks and as she approaches five months old, Ellie is maturing and showing signs of the great dog she is going to be.  (Big sigh of relief).  I no longer find myself in the throes of, "What was I thinking?", my old cat seems to be no worse for wear, and life is gradually resuming some normalcy.  So you see?........I didn't fall in a horse trough as some of you may have suspected.

Below are the two small equine works that I have had in progress.  I will be assessing what finish work is needed on the bay horse; the grey requires significantly more layering before it is close to finished.

  

       

Tomorrow my son returns home from college, and we will put up the Christmas tree.  I'm doing this with some trepidation..........somehow visions of the cat running under the tree with Ellie in hot pursuit followed by the tree crashing to the floor keep creeping in.  Call me crazy.

Have a wonderful, joy-filled Christmas.........and if you made it through my lengthy 'Ellie-vent', well, thanks for reading.    : )

Work-in-Progress: Wyoming Wild Bay Horse

On the drawing board currently is a small piece similar to Wyoming Grey, which was sold at the silent auction for the Colored Pencil Society of America last month.  This piece is the first of two or three works of this type that I am doing for an area gallery.  I have just begun to put down the layers of detail, and have yet to punch up the darkest values.

I can barely believe that the summer is winding down already.  The barn swallows' final broods of the season are about to fledge, and the sand hill cranes are frequently found snacking in the fields as they approach time for their migration.  In  another week my son -- who has been here all summer diligently attending to his part-time job and full-time social life -- will return several hours north for his second year of college.  Sniff.  Life holds few guarantees, but change is certainly one of them.

Colored Pencil Society of America 19th International Exhibition..........from the back side.

The results of the cowboy boot search, from left to right;  Kendra Ferreira, Elizabeth Patterson (CA), myself, Debbi Friedman, and Dianna Soisson ..............and I can't help but wonder -- what does one's choice of cowboy boots say about one?   : )))

As is sometimes the case, it has taken me several days to recuperate from my recent trip to Dallas, Texas, for the CPSA 19th International Exhibition.  Too much fun tends to have that effect on me.  Each year the event features workshops, a silent auction, awards banquet, and opening reception, to name a few of its highlights.  In addition to the convention activities (and despite the excessive heat), several of us took the train into downtown Dallas and visited the John F. Kennedy museum: a fascinating slice of history set up in the book depository itself, the location that JFK was assassinated from.

The Charles W. Eisemann Center will host the exhibition until July 31, 2011. CJ Worlein of Oregon took home the CIPPY Best of Show for her piece, "The Sisters", and good friend Debbi Friedman of Massachusetts garnered an Award for Outstanding Achievement for her still life, "Counterpoint in Green".  All of this year's award winners can be seen at http://www.cpsa.org/.   The following photos are from convention week.

Myself with Dianna Soisson, and Kendra Ferreira

Debbi Friedman, moi', Gemma Gylling, and Dianna Soisson

 Debbi Friedman shows off her boot choice

top - "Sea Foam" by Kendra Ferreira

bottom - "Flowers on Tuesday" by Dean Rogers

Dianna Soisson of Michigan with her piece, "Beyond All Boundaries"

With Jeffrey Baisden and Elizabeth Patterson

Ester Roi.......who laughs like this a lot    : )

Now time to refocus, and get to work.  Thanks for stopping in.



Dallas, The American Plains Artists Exhibition, and a little bit of drawing

Tomorrow I will be leaving for the Colored Pencil Society of America's International Exhibition and convention week near Dallas, Texas.  This event always proves to be five days of great fun and lots of laughter with good friends, as well as a tremendous source of inspiration.  A cowboy boot shopping expedition planned originally by several members, seems to have morphed into a virtual CPSA field trip -- so much so that we may do well to rent a bus. (And grant me a 'whine' for a moment:  I think I broke a toe yesterday, who's swelling could prohibit me from being able to properly try on boots this week.  This could be a catastrophe.)  So stay tuned for photos of wild, middle-aged women.  Okay, well............ maybe not so wild.     : ) 

My piece Dust and Thunder has been juried into the American Plains Artists 27th Annual Exhibit.  The show will be on display in Las Cruces, New Mexico, from September 9 - October 30, 2011, at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum.  The exhibit can also be viewed on the American Plains Artists website.

Finally, the entire grisaille is completed on my current work-in-progress -- (except for that pesky ear area near the right-hand margin that I decline to show in its entirety at present, and which I have redrawn three times ..........it is a little irritating when I find myself stuck on something in that way, but occasionally it seems simply the nature of the beast) -- and I have begun to put down the heavier layers upon which I will build the details later.  After I return from Dallas, I may set this piece aside for awhile in order to work on a couple of smaller equine pieces that need to be completed first.

So, see you on the other side of the convention -- and thanks so much for reading.

On the Drawing Table.......Another Equine Drawing

This current work-in-progress will eventually depict two black horses, and is once again inspired by the wild horses of Wyoming.  The image shows the early stages of my layering with colored pencil.  As with my most recent equine drawing, I am putting down a grisaille using the range of Prismacolor french greys (except for the muzzle), in order to establish the shapes and some of the values.  There is much ground to cover yet: for perspective, this horse head is nearly 20 inches high.

With this piece, one of my goals is to retain and lead the viewer's eye through the particular -- though subtle -- use of color.  As the work progresses, I will be able to explain more specifically what I mean by this - and what it is I am attempting to accomplish.

As always, thanks for stopping in.   : )