New Friesan Painting in WaterColor Pencil
So here’s my latest effort.
This painting is yet unnamed (not even a working title yet) and is once again done on suede board.
I really like the look of suede, but I am torn about using it, since so far it has been a little moody to work with when it comes to profiling it for prints. (Mike, says the suede’s fine, that I’m the one who’s moody.)
Um . . . Anywho, my last couple of pieces didn’t profile as well as I would have liked. The prints look fine (perhaps a tad darker than the original) but it was a real effort to get there. Sometimes that’s just the way of things. But it may have to do with the suede being so dimensional. In real life the light gets captured in depths of the fibers that doesn’t reproduce in print.
In case it is the later, I am working on a lighter shade of suede to see if that helps. I am kinda counting on it actually because I just invested $80 in 3 sheets of the stuff. (and they’re not really colors I use in framing) My two other pieces in the works to go on suede are a giraffe painting and a portrait of Alborozo. (Though I imagine I can’t legally call it his portrait. It will just have to be “inspired” by Big Al.)
Cross Breeding
This painting kinda looks like the love child between my Natural Grace oil pastel painting and my portrait of Catch done in water color pencil. Which is all good because both are extremely popular sellers and you got to feed those that feed you. Meaning give the people what they want or shut it if you’re not selling.
Okay, okay . . . I’m getting off my soap box now. (I’m feeling feisty today)
At any rate Natural Grace was all about design, while Catch was all about. . . well . . . Catch. This one however is going to be all about the hair.
My inspiration for this was my recent trip out photographing the Percheron brood mares. With all their lovely, floaty manes blowing in the breeze. My actual reference photo however was from my horse safari trip to Noble Friesians last fall. This was one of their young stallions making tracks away from me when he discovered my camera was not a giant horsey treat.
Sundays are a day of rest.
Since it’s Sunday, I have the whole day to work on it. Which is good because even though it was a few short months ago since my last wc pencil on suede, I seem to have forgotten how to work it and needed a little time for a refresher.
I am wearing the same horse slobber stained sweatshirt as last Sunday (It happens to be my favorite) I did however put on makeup and jeans after last Sundays humiliation. I can’t put my DO NOT DISTURB sign out because Mike is working on the front of the gallery and thus takes away all power from the sign. We shall see what comes of it.
Note: I haven’t quite figured out where I’m going to crop. The board I’m working on is 21×32. The painting however will be much closer to 20 x 20
heya Mona, this is looking great! Looking forward to seeing the next stage. Haven’t been around much of late as its been manic here, but now catching up with your posts.
It must be really difficult to get some quiet time for your work, but don’t worry about what you look like, especially on a Sunday, you cant be expected to be made up and in best clothes all the time. Thats the problems for us working from home, its so easy to get up and work in your pj’s, no make up and get engrossed and then there’s a knock at the door…… : )
Mona,
I love those Friesians! And I love to read about your work in progress.
Thanks Mel, I remember those days. Honestly that was a part of the push to get a gallery uptown. My studio space was the entire upstairs (4 bedrooms) of our house. Folks had to traipse through the house and go upstairs. That, and it was so easy to feel guilty for not keeping up on the household chores. Now I just walk out the door, almost guilt free.
Also Thank You Ulla, I did look a little deeper looking into your blog. Once again lovely photos but also lovely artwork. I see you have a bit of that horse crazy girl in you as well.
Love it, however, I am not sure still the medium, it it all watercolor pencil, or watercolor paints? I am a fan of yours, myself doing a lot of charcoal drawings of horses, and a wanna be oil painter of horses. I love the pastel drawings you do of horses, and to do one myself, well, I’d sure like to have a lesson or two, I do have a wonderful set of pastels I’ve had (o my) since 1977. Anyway I love all your work, and is the unfinished look a plus for you, or how do you know when to stop.??
Cunthia
Hey Cynthia, It’s water color pencil. I am an illustrator at heart so I rarely work with a brush in my hand. I never really “know” when I’m done. It’s usually more like I have to give up in order to move onto the next project or gallery work. The business usually doesn’t allow me to hold onto to any one painting too long.
And once again I’m quite envious that you have a friend with 3 Friesians at your disposal.