Equine Painting- "Three for the Show"

My latest equine painting is "Three for the Show", a follow-up to "Loser Buys Dinner" (see April post). My goal in this piece was to capture the strength and vitality of the beautiful horse by making use of bold color and intuitive "motion sketches" depicting the horse's movement. The painting was begun with an ink drawing using a quill pen, then color was laid in using a palette knife. I finished the painting with various detail using a sable brush. It is quite different painting heads less than an inch in height compared to painting life-size as I do with my portrait work.

If you're interested in purchasing a print of this work, visit my website and click on the "Prints" link. To purchase the orginal, contact my studio directly. I have already begun ideas for my next equine paintings. If you have something in particular you'd like to see- drop me a line.

Cate

Cate is the youngest of the six children of the Hazel's in Virginia. I have painted Caroline, Raleigh, Lucy, Elizabeth Rose, and John prior to Cate's! Walking into the Hazel home is like walking into my own mini exhibit! I am honored and privileged to have worked with such a kind and delightful family. Cate was no exception to the Hazel tradition, as she exhibits the bright and warm Hazel smile.

The first of my portraits was of Caroline over ten years ago. About a year ago Caroline suffered a fall from a balcony in a bizarre accident at college, and is now working through paralysis recovery. Our hearts and prayers go out to her and her family as they walk through this trial. It has been nothing but encouraging to see the Hazels surround her with great love and help, and it certainly isn't surprising to see such love from this family. Thanks for the pleasure of painting your children.

Ned

Ned is handsome young boy in North Carolina. I had painted Ned's brothers a few years ago, and Ned's portrait completes the set. All three boys are charming, full of personality (yet each is very different from their siblings), and their parents are a delight to work with. This combination makes for an enjoyable experience for me, and this results in a great portrait. Thanks, Ned, for being such a good sport (and thanks also to Will for his help at the sitting).