Society of Equestrian Artists' Annual Exhibition Submission

Two horse paintings submitted today, form in post, payment made, images sent, wishing them luck!


I'll Fly Away, Acrylic on Canvas, 24"x24"
based on a photo by JustChaos under Creative Commons 2.0
Copyright A Cairns all rights reserved
http://www.equineartportraits.com/

 

Into The Dust, Acrylic on Canvas, 24"x24"
based on a photo by RedHotRuby, with permission
Copyright A Cairns all rights reserved
http://www.equineartportraits.com/

Paintings are still with me for the Dunlop Gala day, my lucky two horses I hope!

On the Easel....New Horse Painting

I don' know why I say on the easel, it is on the coffee table, being painted at eleven at night, in appalling artificial light and the backdrop of Lady Gaga in concert on BBC Three. It was all I could do to just listen, as had I looked up too often I might have started to dance and then the painting time would be hi-jacked.

Untitled - In progress painting
copyright A Cairns, http://www.equineartportraits.com/

Painting is thanks to a beautiful photo which caught my eye on Red Hot Ruby's Blog of one of her horses in a dust storm in Texas (thank you so for being kind enough to allow me to use your photo!)

She is still in progress, I need to work in a little more detail into the background so that I can come back to the foreground and work on the tail, which looks great in the photo, splaying out in the wind.

She is shaping up nicely, feeling really good, although the camera flash has been kind and tomorrows daylight may not be!

Starting over.. hello new horse painting

Life has been a little hectic so art was on hold last week, but now I am starting afresh today, and really needing the painting time.

What a great feeling when you find an photo you like to work from, so thank you blogging friends who were so agreeable to my request. One of you might recognise this as the paint starts to go on, perhaps sooner you know your photos well! 

Friday night painting time, lines down, I am ready ....


starting a new painting, lines down,
copyright www.equineartportraits.com

I'll Fly Away: Grey Horse, Acrylic on Canvas



I'll Fly Away, Acrylic on Canvas, copyright of artwork A.Cairns 2011
based on photo by Just Chaos licenced under Creative Commons 2.0
http://www.equineartportraits.com/

He is there or thereabouts....my husband if sufficiently sick of the sight of me painting him, that he insists he is finished. Me, I am less sure, but he is definitely resting, which means I will be looking for pastures new.

Bitter Chocolate finish

So it has been little and infrequent touches of the paintbrush this week but little by little my bigger piece of a grey horse is getting closer now. I sat by the fire tonight on the floor and mixed up a dark bitter chocolate paint mix of Burnt Umber and Phthalo Blue, and it looked good enough to eat.

Sitting on the floor a chocolate brown rug I carefully slicked it around the edge of the canvass all the way, a dark ribbon an sweet finish. I knew I wouldn't paint on until I was 'nearly done'. Like a nice pudding after a well earned dinner.

He is nearly ready to be varnished, but now I need to sit  in his company and wait to see what draws my eye, what calls me back to the canvas for just a touch more paint...patience, not to seal him as finished too soon!