Commissioned painting of "Grace and Tanz".

This was my last commissioned painting of 2013.  Many thanks to the Gil Netter family of Malibu, CA for surprising daughter Grace with an oil painting of her competing at a horse trial with "Tanz". 

Welcome 2014!

 Shown here is one of the last commissions that I worked on in 2013.  It is a painting for a lovely client that wanted nothing more than a painting that reflected the wonderful memories of her childhood growing up with horses.  We talked and created an idea that would gather some of the images that were in her imagination.  We worked on an idea for a pastoral view with a southwest Virginia feel to the landscape.... particular horses represented, a blond haired young girl and a homestead that looks like it could have been in the family for generations.   This is the result and she was very happy. 

 Welcome 2014 !!
As my husband and I sat and watched the sunset on New Years Eve we made a list of all the good things about 2013.  The list was long and full of so many events for which we are so thankful.
It was like a Christmas letter to ourselves and we filed it away and decided that it should be a yearly tradition. Not a letter that we send out in cards, but just for our own memories so that we don't take for granted the wonderful times with family and friends.

One thing that we noticed were the number of things that happened that we had not seen coming when the new year started in 2013......things that were such blessings in both our work and personal lives.  There are challenges ahead in 2014 , no doubt......we will face them head on.... we hope to face them without forgetting that life is more good than bad.   When our kids were growing up we joked about keeping our list of "happy thoughts"..... a list of moments in time that just make our blood pressure lower and our stresses melt away.  I wish all of you reading this a long list of happy thoughts for 2014.  Get started...right them down.... 2014 has left the starting gate!

A Workshop with Scott Waddell

This photo is a close up of Scott's demo piece. It shows the first pass of the contour drawing done from life, transfered onto the canvas....... the first pass of underpainting and the beginning of his form method of painting.

This is Scott working on the small color poster study of the model at the Gemini School of Art and Communication.

Scott is getting ready to release a new DVD instructional video the week before Christmas .........
Go to his website for more information  .....  http://scottwaddellfinearts.com/

This past September I attended a portrait drawing/painting from life workshop with Scott Waddell.  It was held at the Gemini School of Art and Communication in Austin, Texas. The only thing I knew when I signed up was I loved Scott's work and that I needed to do whatever I could to get there.  I was just hoping that he was a good communicator.  I was NOT disappointed.

 Scott's energy was non stop and he gave his all to make sure that each student ( about 15 all together) received attention and individual help along the way. He left you feeling that you understood what it was that was holding your own progress back and a clear understanding of what to do about it !  I was so inspired by his ability to articulate what he was trying to teach us about drawing/ painting and capturing a likeness in the portrait.

I admire many styles of painting the portrait...but I was searching for what resonated with how I am naturally drawn to draw and paint.  This was it.  It brought me literally to tears to have the light bulb come on for me and the way I needed to approach painting the portrait.  My general understanding was made so much more clear with Scott's approach.  Is it a "faster" approach?....no.  Is it an "easier" approach?...no. Is it an approach full of gimmicks and tricks?....NO.  Is it an approach that gives you the hope to paint portraits from life that could literally take your breath away?....Yes!  I highly recommend his workshops if you have the chance to attend.

"Snowman and Harry" Painting featured in The Chronicle of the Horse Magazine

Yay !  The October 21, 2013 issue of the Chronicle of the Horse included my painting of "Snowman and Harry" on their art page.   I'm honored and excited to again be included in this very respected magazine.  Following this magazine since the 1970's...it has a special place in my memory.   An extra benefit to having the painting featured is that I hope it brings attention to the giclee prints of this painting that are available for purchase. 

The entire edition of 250 is earmarked for 100% of the proceeds going to the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation and to the Kentucky Equine Humane Center.   So...if you are looking for a great gift that also benefits two very worthy causes.....think about ordering one for that special person on your christmas list.  Go to my website and you can download the order form there.  www.lakehillstudio.com

Snowman's Head Portrait at Rood and Riddle's Hat's Off Day Silent Auction....

Here are some photos showing the progression of the 11 x 14 sized painting that I did for the live auction event at this years Rood and Riddle Grand Prix dinner / fundraising event.  Since the method I use for oil painting requires the paint to dry a little between stages, I snapped some photos off my easel so patrons could see how the painting evolved back at my studio. They watched me put the finishing touches on it the night of the auction.  The painting was swept up , still a bit wet with some final touches, and auctioned off!  Many thanks to the winner and her generous support of the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation and the Kentucky Equine Humane Center with her winning bid.  This piece now hangs at a beautiful farm in Paris, Ky.

So, from start to finish ...here are stages of the painting.....

I started this one with a white canvas, no toning.  I used an ultramarine and burnt umber thinned with odorless mineral spirits for this drawing that was done directly on the canvas with this thin paint.  At this point....the general blocking in with geometric shapes, checking proportions, and the placement of the subject on the canvas are the goals.  Gathering old black and white photos and a few color shots of Snowman helped me to understand how his head was structured and what specific markings he had.  Years of studying horses enabled me to draw Snowman in a pose that wasn't already shown in any one photo reference.

Continuing the drawing..... blocking in the halter.  Visually measuring the spaces between the halter and the parts of his head.....in other words, checking on the negative spaces.  Accuracy of your negative spaces is a quick way to tell you if your drawing is straying off course.

Now that I have my sketch done....blocking in the dark background is my next step.....I check to see that the shape of the dark mass is going to work as a design element in the painting.  If it doesn't work at this stage.... you had better change it now before you progress because a bad balance in design at the beginning is not going to get fixed by the details.  It's like building a house on a good foundation.

All along I knew that I wanted to make this a back/side lit design.  Add your darkest darks into the subject. This is where you start to really use your ability to squint your eyes!   That really helps...because as I said...this is where you want to check on the general pleasing nature of the design...does it flow, does it have balance? Does it lead your eye around the canvas and the subject?

Satisfied with the major design decisions....I went ahead and started layering some color onto the background to make it more opaque.  I stuck with ultramarine blue and burnt umber, making some areas heavier in the blue tones and some in the brown.  At this point, I know that when I sign this painting, I'll be scratching my name into the last wet layer and revealing the lighter layer....here you can see that I've blocked in that lighter layer at this point in the lower left hand side.

Here I am going back to Snowman's head and layering some half tones into his structure...starting to "carve" with the paint and show where the light is landing without being quite so hard edged.  Softening the transitions between light and dark at the point.

I went ahead and layered the last layer of dark background around the painting and scratched my signature in while it was still wet....revealing that lighter color that I placed there earlier.  Who says you have to wait until the painting is finished to sign it? Also...slowly delineating the drawing with color...picking out the structure of his head with cooler bluer shades of white and grey.  Beginning to block in a bit more detail such as the exact shape of the eye and the construction of the halter.

Knowing that I've checked and double checked the drawing and feel good about it's accuracy by this point, now I can start layer some coat color, major markings ( flea bitten grey in this case). You may be able to tell that I made a change in his fleece noseband and muzzle area.... lengthening it just a little.  Yes, that meant re painting that whole area...but as I said...better now than later!

Still, at this point , squint a lot...make sure that your light is correct.... adjusting the hardness or softness of the edges. 

 Continuing more of the same as in the last photo.  Color saturation and value of the colors as the
details are starting to drop in.  Notice that I softened the harsh lines of his body so those lines and values would not compete with the head / face as the main subject.

 Feeling a little pressure to lay down the last details of this painting at the site of the auction, I absent- mindedly forgot to snap a good shot of the finished painting.  In the steps that came after the last photo, I concentrated on the little details that included dropping in the warm highlights...glazing in some reflected light and some darkest small shadows.  I especially wanted to drop in the details of his warm soft eyes.   So, there you have him....... Harry's beloved Snowman.

"Snowman and Harry" official painting presentation at the Kentucky Horse Park 2013

I promised more pictures from Hat's Off Day at the Kentucky Horse Park and so here we go....let's start with this one that Len snapped.....

He captured the moment just as the painting of "Snowman and Harry" was being presented to Bill Cooke, the director of the International Museum of the Horse.  On the right is Harry de Leyer giving the thumbs up sign!  Elizabeth Letts, the author of the book "The 80 dollar champion" is hidden in this shot but she is standing next to Harry in the pink shirt.  I am next in the purple sweater.  Dr. Tom Riddle from Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington is holding the painting.  Bill Cooke, the director of The International Museum of the Horse is next to Tom and to the far left is John Nicholson, the executive director of The Kentucky Horse Park.   Standing center ring at the Rolex stadium with the painting image on the jumbo tron......looking at the one and only Harry de Leyer's reassuring smile and wink..... I couldn't have even dreamed that up......It is a moment that I will not forget. 

 I love this shot of Harry de Leyer during our tour of Spy Coast Farm in Lexington, KY.  He has a such a kind face.......because he is a kind person.

A surprise for all of us was to see the "80 dollar Champion" book cover jump standards at the Rood and Riddle $50,000 Grand Prix competition at Rolex Stadium that evening.  

After dinner in the sponsors tent I was happy to snap this shot of two "Hall of Famers" having a chance to finally meet.  Chris McCarron and Harry de Leyer. 

Good thing Len remembered to snap this picture of me and the head portrait of Snowman that I completed for the live auction event sponsored by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital for the benefit of The Kentucky Horse Park Foundation and The Kentucky Equine Humane Center.  It wasn't even dry when it was wisked off to the auction block.  It now has a new home at a beautiful farm in Paris, Kentucky. 

"Snowman and Harry"

"The Eighty Dollar Champion, The Horse That Inspired a Nation", a New York Times bestseller by Elizabeth Letts has introduced the uplifting story of Snowman and Harry de Leyer to a whole new generation.

In keeping with this new stage of a wonderful story, I’ve created this original painting to honor both the memory of Snowman and his best friend, Harry de Leyer. Harry is now 86 years old and still going out to the barn everyday working with his beloved horses. When Mr. de Leyer saw a photo of the painting in its final stages, he said the following:

“It brought tears to my eyes…you got the slope of his shoulder that made him such a good jumper…and his eyes…they are perfect…the soft eyes that I first noticed about him…it is exactly Snowman”    Harry de Leyer

It has been an honor to work on this project for The International Museum of the Horse. This 14 x 18 oil painting will hang in its permanent collection in Lexington, Kentucky.  A formal presentation took place at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Rolex Stadium on July 27, 2013 during the Hats Off Day celebration. The author, Elizabeth Letts and Harry de Leyer were in attendance for the festivities. To say it was a memorable experience to be able to get to know both of these very talented people would be an understatement!

Limited edition giclee prints of "Snowman and Harry" are now available.  100% of the proceeds in sales from this giclee print edition of 250 will be divided between the Kentucky Equine Humane Center and The Kentucky Horse Park Foundation.  This year marked the 10^th anniversary of Dr. Tom Riddle’s dedicated support of these two organizations through this fundraising event sponsored by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital of Lexington,KY.

Order forms for a giclee print of “Snowman and Harry” on 100% cotton paper are available through a downloadable order form found at www.lakehillstudio.com

Check back….I’ll post some pictures of this memorable weekend soon………