David Milne, Canadian Painter

This is a portrait of David Milne, Canadian painter 1882-1953. I have also included a closeup shot of the face as I just love the way his eyes are darting over to his unfinished work. This was done today using an old black and white photo as a reference. I love doing that as I am free to experiment with color and I am very pleased at the color in this painting. I tried out Gamblins Torrit Grey which is a wonderful greenish grey that mixes well with other colors. Torrit Grey is actually the residue of paint left behind on the Gamblin Artist Oil colors filtration system. Gamblin donated a tube of this color to each participating artist who attended the recent Women Artists of the West National Show in El Cajon, CA. I really enjoyed using this unique color today and will purchase another tube when this one runs out.

Aproaching the Landing Zone

I just can't seem to get enough of this subject and perspective - it certainly has me fired up. I have shown two close ups so that the brushwork and paint application can be more easily seen. Its hard to get a feeling for the painterly aspect and the color nuances of a piece this large (20x24) in such a tiny photo.

Takeoff

"To ride a horse is to ride the sky" - author unknown. Oil on canvas panel 24 x18.

Cross Country Mid Flight

I am back to horses in mid air and still have a few more in mind before this series is done. This one is 18x24 oil on canvas board. I love this painting as I had a wild time painting it - as if it was me trying to control these giant powerful animals! I am using a lot of burnt sienna in my recent horse paintings and its been a duel between Winsor & Newton and Gamblin burnt sienna. My local Blick Art Store carries both brands in large tubes - W&N 200 ml and Gamblin 150 ml. I have a definite preference for the W&N. It seems much more luminous to me and I love the consistency.

Reno and Lake Tahoe, Nevada

Just back from a trip to Reno -my first time there and I fell in love! What magnificent weather, inspiring scenery, friendly people and snow capped mountains in June. Very inspiring! The photos of the snow capped Sierras were taken from the airplane window at about 20,000 feet with my Sony 10 megapixel digital camera! I adjusted them a tiny bit in PhotoShop for contrast.

Cross Country Coming in for Another Landing!

I can't get enough of this subject! The twisted position of the foreground horse really grabbed me. I should call this one Wild Ride! What fun it must be to be a jockey riding such a magnificent beast - and dangerous, too. I will be traveling for a while so no new posts for a couple of days. I hope my viewers are enjoying this series as much as I am!

Coming in for a Landing Too

More mid flight drama. This one is 12x24 oil on canvas.

Cross Country - Coming in for a Landing

16x20 oil on canvas. I am so intrigued by horse anatomy. Of coure, my intention is not to render anatomy in scientific proportions but to render it as a fleeting impression conveying movement and energy - recognizable and yet unique. A horse in midflight - it just allows the creative spirit to run free!

Partners

I find I can say things with brushstrokes, with paint as color and light, with value and shape, that I cannot say in any other way. This tiny jewel of a painting is only 5x7 inches and yet when I put it in my black and gold baroque tabletop frame, it took on a presence I could not have predicted. Please contact me by email for pricing.

Juror's Choice Award- WAOW National Show

Wow! Juror's Choice Award at the WAOW - Women Artists of the West 4oth National Show! You can see how happy I am that juror Peggi Kroll Roberts selected my painting Del Mar After the Race for this honor. I am elated! The WAOW organization and the Olaf Wieghorst Museum put on a truly magnificent show. The works of over 90 artists hung from floor to ceiling in the style of the Salon International in Pais in the 19th century and it made for such a stunning and dramatic presentation!. I had 5 paintings accepted and they are all are so beautifuly displayed. Many of my friends and family attended and I was able to share my joy with them. This is my first year with WAOW and I found the people to be the warmest, most friendly group of women I have had the pleasure to associate with. I made many new friends and hopefully some lasting relationships. I was so impressed with the quality of work in this show. Please check out the show at the WAOW site at www.waow.org/ and the site of juror Peggi Kroll Roberts at www.krollroberts.com/. I am in awe of how she captures light and color relationships so beautifully and seemingly effortlessly in her work. During the festivities we were treated to an amazing pastel portrait demo from a live model by award winning artist and Signature Member of WAOW Ilene Geinger Stanfield. Her studied approach and painterly results were truly amazing to watch.

Juror's Choice Award - I am on cloud nine!