"Paintings have a life of their own that derives from the painter's soul." Vincent Van Gogh

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Horses, Portraits and Lake Tahoe

 Back to the subject of horses! This is one of my favorite subjects and I am always drawn back to painting them time and time again. 

Oil on canvas panel / 16 x 20 

Oil on linen panel / 12 x 16



And some recent portraiture as well.

Mahri / 12 x 16 / oil on chipboard



Max / 12 x 12 / oil on chipboard


The brisk Autumn weather has been so lovely that my husband and I decided to drive to Lake Tahoe to do some hiking. We discovered a brand new trail that meanders along the Nevada side of the lake then follows the Truckee River back toward Reno. It is many dozens of miles long and we only hiked about 2 miles but the views were superb. The lake water is crystal clear and is a brilliant turquoise near the shoreline. It was a spectacular day!








18 comments:

  1. your paintings are all nice, the top one is my favorite, it has playful spirit that is fun and touches my heart.

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    1. So gald you stopped by and that you like the horse painting, Tammie Lee. Many thanks!

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  2. I love your horse paintings , your passion about them really shows . That said I love all your works painted in your very special and personal way !

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    1. What a nice comment, Jane and very greatly appreciated. I keep coming back to them as I really enjoy trying to capture their motion, energy and unique beauty.

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  3. Anything you paint appears to delight my eyes and heart. From the whimsical horse painting to the impressionist one - both are fabulous and for different reasons. The common denominator is the tremendous feeling of movement.The portraits have a lovely energy also.
    Lake Tahoe is always calming for me and I enjoyed seeing the shots you took. Emerald Bay is on the Calif side and your trail was on Nevada side so the beautiful colors were not of it.
    Lovely post Susan, thank you. By the way, I did go and look up, The Railway, and am glad I did. I remember seeing it before and clearly remember my fav part was the steam from the train, so brilliantly painted. I guess I like movement LOL JMW Turner did a train with the movement of the steam being the whole atmosphere. Rain, Speed and Steam. Are you familiar with it?
    Have a great week.

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    1. Oh, thank you so much, Julie - I could not ask for more!
      Yes! I believe I am familiar with the Turner painting that you mention - his work is so unique and just oozing energy, power and mystery. I also adore Monet's Gare Saint Lazare railway painting. I was lucky enough to see it in person a few years back - what confidence and mastery.

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  4. I love your dancing horses!
    And what a beautiful trail, the views are spectacular!

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    1. Thank you, Judy. Lake Tahoe is a spectacular area and the new walking trail makes it easier to enjoy the endless views.

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  5. Dag Susan, je paarden zijn altijd geweldig mooi om te zien!!
    Wat een mooie natuurfoto's, zou mooi zijn om op doek weer te geven denk ik... groetjes van Simonne

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    1. I wish I was a landscape painter as some of those scenes do seem to be begging to be painted!

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  6. Hi there Susan,

    Thank you for including us in your Tahoe tour! Beautiful landscapes that fill the eye with color color and texture.

    Your skillful portraits never disappoint... but I too, love the newest horse piece. As Julie pointed out, your horse subjects never fail to capture one's eye with your ability to portray their power and beauty of motion.

    This one adds a new element of interest... the effects that further create a sense of motion... like gears of clockwork arranged helter-skelter about the once empty parts of the picture plane. A courageous tactic... that works!

    A wonderful post. Thanks for sharing!

    Warmest regards,
    Bruce


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    1. Horses and I have had a love affair since I was a very little girl. In the first painting I had an urge to try and convey a sense that what the horse is experiencing is unfamiliar and alien to human conception - I will keep trying and am ever grateful for your support!

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  7. These paintings are all wonderful but those horses are SO outstanding. I have always loved the incredible movement in your horse paintings...MORE please. I never get enough!

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    1. Thank you, Hilda - I keep coming back to them time and again. I have always been entranced by the relationship between horses and humans and never tire of trying to depict it.

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  8. Bonsoir ma chère Susan,

    Tes chevaux tout comme tes chiens, je les adore ! J'aime leurs mouvements, les bouilles, leurs attitudes. La manière que tu les reproduis me plait.
    Je peux retrouver ton ressenti, qui n'est que du bonheur ! Il faut les aimer pour réussir à restituer l'essentiel avec un tel talent !
    Un joli panache de peintures qui apporte un grand bonheur dans ce très joli billet. Mais pas que !!... Une belle invitation à découvrir ce lieu magique que ce lac. Tes photos sont une véritable tentation au farniente !

    Gros bisous 🌸

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    1. So happy you like my horses - they are such a joy for me to paint and offer me endless fascination and challenges!

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    1. Thank you, Ashok. I enjoyed seeing your horses and how confidently you placed them in an abstract setting. I was trying to achieve that in my first painting but did not wholly succeed.

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Your comments are welcome and brighten my day!